Esther 2:17
What does Esther 2:17 mean?
A plain-English look at Esther 2:17 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Esther 2:17 means
Ahasuerus loves Esther above all others, and she receives extraordinary favor and kindness. The royal crown is placed on her head; she is made queen in Vashti’s stead. What many sought through adornment and ambition comes to Esther by grace and providence. The verse signals a reversal of fortunes: an orphaned exile is exalted to the highest female office in the empire. Yet the narrative keeps the focus on favor rather than personal triumph. Esther’s elevation is not the end but the means by which deliverance will later come. The God who seemed absent is quietly arranging salvation through a queen no one expected.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And Esther was more pleasing to the king than all the women, and to his eyes she was fairer and more full of grace than all the other virgins: so he put his crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and the king loveth Esther above all the women, and she receiveth grace and kindness before him above all the virgins, and he setteth a royal crown on her head, and causeth her to reign instead of Vashti,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And the king loved her more than all the women, and she had favour and kindness before him above all the women, and he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vasthi.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins, and he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Context
The long process reaches its goal: the new queen is chosen. Verse 17 crowns Esther, directly answering the vacancy noted in verse 1 and the plan of verses 2–4. Verse 18 will describe the public celebration and royal generosity that follow. Soon after, verses 19–23 will shift attention to Mordecai at the gate and the exposure of a plot, linking Esther’s reign to the preservation of the king’s life.
v.16So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
v.17This passage
v.18Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the bounty of the king.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Psalms 75:6
For neither from the east, nor from the west, Nor yet from the south, cometh lifting up.
- Psalms 113:7
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, And lifteth up the needy from the dunghill;
- 1 Samuel 2:8
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit the throne of glory: For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah’s, And he hath set the world upon them.
- Esther 4:14
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father’s house will perish: and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
- Luke 1:48
For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaid: For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
- Esther 1:11
to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look on.