Esther 2:3
What does Esther 2:3 mean?
A plain-English look at Esther 2:3 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Esther 2:3 means
The proposal becomes policy: provincial officers are to gather eligible young women to Shushan. Hegai, the royal eunuch, will oversee them in the house of the women, and extensive cosmetics and purification will be provided. The verse shows the empire’s administrative muscle and the palace’s opulence. The process is long, controlled, and oriented toward the king’s delight. Women are managed by officials, their adornment supplied at state expense. Yet even in this impersonal system, individuals will stand out. The mention of Hegai anticipates the importance of favor within the process. God often overrules human structures, using even secular systems to accomplish His quiet purposes on behalf of His people.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hegai the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them;
KJV
King James Version · 1611And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hegai the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Let the king give authority to certain men in all the divisions of his kingdom, to get together all the fair young virgins and send them to Shushan, the king's town, to the women's house, under the care of Hegai, the king's servant, the keeper of the women: and let the things needed for making them clean be given to them;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and the king doth appoint inspectors in all provinces of his kingdom, and they gather every young woman--virgin, of good appearance--unto Shushan the palace, unto the house of the women, unto the hand of Hege eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, and to give their purifications,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And let some persons be sent through all the provinces to look for beautiful maidens and virgins: and let them bring them to the city of Susan, and put them into the house of the women under the hand of Egeus the eunuch, who is the overseer and keeper of the king's women: and let them receive women's ornaments, and other things necessary for their use.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the young virgins of beautiful countenance to Shushan the fortress, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given.
Context
The plan suggested in verse 2 takes concrete shape here. We are introduced to Hegai, whose role will matter when Esther enters the scene. The language of gathering from “all the provinces” underscores how broad the search is. Verse 4 will give the goal—replacing Vashti—while verses 5–7 will introduce Mordecai and Esther, the unlikely participants whom God will bring to the center of imperial life.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Esther 1:1
Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this is Ahasuerus who reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces),
- Esther 2:8
So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
- Esther 2:12
Now when the turn of every maiden was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that it had been done to her according to the law for the women twelve months (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with the things for the purifying of the women),
- Isaiah 3:18
In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, and the cauls, and the crescents;