Esther 2:3 - Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;
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What does "Esther 2:3" mean?
This verse from Esther 2:3 is describing the initial stages of a beauty pageant-like selection process for a new queen for King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). Let's break it down:
"Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom...": King Ahasuerus is ordering his officials to find candidates throughout his vast empire (which included 127 provinces).
"...that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins...": The criteria for selection is beauty and virginity. This was a common practice in ancient times where rulers often sought wives from across their realm, emphasizing youth and virginity for lineage and legitimacy.
"...to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house...": Susa was the capital city, and the "women's house" (also called the harem or gynaeceum) was a segregated part of the palace where the king's wives, concubines, and potential candidates lived.
"...to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women.": Hegai was a eunuch (a castrated male) in charge of the women's quarters. Eunuchs were often entrusted with this role because they were considered less of a sexual threat to the women.
"Let cosmetics be given them": The selected women would receive cosmetics and treatments to enhance their beauty, preparing them for presentation to the king. This implies a period of beautification and training.
In summary, the verse describes a system where:
The king is looking for a new queen after Queen Vashti's defiance.
Beautiful, young, and unmarried women are gathered from all over the kingdom.
They are housed in a special part of the palace, under the care of a eunuch.
They are provided with cosmetics and likely other forms of beauty treatments to enhance their appearance.
This was a common practice in ancient times for rulers to select wives, particularly if the ruler wanted to solidify control over an empire or ensure alliances.
Esther 2:3 - Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;
What does "Esther 2:3" mean?
This verse from Esther 2:3 is describing the initial stages of a beauty pageant-like selection process for a new queen for King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). Let's break it down:
"Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom...": King Ahasuerus is ordering his officials to find candidates throughout his vast empire (which included 127 provinces).
"...that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins...": The criteria for selection is beauty and virginity. This was a common practice in ancient times where rulers often sought wives from across their realm, emphasizing youth and virginity for lineage and legitimacy.
"...to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house...": Susa was the capital city, and the "women's house" (also called the harem or gynaeceum) was a segregated part of the palace where the king's wives, concubines, and potential candidates lived.
"...to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women.": Hegai was a eunuch (a castrated male) in charge of the women's quarters. Eunuchs were often entrusted with this role because they were considered less of a sexual threat to the women.
"Let cosmetics be given them": The selected women would receive cosmetics and treatments to enhance their beauty, preparing them for presentation to the king. This implies a period of beautification and training.
In summary, the verse describes a system where:
The king is looking for a new queen after Queen Vashti's defiance.
Beautiful, young, and unmarried women are gathered from all over the kingdom.
They are housed in a special part of the palace, under the care of a eunuch.
They are provided with cosmetics and likely other forms of beauty treatments to enhance their appearance.
This was a common practice in ancient times for rulers to select wives, particularly if the ruler wanted to solidify control over an empire or ensure alliances.