Esther
Esther 2:2–4
2Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king, 3and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments. 4Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.”
This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Esther 2:2
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Then the king’s | הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | ham·me·leḵ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4428 king |
| attendants | נַעֲרֵֽי־ | na·‘ă·rê- | Noun - masculine plural construct | H5288 a shaking, scattering |
| proposed | וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ | way·yō·mə·rū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H559 utter, say |
| Let a search be made | יְבַקְשׁ֥וּ | yə·ḇaq·šū | Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | H1245 seek |
| for beautiful | טוֹב֥וֹת | ṭō·w·ḇō·wṯ | Adjective - feminine plural construct | H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good |
| young | נְעָר֥וֹת | nə·‘ā·rō·wṯ | Noun - feminine plural | H5291 girl, damsel |
| virgins | בְּתוּל֖וֹת | bə·ṯū·lō·wṯ | Noun - feminine plural | H1330 virgin |
| for the king | לַמֶּ֛לֶךְ | lam·me·leḵ | Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4428 king |
Esther 2:3
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and let the king | הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | ham·me·leḵ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4428 king |
| appoint | וְיַפְקֵ֨ד | wə·yap̄·qêḏ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular | H6485 attend to, visit, muster, appoint |
| commissioners | פְּקִידִים֮ | pə·qî·ḏîm | Noun - masculine plural | H6496 commissioner, deputy, overseer |
| in each | בְּכָל־ | bə·ḵāl | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct | H3605 the whole, all |
| province | מְדִינ֣וֹת | mə·ḏî·nō·wṯ | Noun - feminine plural construct | H4082 province |
| of his kingdom | מַלְכוּתוֹ֒ | mal·ḵū·ṯōw | Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H4438 royalty, royal power, reign, kingdom |
| to assemble | וְיִקְבְּצ֣וּ | wə·yiq·bə·ṣū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H6908 gather, collect |
| all | כָּל־ | kāl- | Noun - masculine singular construct | H3605 the whole, all |
| the beautiful | טוֹבַ֨ת | ṭō·w·ḇaṯ | Adjective - feminine singular construct | H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good |
| young | נַעֲרָֽה־ | na·‘ă·rāh- | Noun - feminine singular | H5291 girl, damsel |
| women | בְ֠תוּלָה | ḇə·ṯū·lāh | Noun - feminine singular | H1330 virgin |
| into | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the harem | בֵּ֣ית | bêṯ | Noun - masculine singular construct | H1004 house |
| at | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the citadel | הַבִּירָה֙ | hab·bî·rāh | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H1002 castle, palace |
| of Susa | שׁוּשַׁ֤ן | šū·šan | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H7800 Susa |
| Let them be placed | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| under the care | יַ֥ד | yaḏ | Noun - feminine singular construct | H3027 hand |
| of Hegai | הֵגֶ֛א | hê·ḡe | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H1896 Hege, Hegai |
| the king’s | הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | ham·me·leḵ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4428 king |
| eunuch | סְרִ֥יס | sə·rîs | Noun - masculine singular construct | H5631 eunuch |
| in charge of | שֹׁמֵ֣ר | šō·mêr | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H8104 keep, watch, preserve |
| the women | הַנָּשִׁ֑ים | han·nā·šîm | Article; Noun - feminine plural | H802 woman, wife, female |
| and let | וְנָת֖וֹן | wə·nā·ṯō·wn | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute | H5414 give, put, set |
| beauty treatments | תַּמְרוּקֵיהֶֽן׃ | tam·rū·qê·hen | Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine plural | H8562 id. |
Esther 2:4
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Then let the young woman | וְהַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ה | wə·han·na·‘ă·rāh | Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - feminine singular | H5291 girl, damsel |
| who | אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| pleases | תִּיטַב֙ | tî·ṭaḇ | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | H3190 be good, well, glad, pleasing |
| the king | הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | ham·me·leḵ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4428 king |
| become queen | תִּמְלֹ֖ךְ | tim·lōḵ | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | H4427 be or become king, or queen, reign |
| in place | תַּ֣חַת | ta·ḥaṯ | Preposition | H8478 the under part |
| of Vashti | וַשְׁתִּ֑י | waš·tî | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H2060 Vashti |
| This suggestion | הַדָּבָ֛ר | had·dā·ḇār | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H1697 speech, word |
| pleased | וַיִּיטַ֧ב | way·yî·ṭaḇ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H3190 be good, well, glad, pleasing |
| the king | הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | ham·me·leḵ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4428 king |
| and he acted | וַיַּ֥עַשׂ | way·ya·‘aś | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H6213 do, make |
| accordingly | כֵּֽן׃ס | kên | Adverb | H3651 right, veritable, honest |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Esther 2:2 1 Kings 1:2 · Genesis 12:14 · Esther 6:14
Esther 2:4 Matthew 14:6 · Matthew 20:16 · Esther 3:9–10 · Esther 1:21 · Matthew 22:14 · 2 Samuel 17:4
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.