The Meaning of Esther 2:21 Explained

Esther 2:21

KJV: In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.

YLT: In those days, when Mordecai is sitting in the gate of the king, hath Bigthan been wroth, and Teresh, (two of the eunuchs of the king, the keepers of the threshold,) and they seek to put forth a hand on king Ahasuerus,

Darby: In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the threshold, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.

ASV: In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those that kept the threshold, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In those days,  while Mordecai  sat  in the king's  gate,  two  of the king's  chamberlains,  Bigthan  and Teresh,  of those which kept  the door,  were wroth,  and sought  to lay  hand  on the king  Ahasuerus. 

What does Esther 2:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

At this point in the narrative the writer introduced us to the villain, and we learn the reasons he hated the Jews.
The writer next described a plot that one of the leading men of Persia devised to do away with the Jews.

Context Summary

Esther 2:1-23 - The Service Of A Foreigner
Esther's Hebrew name meant Myrtle. It could not have been easy for her to retain her sweet simplicity amid the corruptions of her time, but her Persian name means "a star," as though she were a garden enclosed, encircled by the atmosphere of the divine purity and protection. We must not judge Esther by our own standards, but by the custom of her time. Each of these young girls was considered to be married to the king, was kept under his roof, and was his wife of a lower rank. How great is the influence of Christianity in raising our standards and pervading the world with a loftier morality! She was not bidden to deny her parentage, but only advised not to proclaim it, Esther 2:10. When, afterwards, she was raised to power, she showed no flinching from identification with her race. So she attained the highest position in the world to which a woman could aspire. God lifted her there to serve a high and noble purpose. Her relative, Mordecai, discovered a plot against the king, and told it to his ward, the queen, and she to her royal spouse. The deed was unrewarded; in this, however, the faithful doorkeeper felt no disappointment. He acted not for reward, but from a sense of duty. But the act was registered both in heaven and on earth, and it bore fruit. It is enough for us to do our duty, and please God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 2

1  Out of the choice of virgins a queen is to be chosen
5  Mordecai the nursing father of Esther
8  Esther preferred before the rest
12  The manner of purification, and going in to the king
15  Esther, best pleasing the king, is made queen
21  Mordecai, discovering a treason, is recorded in the chronicles

What do the individual words in Esther 2:21 mean?

In days those and while Mordecai sat within gate of the king became furious Bigthan and Teresh two of eunuchs of the king doorkeepers the door and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus
בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם וּמָרְדֳּכַ֖י יֹשֵׁ֣ב בְּשַֽׁעַר־ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ קָצַף֩ בִּגְתָ֨ן וָתֶ֜רֶשׁ שְׁנֵֽי־ סָרִיסֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מִשֹּׁמְרֵ֣י הַסַּ֔ף וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ לִשְׁלֹ֣חַ יָ֔ד בַּמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵֽרֹשׁ

בַּיָּמִ֣ים  In  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָהֵ֔ם  those 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
וּמָרְדֳּכַ֖י  and  while  Mordecai 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרְדֳּכַי  
Sense: cousin and adoptive father of queen Esther; son of Jair of the tribe of Benjamin; deliverer under Divine providence of the children of Israel from the destruction plotted by Haman the chief minister of Ahasuerus; institutor of the feast of Purim.
יֹשֵׁ֣ב  sat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּשַֽׁעַר־  within  gate 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
קָצַף֩  became  furious 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָצַף  
Sense: to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth.
בִּגְתָ֨ן  Bigthan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּגְתָן 
Sense: a eunuch in king Ahasuerus’ (Xerxes) court.
וָתֶ֜רֶשׁ  and  Teresh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: תֶּרֶשׁ  
Sense: one of the 2 eunuchs who plotted to kill king Ahasuerus of Persia but whose plot was discovered by Mordecai.
שְׁנֵֽי־  two 
Parse: Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
סָרִיסֵ֤י  of  eunuchs 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרִיס  
Sense: official, eunuch.
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִשֹּׁמְרֵ֣י  doorkeepers 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
הַסַּ֔ף  the  door 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סַף 
Sense: a spreading out, basin, goblet, bowl.
וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙  and  sought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
לִשְׁלֹ֣חַ  to  lay 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יָ֔ד  hands 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
בַּמֶּ֖לֶךְ  on  King 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲחַשְׁוֵֽרֹשׁ  Ahasuerus 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹושׁ 
Sense: title of the king of Persia, probably Xerxes.