The Meaning of Esther 2:9 Explained

Esther 2:9

KJV: And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.

YLT: and the young woman is good in his eyes, and she receiveth kindness before him, and he hasteneth her purifications and her portions -- to give to her, and the seven young women who are provided -- to give to her, from the house of the king, and he changeth her and her young women to a good place in the house of the women.

Darby: And the maiden pleased him, and obtained favour before him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, and her portions, and the seven maidens selected to be given her, out of the king's house; and he removed her and her maids to the best place of the house of the women.

ASV: And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens who were meet to be given her out of the king's house: and he removed her and her maidens to the best place of the house of the women.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the maiden  pleased  him, and she obtained  kindness  of him;  and he speedily  gave  her her things for purification,  with such things as belonged  to her, and seven  maidens,  [which were] meet  to be given  her, out of the king's  house:  and he preferred  her and her maids  unto the best  [place] of the house  of the women. 

What does Esther 2:9 Mean?

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 2:9 mean?

And pleased him the young woman pleased him and she obtained favor his so readily - beauty preparations and besides her allowance he gave to her and seven maidservants choice were provided for her from palace of the king and he moved her and her maidservants to the best [place] in the house of the women
וַתִּיטַ֨ב הַנַּעֲרָ֣ה בְעֵינָיו֮ וַתִּשָּׂ֣א חֶ֣סֶד לְפָנָיו֒ וַ֠יְבַהֵל אֶת־ תַּמְרוּקֶ֤יהָ וְאֶת־ מָנוֹתֶ֙הָ֙ לָתֵ֣ת לָ֔הּ וְאֵת֙ שֶׁ֣בַע הַנְּעָר֔וֹת הָרְאֻי֥וֹת לָֽתֶת־ לָ֖הּ מִבֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיְשַׁנֶּ֧הָ וְאֶת־ נַעֲרוֹתֶ֛יהָ לְט֖וֹב בֵּ֥ית הַנָּשִֽׁים

וַתִּיטַ֨ב  And  pleased  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
הַנַּעֲרָ֣ה  the  young  woman 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נַעֲרָה  
Sense: girl, damsel, female servant.
בְעֵינָיו֮  pleased  him 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וַתִּשָּׂ֣א  and  she  obtained 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
חֶ֣סֶד  favor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
לְפָנָיו֒  his 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַ֠יְבַהֵל  so  readily 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּהַל  
Sense: to disturb, alarm, terrify, hurry, be disturbed, be anxious, be afraid, be hurried, be nervous.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
תַּמְרוּקֶ֤יהָ  beauty  preparations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: תַּמְרוּק  
Sense: a scraping, rubbing.
וְאֶת־  and  besides 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מָנוֹתֶ֙הָ֙  her  allowance 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מָנָה  
Sense: part, portion.
לָתֵ֣ת  he  gave 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לָ֔הּ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
שֶׁ֣בַע  seven 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
הַנְּעָר֔וֹת  maidservants 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: נַעֲרָה  
Sense: girl, damsel, female servant.
הָרְאֻי֥וֹת  choice 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
לָֽתֶת־  were  provided 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לָ֖הּ  for  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
מִבֵּ֣ית  from  palace 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַיְשַׁנֶּ֧הָ  and  he  moved  her 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: to repeat, do again, change, alter.
נַעֲרוֹתֶ֛יהָ  her  maidservants 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: נַעֲרָה  
Sense: girl, damsel, female servant.
לְט֖וֹב  to  the  best  [place]  in 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
בֵּ֥ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַנָּשִֽׁים  of  the  women 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.