Esther 2:12-18
In Place of Vashti
Read the passage
12In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.
13When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace.
14She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name.
15Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.
16She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
18Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Before a young woman goes to the king, the harem regulations require twelve months of beauty treatments. She goes to him in the evening and returns in the morning to a second harem, under Shaashgaz, who is responsible for the concubines. She cannot return to the king unless he summons her by name.
These details keep us from reading Esther's rise as a simple romance. The women live within an arrangement governed by the king's desires. A woman's future access to the king depends on whether he sends for her.
When Esther's turn comes, she asks only for what Hegai advises. She finds favor with everyone who sees her, and then with Xerxes himself.
So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
The king celebrates with a banquet, a tax holiday, and gifts. Esther has received an extraordinary position, but the words "in place of Vashti" remind us of the woman removed before her. Royal favor has changed Esther's circumstances; the earlier queen's experience warns us how insecure such favor can be.
Questions
1 How long do the beauty treatments last?
AnswerTwelve months: six with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics.
2 Where does a woman go after her night with the king?
AnswerTo a second harem under Shaashgaz. She returns to the king only if he delights in her and summons her by name.
3 What does Esther ask to take with her?
AnswerOnly what Hegai advises, although she is allowed to request more.
4 How does the king mark Esther's new position?
AnswerHe crowns her queen in Vashti's place, holds a banquet, proclaims a tax holiday, and gives gifts.
What This Means for Us
A person can receive something good within a situation that is still difficult or unjust. We can be thankful for help without pretending every part of the situation is right. When reading Scripture together, ask what the passage reports and whether it actually commands us to do the same. A royal practice is not automatically a model for our family.
Prayer
Father, help us read honestly, especially when a story is difficult. Care for people whose choices are limited by others, and teach us to use any influence we receive with justice. Amen.