Chapter Overview:

The virgins of the kingdom are gathered together, ver. 1 - 4.
And Esther with the rest, ver. 5 - 8.
She finds favour with the king's chamberlain, ver. 9 - 11.
The manner of preparing the virgins, and bringing them to the king, ver. 12 - 14.
Esther pleases him, who makes her queen, ver. 15 - 20.
Mordecai discovers a conspiracy against the king, ver. 21 - 23.

Verses:

2:3	Keeper - Of all the women, both virgins and concubines: only the virgins he himself took care of, as requiring more care and caution, and the concubines be committed to Shaashgaz, ver. 14 , his deputy.Purification - That is, to cleanse them from all impurities, to perfume, and adorn, and every way prepare them for the king: for the legal purification of the Jews he never regarded.
2:7	Esther - Hadassah was her Hebrew name before her marriage; and she was called Esther by the king after it.
2:9	Pleased - Because she was very beautiful, therefore he supposed she would be acceptable to the king; and by the Divine power, which moveth the hearts of men which way he pleaseth.
2:10	Shew it - Lest the knowledge hereof should either make her contemptible, or bring some inconvenience to the whole nation; but there was also an hand of God in causing this to be concealed, for the better accomplishment of that which he designed, though Mordecai was ignorant of it.
2:13	Desired - For ornament, or by way of attendance. And it should be observed, that every one whom the king took to his bed, was his wife of a lower rank, as Hagar was Abraham's, so that it would have been no sin or dishonour to Esther, though she had not been made queen.
2:19	Sat - By office, as one of the king's guards or ministers; being advanced to this place by Esther's favour.