Esther 2:9

And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator records the moment King Ahasuerus evaluates the newly gathered young women at Susa, specifically noting his immediate reaction to Esther after she enters the palace under Hegai’s care.

The words — The Hebrew וַתִּיטַב בְּעֵינָיו (va.tiṭav bə‘ênaḇ) literally renders “and she was good in his eyes,” while וַתִּשָּׂא חֶסֶד לְפָנָיו (va.tiśā ḥesed ləpānāyw) translates to “and she bore favor before him.”

The thread — This pattern of unexplained favor appearing in a ruler’s eyes echoes Genesis 39:21, where the LORD grants Joseph favor in the prison warden’s sight, and contrasts with the king’s earlier edict in Esther 2:3 to assemble all beautiful young women.

Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that divine providence operates through royal preference and administrative detail, requiring the reader to track how hidden lineage and sudden elevation intersect in the narrative.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַתִּיטַ֨בva./ti.Tavand/ she was good הַנַּעֲרָ֣הha./na.'a.Rahthe/ young woman בְעֵינָיו֮ve./'ei.Na/vin/ view/ his וַתִּשָּׂ֣אva./ti.Sa'and/ she bore חֶ֣סֶדChe.sedfavor לְפָנָיו֒le./fa.Na/v<to>/ before/ him וַ֠יְבַהֵלVa/y.va.heland/ he hastened אֶת־'et-<obj.>תַּמְרוּקֶ֤יהָtam.ru.Kei./harubbings/ her וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>מָנוֹתֶ֙הָ֙ma.no.Te./haportions/ her לָתֵ֣תla./Tetto/ giveלָ֔הּLa/hto <the>/ herוְאֵת֙ve./'Etand/ <obj.>שֶׁ֣בַעShe.va'[the] seven הַנְּעָר֔וֹתha./ne.'a.Rotthe/ servant girls הָרְאֻי֥וֹתha./re.'u.Yot<the>/ chosen לָֽתֶת־la./tet-to/ giveלָ֖הּla/hto <the>/ herמִבֵּ֣יתmi./Beitfrom/ [the] house of הַמֶּ֑לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king וַיְשַׁנֶּ֧הָva/y.sha.Ne./haand/ he moved/ her וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>נַעֲרוֹתֶ֛יהָna.'a.ro.Tei./haservant girls/ her לְט֖וֹבle./Tovto/ [the] good [place] of בֵּ֥יתbeit[the] house of הַנָּשִֽׁים׃ha./na.Shimthe/ women

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Genesis 39:21 the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
Esther 2:3 and 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.
Esther 2:12 In 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.
Daniel 1:9 Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,
Ezra 7:6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
Psalms 106:46 He made them objects of compassion to all who held them captive.
Acts 7:10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.
1 Kings 8:50 May You forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all the transgressions they have committed against You, and may You grant them compassion in the eyes of their captors to show them mercy.
Nehemiah 2:8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.