Esther Becomes Queen

During the third year of his reign in Susa, King Xerxes held a feast for his officials followed by a seven-day banquet for all people present in the citadel (Esther 1:3-5). On the seventh day, the king commanded his eunuchs to bring Queen Vashti before him wearing her royal crown to display her beauty, but she refused to come (Esther 1:10-12). Following the advice of his wise men, Xerxes issued a royal decree stating that Vashti would no longer come before him and that her royal position would be given to another who was better than she (Esther 1:19).

To find a replacement, the king's servants proposed a search for beautiful young virgins throughout the provinces to be brought to the harem in Susa under the custody of Hegai (Esther 2:2-3). Among those taken was Hadassah, also known as Esther, the daughter of Abihail. She had been raised by her cousin Mordecai because she had neither father nor mother (Esther 2:7). Mordecai instructed Esther not to reveal her people or her lineage, and she obeyed his command while undergoing twelve months of beauty treatments (Esther 2:10-12).

When it was Esther's turn to go to the king in the seventh year of his reign, she requested nothing except what Hegai advised (Esther 2:15-16). Xerxes loved Esther more than all the other women, and he set the royal crown upon her head, making her queen instead of Vashti (Esther 2:17). To celebrate, the king held a great feast for his princes and servants and granted a remission of taxes to the provinces (Esther 2:18). During this time, Mordecai sat at the king's gate, and through Esther, he informed the king of a plot by two eunuchs to lay hands on him, which resulted in their execution (Esther 2:21-23).