Thematic Bible: Wives taken by edict
Thematic Bible
Marriage » Wives taken by edict
Then the servants who were waiting on the king said to him, Let search be made for some fair young virgins for the king: Let the king give authority to certain men in all the divisions of his kingdom, to get together all the fair young virgins and send them to Shushan, the king's town, to the women's house, under the care of Hegai, the king's servant, the keeper of the women: and let the things needed for making them clean be given to them; And let the girl who is pleasing to the king be queen in place of Vashti. And the king was pleased with this suggestion; and he did so.
So when the order made by the king was publicly given out, and a number of girls had been placed in the care of Hegai in the king's house in Shushan, Esther was taken into the king's house and put in the care of Hegai, the keeper of the women. And he was pleased with the girl and was kind to her; and he quickly gave her what was needed for making her clean, and the things which were hers by right, and seven servant-girls who were to be hers from the king's house: and he had her and her servant-girls moved to the best place in the women's part of the house. Esther had not said what family or people she came from, for Mordecai had given her orders not to do so. read more.
And every day Mordecai took his walk before the square of the women's house, to see how Esther was and what would be done to her. Now every girl, when her turn came, had to go in to King Ahasuerus, after undergoing, for a space of twelve months, what was ordered by the law for the women (for this was the time necessary for making them clean, that is, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet perfumes and such things as are needed for making women clean): And in this way the girl went in to the king; whatever she had a desire for was given to her to take with her from the women's house into the house of the king. In the evening she went, and on the day after she came back to the second house of the women, into the keeping of Shaashgaz, one of the king's unsexed servants who had the care of the king's wives: only if the king had delight in her and sent for her by name did she go in to him again.
And every day Mordecai took his walk before the square of the women's house, to see how Esther was and what would be done to her. Now every girl, when her turn came, had to go in to King Ahasuerus, after undergoing, for a space of twelve months, what was ordered by the law for the women (for this was the time necessary for making them clean, that is, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet perfumes and such things as are needed for making women clean): And in this way the girl went in to the king; whatever she had a desire for was given to her to take with her from the women's house into the house of the king. In the evening she went, and on the day after she came back to the second house of the women, into the keeping of Shaashgaz, one of the king's unsexed servants who had the care of the king's wives: only if the king had delight in her and sent for her by name did she go in to him again.