Esther 2:21

_IN THOSE DAYS, WHILE MORDECAI SAT IN THE KING'S GATE, TWO OF THE KING'S CHAMBERLAINS, BIGTHAN AND_ _ IN THOSE DAYS, WHILE MORDECAI SAT IN THE KING'S GATE, TWO OF THE KING'S CHAMBERLAINS, BIGTHAN AND TERESH, OF THOSE WHICH KEPT THE DOOR, WERE WROTH, AND SOUGHT TO LAY HAND ON THE KING AHASUERUS._ In those days ... two of the king's chamberlains ... were wroth ... This secret conspiracy against the king's life probably arose out of revenge for the divorce of Vashti, in whose interest, and at whose instigation, these eunuchs may have acted. Through the vigilance of Mordecai, whose fidelity, however, passed unnoticed, the design was frustrated, while the conspirators were condemned to be executed; and as the matter was recorded in the court annals, it became the occasion afterward of Mordecai's preferment to the place of power and influence for which, in furtherance of the national interest...

21-23 Good subjects must not conceal any bad design they know of against the prince, or the public peace. Mordecai was not rewarded at the time, but a remembrance was written. Thus, with respect to those who serve Christ, though their recompence is not till the resurrection of the just, yet an account is kept of their work of faith and labour of love, which God is not unrighteous to forget. The servant of God must be faithful to every trust, and watchful for those who employ him. If he appear to be neglected now, he will be remembered hereafter. None of our actions can be forgotten; even our most secret thoughts are written in lasting registers, Revelation 20:12...

Verse Esther 2:21. _MORDECAI SAT IN THE KINGS GATE_] Mordecai might have been one of the _officers_ of the king, as the _gate_ was the place where such usually attended to await the king's call. It is not likely that he was the _porter_; had he been only such, _Haman_ could have removed him at once. _TWO OF THE KING'S CHAMBERLAINS_] Eunuchs. _Why_ they conspired against the life of the king, we are not informed. The _Targum_ says that they found out that Esther had intended to use her influence with the king to get them removed from their office, and Mordecai put in their place; therefore they determined to poison Esther, and slay the king in his bedchamber. It is very likely that they were creatures of Haman, who probably affected the kingdom, and perhaps were employed by him to remove the king, and so make his way open to the th

Conspiracies inside the palace were ordinary occurrences in Persia. Xerxes was ultimately murdered by Artabanus, the captain of the guard, and Aspamitras, a chamberlain and eunuch....

EXPOSITION MORDECAI'S DISCOVERY OF A PLOT AGAINST AHASUERUS' LIFE (Esther 2:19-17). Some time after Esther had been made queen, there was a second collection of virgins at Susa (verse 19), under circumstances which are not related, and which were probably of small importance. _At this time _(verse 21) Mordecai, still serving in his humble office at the palace gate, from which he had not been advanced, since Esther had told no one that he was her relation (verse 20), happened to detect a conspiracy against the king's life, which had been formed by two of the palace eunuchs, Bigthan and Tercsh, whom Ahasuerus had somehow offended (verse 21). Being still in the habit of holding communication with Esther, Mordecai was able to make her acquainted with th

IN THOSE DAYS, WHILE MORDECAI SAT IN THE KING'S GATE,.... Being, as before observed, an officer at court: TWO OF THE KING'S CHAMBERLAINS, BIGTHAN AND TERESH, OF THOSE THAT KEPT THE DOOR; of the inner court, as Aben Ezra, of the doors of his bedchamber; perhaps they were the chief of his bodyguards, as the Septuagint version; in later times, such officers were about the chambers of great personages as their guards a: THESE WERE WROTH, AND SOUGHT TO LAY HAND ON THE KING AHASUERUS; to poison him, as Jarchi and both the Targums; however, to take away his life by some means or another. Gorionides b says their design was, while the king was asleep, to cut off his head, and carry it to the king of Greece; there being at that time great wars between the kingdom of Greece and the kingdom of Persia, which exactly agrees with the times of Xerxes, and with this part of his reign, about the seventh...

MORDECAI DETECTS A PLOT TO MURDER THE KING. A story of the conspiracy of regicides is set here in both Heb. and LXX, because the earlier mention of it had been cut out. But this insertion is badly made; for Mordecai would surely not send his report of the conspiracy to the king through Esther, and so violate his own advice to her to conceal her relationship. Probably it was Haman that was trusted by Mordecai to carry the message; hence followed Haman's jealousy and hence also, doubtless, resulted Mordecai's contempt for Haman, and the refusal to honour him. Mordecai has often been condemned for this stiff refusal: it is called Jewish narrowness. But why condemn the man for his stern honesty and for his obedience to the Decalogue?...

GATE. Hebrew. _sha'ar =_ the lofty gate of. palace, not the same word as "door", Esther 2:21; Esther 6:2. DOOR. threshold. Hebrew. _saph._...

Mordecai's discovery of the plot against the king's life 19. _And when the virgins were gathered together the second time_ Render, _Now when maidens were being gathered together a second time_. There is no article attached to the word -virgins" in the original, and we have no means of knowing what kind of occasion is referred to here. It is merely a conjecture that the reference is to an effort made by the officials to supplant Esther in the king's affections by introducing to his notice such as would better support their influence. The clause is omitted in the LXX. _then Mordecai sat etc._ better, perhaps, _and when Mordecai was sitting etc._In this way we have another circumstantial clause, which is added to the first, and resumed in Esther 2:21. Mordecai occupied a place at the gate of the palace properly so called, or of that division of the women's apartment

TWO OF THE KING'S CHAMBERLAINS— These were two great men, who perhaps kept the door of the king's chamber; and, being either incensed at the divorce of Vashti, whose creatures they might be, or at the advancement of Esther, who they thought would in all probability raise her kinsman Mordecai above them, took disgust thereat, and so resolved to avenge themselves on the king. See Prideaux, and chap. Esther 6:2. REFLECTIONS.—1st, The advancement of Esther is here recorded, with the various steps of Divine Providence that led to this wonderful event. 1. The king soon repented of the rashness which in his wine he had committed, and with deep regret parted with his beauteous queen, whom, by an unalterable law, he must see no more. _Note;_ What is done hastily in anger, often gives cause to long and bitter remorse. 2. The courtiers, to divert the king's melancholy, and