1
Es 2:1-20.
英語原文
Es 2:1-20.
ESTHER CHOSEN TO BE QUEEN.
1-3. After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased--On recovering from the violent excitement of his revelry and rage, the king was pierced with poignant regret for the unmerited treatment he had given to his beautiful and dignified queen. But, according to the law, which made the word of a Persian king irrevocable, she could not be restored. His counsellors, for their own sake, were solicitous to remove his disquietude, and hastened to recommend the adoption of all suitable means for gratifying their royal master with another consort of equal or superior attractions to those of his divorced queen. In the despotic countries of the East the custom obtains that when an order is sent to a family for a young damsel to repair to the royal palace, the parents, however unwilling, dare not refuse the honor for their daughter; and although they know that when she is once in the royal harem, they will never see her again, they are obliged to yield a silent and passive compliance. On the occasion referred to, a general search was commanded to be made for the greatest beauties throughout the empire, in the hope that, from their ranks, the disconsolate monarch might select one for the honor of succeeding to the royal honors of Vashti. The damsels, on arrival at the palace, were placed under the custody of "Hege, the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women," that is, the chief eunuch, usually a repulsive old man, on whom the court ladies are very dependent, and whose favor they are always desirous to secure.
5
無題
5. 書珊城堡裡有一個猶大人——末底改在朝廷中擔任某種職務。但他「坐在王門那裡」
(斯 2:21)
並不一定意味著他處於看門人那種卑微的地位；因為按照居魯士（Cyrus）所立的一項制度，所有國家官員都必須在外院候命，直到被召入覲見之室。因此，他可能是一位具有一定官職尊榮的人。這人有一個在被擄期間出生的孤兒表妹，在他的照管之下；她因容貌極其俊美，便成為這次被選入後宮的少女之一。她有幸立即贏得太監總管的好感
[斯 2:9]。
她甜美可愛的容貌，使所有看見她的人都喜愛她
(斯 2:15，
末句)。她的希伯來名字
(斯 2:7)
是哈大沙（Hadassah），即「番石榴（myrtle）」之意；進入後宮之後，便改為以斯帖（Esther），即金星維納斯（Venus），象徵美貌與好運
[GESENIUS]。
英語原文
5. Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew--Mordecai held some office about the court. But his "sitting at the king's gate"
(Es 2:21)
does not necessarily imply that he was in the humble condition of a porter; for, according to an institute of Cyrus, all state officers were required to wait in the outer courts till they were summoned into the presence chamber. He might, therefore, have been a person of some official dignity. This man had an orphan cousin, born during the exile, under his care, who being distinguished by great personal beauty, was one of the young damsels taken into the royal harem on this occasion. She had the good fortune at once to gain the good will of the chief eunuch
[Es 2:9].
Her sweet and amiable appearance made her a favorite with all who looked upon her
(Es 2:15,
last clause). Her Hebrew name
(Es 2:7)
was Hadassah, that is, "myrtle," which, on her introduction into the royal harem, was changed to Esther, that is, the star Venus, indicating beauty and good fortune [GESENIUS].
11
無題
11. 末底改天天在女子院前走動——後宮是不可侵犯的聖所，其內所發生的事對外人而言，猶如遠在千里之外一般隱秘。但他藉著太監得到若干暗示。
英語原文
11. Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house--The harem is an inviolable sanctuary, and what is transacted within its walls is as much a secret to those without as if they were thousands of miles away. But hints were given him through the eunuchs.
12
無題
12. 眾女子照例先潔淨身體十二個月，因為滿了潔淨的日子，然後挨次進去見亞哈隨魯王——為這所指望的尊榮，要花整整一年的時間預備。考慮到這是在王宮裡進行的事，所規定的如此漫長時期，加上所用的昂貴芳香的化妝品如此豐盛，大概都是朝廷禮儀所要求的。
英語原文
12. Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus--A whole year was spent in preparation for the intended honor. Considering that this took place in a palace, the long period prescribed, together with the profusion of costly and fragrant cosmetics employed, was probably required by state etiquette.
17
無題
17. 王愛以斯帖過於眾女子——王最終選定了以斯帖，她在亞哈隨魯眼前蒙了恩。他將她擢升至正室、即王后的尊位。其餘的參賽者則在後宮各有安排的住所，保留次室之位——東方君王所擁有的次室為數眾多。
把王后的冠冕戴在她頭上——這冠冕不過是一條紫色的絲帶，綴以白紋，纏於額上。婚禮以盛大的宴席慶祝；為紀念這一吉慶之時，「他給各省的人民豁免，並照王的厚意賜禮物」。波斯王后的妝奩，乃是將國內各處若干城邑的稅收歸給她，用以支付她個人與家中的開銷。其中有些賦稅，王在此時予以免除或減少。
英語原文
17. the king loved Esther above all the women--The choice fell on Esther, who found favor in the eyes of Ahasuerus. He elevated her to the dignity of chief wife, or queen. The other competitors had apartments assigned them in the royal harem, and were retained in the rank of secondary wives, of whom Oriental princes have a great number.
he set the royal crown upon her head--This consisted only of a purple ribbon, streaked with white, bound round the forehead. The nuptials were celebrated by a magnificent entertainment, and, in honor of the auspicious occasion, "he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king." The dotation of Persian queens consisted in consigning to them the revenue of certain cities, in various parts of the kingdom, for defraying their personal and domestic expenditure. Some of these imposts the king remitted or lessened at this time.
21
Es 2:21-23.
斯 2:21-23。
末底改發現叛逆，被記於史冊。
21. 當那時候……王的兩個太監……惱怒，想要下手害王，等等——這圖謀王命的陰謀，很可能是因瓦實提被廢而起的報復，這些太監可能是為她效力，並在她的慫恿之下行動的。因著末底改的警覺——儘管他的忠心當時並未被人注意——這陰謀被挫敗了；謀反者被判死刑；又因這事被記在朝廷史記上，後來便成了末底改被擢升至有權勢有影響力之職位的契機；而這一職位，正是神護理為促進猶太民族利益所要他擔任的。
英語原文
Es 2:21-23.
MORDECAI, DISCOVERING A TREASON, IS RECORDED IN THE CHRONICLES.
21. In those days . . . two of the king's chamberlains . . . were wroth and sought to lay hand on the king, &c.--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 afterwards of Mordecai's preferment to the place of power and influence for which, in furtherance of the national interests of the Jews, divine providence intended him.
斯 2:1-20。
以斯帖被選立為王后。
1-3. 這事以後，亞哈隨魯王的忿怒止息——王從狂飲與暴怒的劇烈激動中平息下來以後，便因自己對待那位美麗而端莊的王后所施的不公而深受責備，痛悔不已。但按照使波斯王的話不可更改的律法，她已無法被復位。他的謀臣為了自身的緣故，亟欲為王解除這煩憂，便急忙進言，建議採納一切適當的方法，好讓他們的君王能另得一位容貌與被廢王后相當、或更勝一籌的配偶，以滿足其心意。在東方專制國家中有這樣的風俗：當一道命令傳到一家，要一名年輕女子進宮時，她的父母無論如何不情願，也不敢為女兒拒絕這「榮耀」；儘管他們明知她一旦進入後宮，便永無再見之日，也不得不默然順從。在所論的這次情形中，王下令在全帝國之內普遍搜尋最美的少女，盼望君王能從她們中間選立一位，得享繼承瓦實提王后之尊榮的殊榮。這些少女到達宮中之後，便被交託給「希該，王的太監，掌管女子的」看管，也就是太監總管——通常是一位令人厭憎的老人，宮中女眷對他極為依賴，總是極想博取他的好感。