Question 1

What does it mean that the king loved Esther above all the women?

Accepted Answer

The passage says the king loved Esther more than all the other women and virgins who had been brought to him. This does not describe deep spiritual love, but shows that he was more pleased with her than with anyone else in his harem. She found “grace and favour” in his sight, which means she pleased him and he delighted in her. Because of this, he put the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Behind this, we can see God’s hand lifting up a humble, unknown orphan into a place of honor for His own purposes.

Question 2

Why did the king make a great feast and release to the provinces for Esther?

Accepted Answer

After Esther was chosen as queen, the king celebrated in a very public way. He held a great feast for his princes and servants, called “Esther’s feast,” to honor his new queen and show his joy. He also made a release to the provinces, likely easing or cancelling taxes or other burdens for a time, and gave gifts in a way that fit his royal wealth and style. This kind of generosity happened at big royal events. It shows how highly Esther was honored at court, and how her rise affected the whole empire, even though her people did not yet know who she was.

Question 3

Why were virgins gathered together a second time after Esther became queen?

Accepted Answer

The passage says the virgins were gathered together a second time. This has been understood in more than one way, but a simple reading is that the king’s desire for more young women did not end, even after Esther became queen. A new group of virgins was brought in for his pleasure. This shows the worldly and selfish side of royal life in Persia. At the same time, the verse notes that Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, likely as an official. His presence near the court, while Esther is queen, prepares the way for later events where God will use both of them to protect their people.

Question 4

Why did Esther keep her kindred and people secret even after becoming queen?

Accepted Answer

Esther did not tell anyone she was Jewish or who her family was, just as Mordecai had charged her. She obeyed this instruction even after she wore the crown. This likely helped her avoid early hostility or jealousy toward the Jews and kept her from being looked down on because of her background. More importantly, it shows her deep respect for Mordecai and her humble heart. Though she now lived in a palace, she still listened to the one who raised her. God used this hidden identity in His timing, because later her confession of who she was would have great weight and be used to save her people.

Question 5

What does Esther’s obedience to Mordecai teach about humility and authority?

Accepted Answer

Esther’s obedience is striking. She had risen from being an orphan girl to being queen, yet she still did what Mordecai told her, just as when she was brought up with him. She did not let her new position make her proud or independent of the man who had cared for her. This shows a heart that remembers kindness and respects those God has used in our lives. It also reminds us that gaining status or success does not free us from honoring wise counsel. In her case, her humility and obedience were part of God’s plan to place her where she could later speak up for her people.

Question 6

What does this passage show about God’s providence in everyday events?

Accepted Answer

On the surface, this scene looks like a Persian royal story about beauty, power, and pleasure. Yet through it, God’s quiet care is at work. An orphan girl finds favor, is chosen as queen, and is honored across the empire. Mordecai happens to be in the king’s gate, in a place of access to court news. Esther’s identity stays hidden for a time. None of this is called a miracle, but together it shows how God can guide events, even in a foreign kingdom, to lift up those who seem small and prepare help for His people long before the danger appears.

Question 7

How can this passage about Esther becoming queen speak to believers today?

Accepted Answer

This passage reminds believers that God can work through hidden and ordinary details. Esther did not choose to be an orphan or to live in a foreign land, yet God used her story. Her rise to the throne was not about her pushing herself forward, but about God giving her favor in the king’s eyes. Her steady obedience to Mordecai, even in honor, shows how important humility and gratitude are. For believers today, this encourages patience in hard or confusing situations, respect for godly guidance, and trust that God can use lowly beginnings and quiet faithfulness in ways we may not see yet.

Question 8

Why might this passage feel difficult when we consider the king’s behavior?

Accepted Answer

Some people find this passage hard because the king’s actions are clearly selfish. He gathers many young women, keeps concubines, and still searches for more even after choosing Esther as queen. The setting is not godly or pure. Yet the Bible does not approve of his behavior; it simply reports what happened. The point of the story is not to praise the king, but to show that even in a flawed and sinful system, God can protect and raise up His people. This helps us see that God’s providence is not limited to clean or ideal settings, but reaches into messy and broken places.

Question 9

What is the significance of the royal crown being set on Esther’s head?

Accepted Answer

When the king set the royal crown on Esther’s head, he was not just flattering her beauty. He was formally making her queen instead of Vashti and giving her all the signs of royal honor. In that moment, her life changed completely. For God’s people, this had great meaning, even though no one saw it yet. A Jewish woman now sat beside the king of a vast empire. Later, this position would allow her to speak at the right time and help rescue her people from danger. The crown marks both her exaltation from lowly beginnings and God’s quiet preparation for future deliverance.

Question 10

What was happening around Mordecai when he sat in the king’s gate?

Accepted Answer

When the virgins were gathered the second time, Mordecai sat in the king’s gate. The king’s gate was more than a doorway; it was a place where officials met, judgments were made, and business was handled. Mordecai likely held some official position there, probably helped by Esther’s favor at court, though their family tie was still secret. This put him in a place to hear important news and be involved in public matters. His role near the center of power, while Esther is queen inside the palace, shows how God positioned both of them. Later, this setting allows Mordecai to uncover a plot and play a key part in God’s plan.

Esther 2:17

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Esther Becomes Queen

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Esther 2:17

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

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Esther Becomes Queen

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