Esther 2:8 - Exposition

His decree . Literally, "his law"—the same word as that which occurs in the phrase "the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not" ( Daniel 6:8 , Daniel 6:12 , etc.). Hegai . The "Hege" of Esther 2:3 . Slight differences in the mode of spelling names were common at this period. Esther was brought . Some have rendered, "was forcibly brought;" and in the second Targum on Esther there is a story that Mordecai concealed her to prevent her from becoming an inmate of the royal harem, and that the king's authority was invoked to force him to give her up; but the Hebrew word translated "was brought" does not contain any idea of violence; and the Persian Jews probably saw no disgrace, but rather honour, in one of their nation becoming even a secondary wife to the great king.