Esther 2:9

2:9 This young woman pleased him, ¹  and she found favor with him. He quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her rations; he also provided her with the seven specially chosen ²  young women who were from the palace. He then transferred her and her young women to the best quarters in the harem. ³ 

Esther 5:1

Esther Appeals to the King for Help

5:1 It so happened that on the third day Esther put on her royal attire and stood in the inner court of the palace, ⁴  opposite the king’s quarters. ⁵  The king was sitting on his royal throne in the palace, opposite the entrance. ⁶ 

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¹ tn Heb “was good in his eyes”; NLT “Hegai was very impressed with Esther.”

² tn Heb “being looked at (with favor).”

³ tn Heb “of the house of the women” (so KJV, ASV). So also in vv. 11, 13, 14.

⁴ tn Heb “of the house of the king”; NASB, NRSV “of the king’s palace.”

⁵ tn Heb “the house of the king”; NASB “the king’s rooms”; NIV, NLT “the king’s hall.” This expression is used twice in this verse. In the first instance, it is apparently the larger palace complex that is in view, whereas in the second instance the expression seems to refer specifically to the quarters from which the king governed.

⁶ tn Heb “the entrance of the house” (so ASV).