"So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to Susa the capital into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women". (Esther 2:8).
I’m intrigued by the passive tense and the verb
itself: “was taken.” In fact, this verb can mean “taken by
force,” and is so rendered in other parts of the Old
Testament. Some Jewish scholars give that interpretation in
this passage. I don’t know if there was coercion involved;
we’re not told that Esther was “forced” to go. But I think it
would be fair to say there was reluctance on her part. Just
stop and think:
Why would a young Jewess want to get
involved in a plan that would force her to leave the only
family she had, under the guardianship of one she
respected and loved, Mordecai?
Why would she want to
spend a year shut away in a harem, culminating in a night
with a heathen king that might result in the possibility of
intermarriage outside her race?
No question, I think it’s safe
to say she went reluctantly.
- Chuck Swindoll, Esther: Woman of Strength and Dignity