Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew. Mordecai held some office about the court. Besides his ancestors as here mentioned, the Targum on Esther reckons Uzza, one of the sons of Ehud (1 Chronicles 8:7). But 'his sitting at the king's gate' (Esther 2:21) does not necessarily imply that he was in the humble condition of porter; because, according to an institute of Cyrus, all state officers were required to wait in the outer courts, until they were summoned into the presence-chamber. He might therefore have been a person of some official dignity (Shaw's 'Travels'). This man had an orphan niece, 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, and had the good fortune at once to gain the good-will of the chief eunuch. Her sweet and amiable appearance made her a favourite with all who looked on her (Esther 2:15, last clause). Her Hebrew name (Esther 2:7) was Hadassah [from hªdac (H1918), myrtle], which, on her introduction into the royal harem, was changed for Esther х 'Ecteer (H635), Persian, the star Venus], indicating beauty and good fortune (Gesenius).