以斯帖记 2:12

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

每個少女輪流進宮見亞哈隨魯王之前，都要照著女子的規例潔淨身體十二個月，因為女子潔身的規例是這樣：六個月用沒藥油，六個月用香品和婦女潔身用的其他物品。

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
众 女 子 照 例 先 洁 净 身 体 十 二 个 月 ： 六 个 月 用 没 药 油 ， 六 个 月 用 香 料 和 洁 身 之 物 。 满 了 日 期 ， 然 後 挨 次 进 去 见 亚 哈 随 鲁 王 。

Contextual Overview

¹ Later, when King Xerxes was not so angry, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and his order about her. ² Then the king's personal servants suggested, "Let a search be made for beautiful young girls for the king. ³ Let the king choose supervisors in every state of his kingdom to bring every beautiful young girl to the palace at Susa. They should be taken to the women's quarters and put under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the women. And let beauty treatments be given to them. ⁴ Then let the girl who most pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti." The king liked this idea, so he did as they said. ⁵ Now there was a Jewish man in the palace of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair. Jair was the son of Shimei, the son of Kish. Mordecai was from the tribe of Benjamin, ⁶ which had been taken captive from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. They were part of the group taken into captivity with Jehoiachin king of Judah. ⁷ Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, who had no father or mother, so Mordecai took care of her. Hadassah was also called Esther, and she had a very pretty figure and face. Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. ⁸ When the king's command and order had been heard, many girls had been brought to the palace in Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the king's palace and put under the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. ⁹ Esther pleased Hegai, and he liked her. So Hegai quickly began giving Esther her beauty treatments and special food. He gave her seven servant girls chosen from the king's palace. Then he moved her and her seven servant girls to the best part of the women's quarters. ¹⁰ Esther did not tell anyone about her family or who her people were, because Mordecai had told her not to.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 3546, bc 458

to go in: 1 Thessalonians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:5

six months: Proverbs 7:17, Song of Solomon 3:6, Isaiah 57:9, Luke 7:37, Luke 7:38

Reciprocal: Esther 2:3 - their things Esther 2:9 - her her things Ezekiel 23:40 - thou didst

Cross-References

Exodus 28:20
the fourth must have a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. Put gold around these jewels to attach them to the chest covering.

Exodus 39:13
in the fourth there was a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. Gold was put around these jewels to attach them to the chest covering,

Numbers 11:7
The manna was like small white seeds.

Job 28:16
Wisdom cannot be bought with fine gold or with valuable onyx or sapphire gems.

Ezekiel 28:13
You had a wonderful life, as if you were in Eden, the garden of God. Every valuable gem was on you: ruby, topaz, and emerald, yellow quartz, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and chrysolite. Your jewelry was made of gold. It was prepared on the day you were created.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to King Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of women,.... That were prepared in the house of the women to be presented to the king for his liking; for it seems that these virgins came in turns to him, according to the time they had been in the house; as did the wives of the kings of Persia, as Herodotus relates p:

for so were the days of their purifications accomplished; that is, in the space of twelve months, which were thus divided: to wit,

six months with oil of myrrh; which Ben Melech interprets of musk:

and six month's with sweet odours; the former was used to make the skin smooth and soft, and these to remove all ill scents through sweat, or any other cause:

and with other things for the purifying of women: by bathing, rubbing, &c. and such a space of time was observed not only for the thorough purification of them, but partly was of state and grandeur, and partly that it might be a clear case they were not with child by another, before they came to the king.

p Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 69.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 12. Six months with oil of myrrh — See on Esther 2:3. The reason of this purification seems not to be apprehended by any writer I have seen. The most beautiful of all the young virgins of all the provinces of Babylon were to be selected; and these were taken out of all classes of the people, indiscriminately; consequently there must have been many who were brought up in low life. Now we know that those who feed on coarse strong food, which is not easily digested, have generally a copious perspiration, which is strongly odorous; and in many, though in every respect amiable, and even beautiful, this odour is far from being pleasant. Pure, wholesome, easily digested, and nourishing aliment, with the frequent use of the hot bath, continued for twelve months. the body frequently rubbed with olive oil, will in almost every case remove all that is disagreeable of this kind. This treatment will give a healthy action to all the subcutaneous vessels, and in every respect promote health and comfort.