And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.
Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women— when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
Comment: I suppose that it took ages for the young ladies to be chosen and brought in from the outlying regions. The beautifying process as described lasted a year. I guess that as soon as the first young lady arrived she began her treatment and a year later was led into the king’s presence for observation, questioning and if the king desired into his bed. Until one was chosen they were not taken back to the harem ‘stable’, but to the concubine ‘lock up’. As Esther lived in the capital presumably she was fairly early on the list of those who had been adequately prepared to go before the king. I wonder how Esther felt about all this? Her Jewishness had not been announced. Mordecai cared about her deeply but was at a distance. He was probably known to be a Jew, which she had not revealed. Even then anti-Semitism was a reality!
Prayer: Life isn’t always easy, Father. Help me to remain faithful.
As I read it! 