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Chapter 2 reviews the candidates who were eligible to replace Vasheta as Queen. There were many candidates, but according to Josephus, a first century historian, when the King sobered up, he would have liked to have taken back Vasheta, but he could not because his judgments were irrevocable.
Notice how the new Queen was chosen. Agents were chosen from each of the 127 Provinces that made up the Kingdom. They selected the most beautiful girls in their Province and sent them to the King's harem. Hegai, one of the King's Eunuchs was put in charge to see that each girl was given the proper beauty treatment.
Now, Mordecai appears on the scene. Mordecai was a Jew who worked at the Palace. He must have been up in years as verse 6 says that he was one of those who had been captured by the Chaldeans, 100 years before, when they destroyed Jerusalem. He had a very beautiful cousin whose parents had died and whom he had taken to raise as his own daughter. Her name was Esther and Mordecai brought her in to the King's harem. Hegai was so impressed with her that he ordered a special menu for her and gave her a luxurious apartment with 7 servant girls.
Then the beauty treatments began. Each girl was given 6 months of beauty treatments followed by 6 months of special perfumes. Then they took turns sleeping with the King. The next morning, they were taken to a second harem that housed the King's wives and lived there, never again seeing the King unless he sent for her. Finally it becomes Esther's turn. It was January of the 7th. year of King Xrexes reign. That means that all of these preparations had taken four years. Esther took the advice of Hagai and dressed according to his instructions and went to see the King. The King was delighted with her and set his royal crown upon her head and proclaimed her the Queen. To celebrate the occasion, the King threw a big party for all of his officials and servants.
As of this time, Esther had not told anyone that she was a Jew.
The chapter ends with a record of Mordecai saving the Kings life. Mordecai's job was Porter at the King's Gate. In that position he overheard a plot against the King by two of his guards. Mordecai tells Esther and she informs the King. The traitors were captured and hanged and the King made an entry in the records of the Empire that Mordecai had spared the Kings life by his discovery of the plot.
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