John Trapp on Esther 2:7

Verſe 7. And he brought up] He both nouriſhed and nurtured her in the true Religion and admonition of the Lord, Epheſ. 6.4. he was her foſter-father, and her Inſtructor.

Hadaſſah] Not the ſame with Atoſſa, as Tremellius would have it. Hadaſſah was the name given her by her parents, and it ſignifieth a Myrtle-tree, which loveth to grow in a bottome; whence the Church is compared to it for her lowly-mindedneſſe, Zech. 1.8.Herod. lib. 7 Scalig. See the Note there.

That is Eſther] This was her Perſian name, ſay ſome; In Heathen hiſtories, ſhe is called Ameſtris.

His uncles daughter] Not his brothers daughter, as the Vulgar rendereth it, after Joſephus, and Aben-Ezra. She was his couſin-german, and this was one reaſon that moved him to adopt her, viz. the bond of nature.

For ſhe had neither father nor mother] A poor Orphan ſhe was: but Chriſt left her not comfortleſſe, John 14.18. He had provided and inabled Mordecai to feed her and breed her: to traine her up in the fear of God, and to defend her chaſtity from the rage of luſt; beſides that her head was by him deſtined to a Diadem: Eſther the captive ſhall be Eſther the Queen: Eſther the fatherleſſe and motherleſſe, ſhall be a nurſing mother to the Church; and meane while meet with a merciful Guardian Mordecai. Why then ſhould we not truſt God with our ſelves and our children?

And the maid was faire and beautiful] See the Note on verſe 3. Gratior eſt pulchro, &c. For her beauty ſhe was brought to the King; and not without ſome reſpect to this it was, that ſhe was bred up by Mordecai. This beauty was a priviledge of nature: and becauſe of the forcible battery that would be laid to it, God gives her a Guardian. Eſther was now in the flower of her age, and her beauty was the flower of her vertue, as Chryſippus called it.

Whom Mordecai when her father and mother were dead] And ſo the might have been put to ſeek her bread in deſolate places, being left to the wide world, as they ſay; but the Lord was her rereward, Eſay 58.8. he took her up, Pſal. 27.10. as the gathering army, or rear-guard did the lame feeble and ſick Iſraelites, Joſh. 6.9. In the Civil Law, proviſion is made for Orphans, and ſuch as were caſt out; ſome Hoſpitals to entertaine them, ſome liberties to comfort and compenſate their troubles. Amongſt us alſo (beſides harbours and Hoſpitals for ſuch, to the great commendation of the Founders) very good proviſion is made by the Lawes, and many lives thereby preſerved. God oft profeſſeth himſelf the pupill's Patron: gives great charge to all, not to hurt them; and menaceth the Jewes for their hardheartedneſſe toward them. Let therefore the dying parents of ſuch (though they have as little to leave them as Eſthers had) caſt them by faith into Gods everlaſting armes, who hath charged his Angels with them, and hath promiſed heaven to them; commanding his beſt creatures to cater for them, Hoſ. 2.21, 22.

Took for his own daughter] He hid not his eyes from his own fleſh, Eſ[illegible: 1 letter]y 58. as ſome unnatural Oſtrich, or Sea-monſter: he made not, as many do, tuition a broker for private gaine; he made not inſtead of a daughter a ſlave, or ſpunge of his pupil: he devoured her not under pretence of devotion; but freely took her for his child, and bred her in the beſt manner. Now the Jews at this very day account a childs Tutour or Monitour worthy of more reſpect then his father; for he, ſay they, hath given him only his being,Leo. Mod. but the other his well-being.