John Trapp on Esther 2:9

Verſe 9. And the maiden pleaſed him] Hegai caſt his favour upon her; not becauſe ſhe was the faireſt, nobleſt, moſt induſtrious, moſt courtly, &c. but becauſe God wrought his heart to it; as he did Potiphars and Pharaohs to Joſeph, Jonathans to David, Darius's to Daniel, &c. It is the Lord that gives favour, and faſhioneth mens opinions of us. He gave Solomon honour: and Paul prayes to him, that his ſervice may be accepted of the Saints, Row. 15.31.

And ſhe obtained kindneſſe of him] His favour was not empty favour, profeſſional only, as that of Courtiers.

And he ſpeedily gave her, &c.] As reſolving ſhortly to recommend her to the King, who, he knew, would be much ruled by him in his choyce. Here were ſhadows of many excellent vertues in a blind Ethnik; who may in ſome ſort teach true kindneſſe, and doth condemne thoſe that boaſt of falſe liberality. He dealt not baſely, but bountifully with Eſther.

Her things for purification] See ver. 3.12.

With ſuch things as belonged to her] Heb. Her portions or allowances of food, raiment, &c. which this faithful officer interverted not for his own private gaine, but rather inlarged himſelf in the true beſtowing thereof.

And ſeven maidens] When he might have put her off with one: he enlargeth himſelf, and even ſtretcheth his authority, that he might by theſe maide of honour attending her, ſet her forth as a Queen aforehand.

Which were meet to he given her] Or, which were very comely, ſpecioſa, vel ſpectatae.

And he preferred] Heb. He changed her? ſc. for the better, as God doth his people, when he taketh them to heaven, where they change place, but not company (as that good man ſaid upon his death-bed) and are brought from the jawes of death, to the joyes of eternal life; from ſhadows to ſubſtances,D. Preſton. from miſery to majeſty, &c. a greater change then that of Queen Elizabeth, from a Priſoner to a Princeſſe; or that of our Henry the fourth,Dan. hiſt. 48. who was crowned the very ſame day that the year before he had been baniſhed the Realme. The Latines call proſperous things Res ſecundas, becauſe they are to be had hereafter; they are not the firſt things.

Ʋnto the beſt place of the houſe of the women] Or, Ʋnto the beſt condition. Gods beſt children ſhall have the beſt of the beſt, fat things full of marrow, wines on the lees well refined, Eſay 25.6, Jacob and his family had the beſt of the Land of Egypt, that Granary of the world, as one calleth it. His poſterity had a land that flowed with milke and honey. What Countreys comparable to thoſe that profeſſe the Goſpel? Godlineſſe is profitable to all things, having the promiſes of both lives, &c.