After a while, King Xerxes got over being angry. But he kept thinking about what Vashti had done and the law that he had written because of her. Then the king's personal servants said: “Your Majesty, a search must be made to find you some beautiful young women. You can select officers in every province to bring them to the place where you keep your wives in the capital city of Susa. Put your servant Hegai in charge of them since that is his job. He can see to it that they are given the proper beauty treatments. Then let the young woman who pleases you most take Vashti's place as queen.” King Xerxes liked these suggestions, and he followed them.
(Esther 2:1-4, CEV)
The book of Esther is full of irony, and verse one of chapter two is a doozy. It seems King Xerxes feels a twinge of regret over his listening to the voices of his so-called advisors. Once he “got over being angry,” he thought about Vashti and the “law he had written because of her.” I wonder if he missed her. After all, he had a harem full of women at his beck and call. Yet he thought of her.
Or perhaps I’m just romanticizing things.
In any case, in some way, the king missed having a queen. And so another parade is suggested.
This time, all the beautiful young virgins throughout the kingdom would be brought to the kingdom, and then they’d be gussied up and primped and pampered. Finally, they’d be presented to the king. And he’d choose a new queen.
Needless to say, the king likes this new plan. A lot, I’d say.
It seems quite sexist and archaic, but it’s a necessary evil for our story to play out.
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