Esther 2:17 (YLT)

Passage

and the king loveth Esther above all the women, and she receiveth grace and kindness before him above all the virgins, and he setteth a royal crown on her head, and causeth her to reign instead of Vashti,

Nearby Context

Esther 2:15 And in the drawing nigh of the turn of Esther--daughter of Abihail, uncle of Mordecai, whom he had taken to him for a daughter--to come in unto the king, she hath not sought a thing except that which Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, saith, and Esther is receiving grace in the eyes of all seeing her.

Esther 2:16 And Esther is taken unto the king Ahasuerus, unto his royal house, in the tenth month--it <FI>is<Fi> the month of Tebeth--in the seventh year of his reign,

Esther 2:17 and the king loveth Esther above all the women, and she receiveth grace and kindness before him above all the virgins, and he setteth a royal crown on her head, and causeth her to reign instead of Vashti,

Esther 2:18 and the king maketh a great banquet to all his heads and his servants--the banquet of Esther--and a release to the provinces hath made, and giveth gifts as a memorial of the king.

Esther 2:19 And in the virgins being gathered a second time, then Mordecai is sitting in the gate of the king;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "grace", "king", "loveth", "esther", "above", "women", "receiveth", and "kindness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "grace" and "king", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "And Esther is taken unto the king..." into verse 18's "and the king maketh a great banquet...", so "grace" and "king" belong inside that flow. In Esther context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "grace" and "king" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.