Esther 2:20
“Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him.”
What does Esther 2:20 mean?
Esther kept her Jewish identity hidden while she lived in the Persian king's palace, following Mordecai's careful instructions. This wasn't deception for its own sake, but a protective measure in a place where being Jewish could have put her in danger. The verse shows us that Esther had learned to trust Mordecai's wisdom over the years he raised her, and that trust extended naturally into this new and precarious situation where she needed his guidance most.