Talmudic Interpretations of the Book of Esther: Esther 2:6-20 (Megillah 13a)
Part of a series on the extended aggadic sugya in Tractate Megillah 10b-17a. See the previous installments here, here, here, here, here, and here.
The Talmud's commentary on the Book of Esther provides a strikingly detailed and often unconventional lens on the biblical narrative. In Megillah 13a, rabbinic interpretations of Esther 2:6-20 explore themes of exile, identity, divine providence, and royal politics, revealing layers of meaning beyond the plain text.
This passage examines Mordecai’s voluntary exile and the significance of Esther’s two names, offering multiple explanations rooted in linguistic analysis, symbolic imagery, and mythological parallels. It delves into Esther’s orphanhood and her relationship with Mordecai, including the interpretation that he married her. The Talmud also discusses Esther’s religious observance within the Persian court—her methods of keeping track of Shabbat, debates over whether she kept kosher, and the physical beauty regimen imposed upon her.
The narrative then shifts to Ahasuerus' interactions with women, including his nocturnal habits and his intense attraction to Esther, whom the rabbis suggest miraculously appeared to each person as a member of their own ethnicity. The sugya further speculates on the political strategies employed by Ahasuerus to uncover Esther’s background—lavish feasts, tax reductions, and competitive court intrigue—none of which succeeded.
Outline
Mordecai’s Voluntary Exile (Esther 2:6): He foresaw that he would be needed by the Jewish community in exile
The Two Names of Esther (Esther 2:7): Five Explanations
R' Meir: Named Hadassah because the righteous are compared to myrtles (Zechariah 1:8)
R' Yehuda: named Esther because she concealed her identity (Esther 2:20)
R' Neḥemya: named Esther due to her resemblance to Istahar (Venus)
Ben Azzai: named Hadassah for her average height, like a myrtle
R' Yehoshua ben Korḥa: named Hadassah for her greenish complexion
Esther’s Orphanhood (Esther 2:7): her father died when her mother was pregnant, and her mother died at birth
The Meaning of "Mordecai Took Her for a Daughter" (Esther 2:7): He Married Her (II Samuel 12:3)
Esther’s Shabbat Awareness in the Palace (Esther 2:9): Using Her Seven Maids to Track the Days of the Week
Debate if Esther kept kosher (Esther 2:9; Daniel 1:16)
The Oil of Myrrh Treatment (Esther 2:12): oil from unripe olives, used to remove hair and soften skin
Ahasuerus' Conduct with Women (Esther 2:14): although Ahasuerus was wicked, he only had sex at night
Esther’s Universal Appeal (Esther 2:15): Esther miraculously appeared to each person as a member of their own ethnicity
The timing of her selection in the winter month of Tevet was divinely arranged, as bodies seek warmth in colder months (Esther 2:16)
Ahasuerus’ Attraction to Esther (Esther 2:17): Ahasuerus could choose to experience her as either a virgin or as a non-virgin
Ahasuerus' Attempts to Learn Esther’s Identity (Esther 2:18-20)
The Passage
Mordecai’s Voluntary Exile (Esther 2:6): He foresaw that he would be needed by the Jewish community in exile
Rava explains that the phrase “who had been exiled from Jerusalem” (Esther 2:6) means that Mordecai went into exile voluntarily. (He foresaw that he would be needed by the Jewish community in exile and chose to leave Jerusalem for their sake.)
״אשר הגלה מירושלים״,
אמר רבא: שגלה מעצמו.
The Gemara resumes its explanation of the book of Esther.
The verse states with regard to Mordecai: “Who had been exiled from Jerusalem” (Esther 2:6).
Rava said: This language indicates that he went into exile on his own, not because he was forced to leave Jerusalem. He knew that he would be needed by those in exile, and therefore he consciously left Jerusalem to attend to the needs of his people.
The Two Names of Esther (Esther 2:7): Five Explanations
״ויהי אומן את הדסה״,
קרי לה ״הדסה״
וקרי לה ״אסתר״?
תניא,
The verse states: “And he had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther” (Esther 2:7).
She is referred to as “Hadassah” and she is referred to as “Esther.” What was her real name?
It is taught in a baraita that the Sages differed in their opinion as to which was in fact her name and which one was a description:
R' Meir: Named Hadassah because the righteous are compared to myrtles (Zechariah 1:8)
R' Meir states that her real name was Esther, but she was called Hadassah (הדסה) because righteous people are likened to myrtles (הדסים), based on Zechariah 1:8.
רבי מאיר אומר:
אסתר שמה,
ולמה נקרא שמה הדסה?
על שם הצדיקים שנקראו הדסים.
וכן הוא אומר: ״והוא עומד בין ההדסים״.
R' Meir says: Esther was her real name.
Why then was she called Hadassah? On account of the righteous, who are called myrtles [hadassim],
and so it states: “And he stood among the myrtles [hahadassim]” (Zechariah 1:8).
R' Yehuda: named Esther because she concealed her identity (Esther 2:20)
R' Yehuda argues that her real name was Hadassah and she was called Esther (אסתר) because she concealed (מסתרת) her identity, as stated in Esther 2:20.
רבי יהודה אומר:
הדסה שמה,
ולמה נקראת שמה אסתר?
על שם שהיתה מסתרת דבריה,
שנאמר: ״אין אסתר מגדת את עמה וגו׳״.
R' Yehuda differs and says: Hadassah was her real name.
Why then was she called Esther? Because she concealed [masteret] the truth about herself,
as it is stated: “Esther had not yet made known her kindred nor her people” (Esther 2:20).
R' Neḥemya: named Esther due to her resemblance to Istahar (Venus)
R' Neḥemya claims that “Esther” was a name given to her by non-Jews (אומות העולם), likening her to Istahar.1
רבי נחמיה אומר:
הדסה שמה,
ולמה נקראת אסתר?
שהיו אומות העולם קורין אותה על שום אסתהר.
R' Neḥemya concurs and says: Hadassah was her real name.
Why then was she called Esther?
This was her non-Hebrew name, for owing to her beauty the nations of the world called her after Istahar, Venus.
Ben Azzai: named Hadassah for her average height, like a myrtle
Other interpretations link Hadassah to her physical appearance, with Ben-Azzai suggesting she was of average (בינונית) height like a myrtle.
בן עזאי אומר:
אסתר לא ארוכה ולא קצרה היתה,
אלא בינונית כהדסה
Ben Azzai says:
Esther was neither tall nor short,
but of average size like a myrtle tree, and therefore she was called Hadassah, the Hebrew name resembling that myrtle tree.
R' Yehoshua ben Korḥa: named Hadassah for her greenish complexion
R' Yehoshua ben Korḥa states that she had a greenish (ירקרוקת) complexion but was endowed with divine grace (חוט של חסד).
רבי יהושע בן קרחה אמר:
אסתר ירקרוקת היתה,
וחוט של חסד משוך עליה.
R' Yehoshua ben Korḥa said:
Esther was called Hadassah because she was greenish, having a pale complexion like a myrtle,
but a cord of Divine grace was strung around her, endowing her with a beautiful appearance.
Esther’s Orphanhood (Esther 2:7): her father died when her mother was pregnant, and her mother died at birth
The verse emphasizes Esther’s lack of parents, repeating that her father and mother had died (Esther 2:7).
Rav Aḥa explains that this repetition means her father died when her mother was pregnant, and her mother died at birth, leaving her an orphan from the very beginning.
״כי אין לה אב ואם״ —
״ובמות אביה ואמה״ למה לי?
אמר רב אחא:
עיברתה — מת אביה,
ילדתה — מתה אמה.
The verse initially states with regard to Esther: “For she had neither father nor mother” (Esther 2:7).
Why do I need to be told in the continuation of the verse: “And when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter”?
Rav Aḥa said:
This repetition indicates that when her mother became pregnant with her, her father died,
and when she gave birth to her, her mother died, so that she did not have a mother or a father for even a single day.
The Meaning of "Mordecai Took Her for a Daughter" (Esther 2:7): He Married Her (II Samuel 12:3)
A baraita in the name of R' Meir interprets the verse stating that Mordecai took Esther as his "daughter" (בת) not literally but as "home" (בית - i.e. that he married her).
The Talmud cites Nathan’s parable in II Samuel about a poor man (רש) and his female lamb (כבשה), described as growing up with him, eating his food (פתו), drinking from his cup, and lying in his bosom (חיקו), concluding that the lamb was "like a daughter" to him.
The Talmud challenges the idea that lying in one’s bosom makes something a "daughter," suggesting instead that the phrase should be read metaphorically as "like a home," meaning a wife.2
Just as that parable alludes to taking another man's wife, the Talmud applies the same reading to Esther 2:7, concluding that Mordecai took Esther not as a daughter but as a wife.
״ובמות אביה ואמה
לקחה מרדכי לו לבת״,
תנא
משום רבי מאיר:
אל תקרי ״לבת״
אלא לבית.
וכן הוא אומר:
״ולרש אין כל
כי אם כבשה אחת קטנה
אשר קנה ויחיה
ותגדל עמו ועם בניו יחדו
מפתו תאכל, ומכוסו תשתה
ובחיקו תשכב, ותהי לו כבת״,
משום דבחיקו תשכב הוות ליה (לבת)?
אלא — (לבית)
הכי נמי לבית.
The verse states:
“And when her father and mother were dead,
Mordecai took her for his own daughter” (Esther 2:7).
A tanna taught a baraita
in the name of R' Meir:
Do not read the verse literally as for a daughter [bat],
but rather read it as for a home [bayit]. This indicates that Mordecai took Esther to be his wife.
And so it states:
“But the poor man had nothing,
except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and reared:
And it grew up together with him, and with his children;
it did eat of his bread, and drank of his own cup,
and lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter [kevat] to him” (II Samuel 12:3).
The Gemara questions: Because it lay in his bosom, it “was like a daughter to him”?
Rather, the parable in II Samuel referenced the illicit taking of another’s wife, and the phrase should be read: Like a home [bayit] to him, i.e., a wife.
So too, here, Mordecai took her for a home, i.e., a wife.
Esther’s Shabbat Awareness in the Palace (Esther 2:9): Using Her Seven Maids to Track the Days of the Week
Rava states that Esther used her seven maids (נערות) to keep track of the days of the week and maintain her awareness of Shabbat (Esther 2:9).
״ואת שבע הנערות וגו׳״.
אמר רבא: שהיתה מונה בהן ימי שבת.
The verse states: “And the seven maids chosen to be given her out of the king’s house” (Esther 2:9).
Rava said: She would have a separate maid attend her each day, and she would count the days of the week by them, so she was always aware when Shabbat was.
Debate if Esther kept kosher (Esther 2:9; Daniel 1:16)
Rav states that she was given “Jewish food” (מאכל יהודי), but Shmuel suggests she was fed non-kosher pig hinds (קדלי).
R' Yoḥanan offers a compromise, saying she ate only vegetables (זרעונים), akin to Daniel and his companions in Babylon.
״וישנה ואת נערותיה וגו׳״.
אמר רב: שהאכילה מאכל יהודי.
ושמואל אמר: שהאכילה קדלי דחזירי.
ורבי יוחנן אמר:
זרעונים,
וכן הוא אומר:
״ויהי המלצר נושא את פת בגם
ונותן להם זרעונים״.
The verse continues: “And he advanced her and her maids to the best place in the house of the women.”
Rav said: The advancement in the verse signals that he fed her food of Jews, i.e., kosher food.
And Shmuel said an alternative understanding: The advancement was a well-intentioned act in that he fed her pig hinds, thinking she would view it as a delicacy, although in fact they were not kosher.
And R' Yoḥanan said a third understanding:
He gave her vegetables, which did not pose a problem with regard to the kosher laws.
And so it states with regard to the kindness done for Daniel and his associates:
“So the steward took away their food and the wine that they should drink;
and gave them vegetables” (Daniel 1:16).
The Oil of Myrrh Treatment (Esther 2:12): oil from unripe olives, used to remove hair and soften skin
The "oil of myrrh" (Esther 2:12) used in Esther’s beauty treatments is explained by R' Ḥiyya bar Abba as a special aromatic oil called “setakt”.3
Rav Huna and R' Yehuda identify it as oil from unripe olives (אנפקינון), used to remove hair and soften skin.
״ששה חדשים בשמן המור״.
מאי ״שמן המור״?
רבי חייא בר אבא אמר: סטכת,
רב הונא אמר: שמן זית שלא הביא שליש.
תניא,
רבי יהודה אומר:
אנפקינון — שמן זית שלא הביא שליש,
ולמה סכין אותו —
שמשיר את השיער ומעדן את הבשר.
The verse states: “Six months with oil of myrrh” (Esther 2:12).
The Gemara asks: What is “oil of myrrh”?
R' Ḥiyya bar Abba said: It is the aromatic oil called setakt.
Rav Huna said: It is a cosmetic oil derived from olives that have not yet reached one-third of their growth.
It is similarly taught in a baraita:
R' Yehuda says:
Anpakinon is the oil of olives that have not reached one-third of their growth.
And why is it smeared on the body?
Because it removes the hair and softens the skin.
Ahasuerus' Conduct with Women (Esther 2:14): although Ahasuerus was wicked, he only had sex at night
R' Yoḥanan comments that the phrase “in the evening she went, and in the morning she returned” (Esther 2:14) suggests that even though Ahasuerus was wicked, he correctly had sex (משמש מטתו) only at night.4
״בערב היא באה
ובבקר היא שבה״,
אמר רבי יוחנן:
מגנותו של אותו רשע
למדנו שבחו,
שלא היה משמש מטתו ביום.
The verse states: “In the evening she went,
and in the morning she returned” (Esther 2:14).
R' Yoḥanan said:
From the implicit criticism of that wicked man, Ahasuerus, who cohabited with many women,
we have incidentally learned his praise as well,
that he would not engage in sexual relations during the day, but in a more modest fashion at night.
Esther’s Universal Appeal (Esther 2:15): Esther miraculously appeared to each person as a member of their own ethnicity
R' Elazar states that Esther miraculously appeared to each person as a member of their own nation (אומתו), which contributed to her widespread favor (נשאת חן - Esther 2:15).
״ותהי אסתר נשאת חן״,
אמר רבי אלעזר: מלמד שלכל אחד ואחד נדמתה לו כאומתו.
The verse states: “And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked upon her” (Esther 2:15).
R' Elazar said: This teaches that she appeared to each and every one as if she were a member of his own nation, and therefore she obtained favor in the eyes of all.
The timing of her selection in the winter month of Tevet was divinely arranged, as bodies seek warmth in colder months (Esther 2:16)
Esther was brought to King Ahasuerus in the month of Tevet (December–January; a cold winter month). “a month (ירח) that body (גוף) takes pleasure (נהנה) from the body“.5
״ותלקח אסתר אל המלך אחשורוש
אל בית מלכותו
בחדש העשירי, הוא חדש טבת״,
ירח שנהנה גוף מן הגוף.
The next verse states: “So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus
into his royal house
in the tenth month, which is the month Tevet” (Esther 2:16).
It was by act of divine providence that Esther was taken to Ahasuerus in a cold winter month, in which the body takes pleasure in the warmth of another body, and therefore she found favor in his eyes.
Ahasuerus’ Attraction to Esther (Esther 2:17): Ahasuerus could choose to experience her as either a virgin or as a non-virgin
Rav interprets the phrase “And the king loved Esther” (Esther 2:17) to mean that Ahasuerus experienced her as both a virgin and a non-virgin, which made her uniquely desirable to him.6
״ויאהב המלך את אסתר מכל הנשים
ותשא חן וחסד לפניו מכל הבתולות״,
אמר רב:
ביקש לטעום טעם בתולה — טעם,
טעם בעולה — טעם.
The verse states: “And the king loved Esther more than all the women,
and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins” (Esther 2:17).
Rav said:
This double language indicates that if he wanted to taste in her the taste of a virgin during intercourse, he tasted it,
and if he wanted to experience the taste of a non-virgin, he tasted it, and therefore he loved her more than all the other women.
Ahasuerus' Attempts to Learn Esther’s Identity (Esther 2:18-20)
The king tried various methods to make Esther reveal her background: he held a feast (משתיא), lowered the head-tax,7 and distributed gifts (פרדישני), but she remained silent (Esther 2:18).
Even when he consulted Mordecai, who advised increasing competition among women to provoke jealousy,8 Esther still refused to disclose her origins (Esther 2:19-20).
״ויעש המלך משתה גדול״.
עבד משתיא, ולא גליא ליה,
דלי כרגא, ולא גליא ליה,
שדר פרדישני, ולא גליא ליה.
״ובהקבץ בתולות שנית וגו׳״.
אזיל שקל עצה ממרדכי,
אמר: אין אשה מתקנאה אלא בירך חבירתה,
ואפילו הכי לא גליא ליה,
דכתיב: ״אין אסתר מגדת מולדתה וגו׳״.
The verse states: “Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast” (Esther 2:18).
The Gemara explains that this was part of an attempt to have Esther reveal her true identity:
He made a great feast in her honor, but she did not reveal her identity to him.
He lowered the taxes [karga] in her name, but still she did not reveal it to him.
He sent gifts [pardishenei] to the ministers in her name, but even so she did not reveal it to him.
The verse states: “And when the virgins were gathered together the second time and Mordecai sat in the king’s gate” (Esther 2:19).
The Gemara explains: The reason Ahasuerus gathered the women together was that he went and took advice from Mordecai as to what he should do to get Esther to reveal her identity.
Mordecai said to him: As a rule, a woman is jealous only of the thigh of another woman. Therefore, you should take for yourself additional women.
But even so she did not reveal her origins to him,
as it is written: “Esther had not yet made known her kindred nor her people” (Esther 2:20).
אסתהר - Venus.
Compare Wikipedia, “Esther“, section “Name“:
The name "Esther" probably derives from the name of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar or from the Persian word cognate with the English word "star" (implying an association with Ishtar) though some scholars contend it is related to the Persian words for "woman" or "myrtle".
The clear meaning of Nathan’s parable is that the "lamb" represents a wife—specifically, Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. The Talmud is merely incorporating a wordplay on bat (“daughter”) leading to bayit (“house”), which signifies “wife.”
See Wikipedia, “2 Samuel 12“, section “Nathan rebukes David (12:1–15)“:
The last statement in the previous chapter shows that David's actions towards Bathsheba and Uriah was unacceptable to God (2 Samuel 11:27b).
Nathan, the court prophet and counsellor, used a parable (12:1–7a) to reveal David's guilt and the deserved punishment […]
Parallelisms between the theft of a ewe lamb and the theft of Uriah's wife as well as the surrounding and subsequent events can be observed in the use of specific Hebrew words […]
Hebrew word: בַּת, bath; noun: "daughter"
= Nathan's parable: The ewe lamb was like a "daughter" to the poor man (12:3)
= Reflection in the surrounding narrative: "Bathsheba" (the "ewe" in parable") means "daughter of Sheba" (12:8); she was the "daughter" of Eliam (11:3)
I discuss this passage and the terms used here in a my piece “Pt2 From Kohl to Lime: A Talmudic Discussion of Cosmetics and Hair Removal (Moed Katan 9b)“, section “Depilatory Treatments for Young Jewish Girls“.
See Niddah.17a.11, where Rav Ḥisda rules that daytime sex (ישמש מטתו) is prohibited, citing “And you shall love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Abaye explains that daylight may reveal something unpleasant (מגונה) about one's wife, leading to disgust (תתגנה) and potential hatred, thus violating the mitzva. Rav Huna phrases it somewhat differently: Jews are holy (קדושים) and abstain from sex during the day. The full passage:
אמר רב חסדא:
אסור לו לאדם שישמש מטתו ביום
“שנאמר (ויקרא יט, יח): “ואהבת לרעך כמוך
מאי משמע?
אמר אביי:
שמא יראה בה דבר מגונה,
ותתגנה עליו
אמר רב הונא:
ישראל קדושים הם,
ואין משמשין מטותיהן ביום
Rav Ḥisda says:
It is prohibited for a person to engage in intercourse by day,
as it is stated: “And you shall love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
The Gemara asks: From where is this inferred?
Abaye says:
If one engages in intercourse by day, perhaps the husband will see some repulsive matter in his wife
and she will become repugnant to him, which will cause him to hate her, and he will thereby violate this mitzva.
Rav Huna says:
Jews are holy,
and they do not engage in intercourse by day.
However, compare this to a passage a few sections later, Niddah.17a.15, where the Talmud cites a baraita praising (“mentioned favorably” - מזכירין אותן לשבח) three practices observed by King Monobaz's household; one of these practices was having sex specifically during the day (the Talmud there cites this in the context of a discussion regarding the contradiction to the previous statements):
תא שמע:
ושל בית מונבז המלך היו עושין ג' דברים, ומזכירין אותן לשבח
היו משמשין מטותיהם ביום
ובודקין מטותיהם במילא פרהבא
[…]
The Gemara further suggests: Come and hear a baraita:
And the household of King Munbaz would perform three matters, and the Sages would mention them favorably for their behavior in this regard:
They would engage in intercourse by day;
and they would examine before and after intercourse with wool [bemeila] of Parhava, which is very white and would show any stain
[…]
Presumably, they had sex specifically during the day to ensure optimal lighting for examining menstrual blood; the second commendable practice listed is their use of parhaba (פרהבא) wool (מילא) to check for menstrual blood both before and after sex.
For additional instances of the Talmudic idiom “they would mention them for praise” (מזכירין אותן לשבח), see my piece “Honorable Innovations and Selfish Secrets: Contributions and Criticisms in Second Temple Service (Mishnah Yoma 3:9-11)“, where the phrase appears twice—once in reference to the donations of Ben-Gamla and once regarding Nicanor. Notably, that Mishnah there also mentions a donation from King Monobaz.
And see my piece on the talmudic sugya on that Mishna, “Guardians of Temple Incense: The Eutinas Clan and Their Secret Craft (Yoma 38a)“, section “Integrity and Transparency: The Eutinas Clan and Their Commitment to Avoiding Suspicion (Numbers 32:22)“, where I summarize:
The Talmud praises (מזכירין אותן לשבח - “they are mentioned favorably“) the House of Eutinas for their integrity, noting that no woman married into their clan ever used perfume (לא יצאת כלה מבושמת).
The same phrase is also used in that aggadic sugya also for the House of Garmu.
I.e. the cold weather led to the king’s appreciation for the warmth of another body, making him more receptive to Esther, which contributed to her finding favor in his eyes.
Compare the biblical account of Abishag being brought to King David in his old age to keep him warm (1 Kings 1:1-4). See Wikipedia, “Abishag“:
In the Hebrew Bible, Abishag (Hebrew: אבישג - Avishag) was a beautiful young woman of Shunem chosen to be a helper and servant to King David in his old age.
Among Abishag's duties was to lie next to David and pass along her body heat and vigor because "they put covers on him, but he could not get warm".
I cited this section in my piece “Talmudic Elaboration of Sexuality and Love in Biblical Narratives - Pt. 1“, section “Ahashverosh could “taste” Esther as a virgin or as a non-virgin (Megillah 13a)“.
And see the previous section there, “Esther compared to a tight deer (Yoma 29a)“, where I summarize that Talmud passage as follows (with slight stylistic adjustments):
Esther is compared to a hind (אילה - a female deer).
A hind's “womb” (רחמה ; i.e. vagina) remains narrow, making her perpetually desirable to her mate.
Similarly, Esther maintained a constant level of desirability to King Ahasuerus, as if each encounter with her was like their first.
Jeremy Brown, “Yoma 29a ~ Psalm 22 and the Husband Stitch”, Talmudology (May 9, 2021):
“R’ Zeira here articulates a very surprising explanation, whose purpose was to praise Esther's anatomy.
He claims that the vagina of the female deer (and not the uterus, even though that is the usual translation of the word rechem) is especially “narrow” and so the male deer finds intercourse especially pleasurable.
So too, the wicked Persian King Ahasuerus longed for intercourse with Esther and found each time as pleasurable as the first.”
כרגא - karga. On the Persian head-tax, see my piece “Heavenly Politics: Gabriel, Dubiel, and the Persian Tax Regime (Yoma 77a)“, section “Dubiel, the guardian angel of the Persians, temporarily replaces Gabriel“, where I summarize the passage there:
Dubiel decrees that the Jews and their sages must pay head tax (כרגא) to the Persians, and his directives are promptly recorded as he requests.
Stating the aphorism:
אין אשה מתקנאה אלא בירך חבירתה
A woman becomes jealous only over her companion’s (חבירתה) thigh
Compare Wikipedia, “Female intrasexual competition”:
Female intrasexual competition is competition between women over a potential mate. Such competition might include self-promotion, derogation of other women, and direct and indirect aggression toward other women […]
Self-promotion tactics refers to the different strategies that women might use to make themselves look better compared to other competing women.