Sat on the throne of his kingdom i.e. either was lately advanced to it, or rather was settled in the peaceable possession of it.

The palace or, the castle ; or, the chief or royal city , as both, Jewish and Christian interpreters render it. Shushan might be the proper name of the palace, which thence was given to the whole city. Here the kings of Persia used to keep their courts chiefly in winter, as ordinarily they were in Ecbatana in summer.

The power of Persia i.e. the mighty men; the chief officers of state, and commanders of all his forces; whom by this splendid entertainment he endeavoured to oblige and assure to himself.

Making every day a magnificent feast, either for all his princes, or for some of them, who might come to the feast successively, as the king ordered them to do. The Persian feasts are much celebrated in authors for their length and luxury.

All the people that were present both such as constantly resided there, and such as were come thither upon their occasions, of whatsoever condition or quality.

In the court of the garden: the Persian gardens were exceeding large and pleasant.

The beds for in those eastern countries and ancient times they did not sit at tables, as we do, but rested or leaned upon beds; of which we have many testimonies, both in Scripture, as Est 7:8 Amo 2:8 6:4 Joh 13:23 , and in all other authors.

According to the law none did compel, i.e. according to this law which the king had now made, that none should compel another to drink more than he pleased; which the Persians and other loose and heathenish nations used to do, though that practice was condemned by the wise and sober heathens, and among others by this great prince. Or, no man did compel another to drink, according to the law, i.e. as by the laws or orders of the Persians prescribed and used in their feasts they might have done, if not restrained by this law.

Whilst the king entertained the men; for this was the common custom of the Persians, that men and women did not feast together, but in several places.

Chamberlains or eunuchs ; which were much in use and in favour in the eastern courts, and particularly with the Persian emperors, as ancient histories inform us.

Vashti refused to come being favoured in this refusal by the laws and customs of Persia, which was to keep men’ s wives, and especially queens, as much as might be from the view of other men.

Which knew the times either,

1. The histories of former times, what princes have done in such cases as this was. Or,

2. Things done or to be done in time; what was just and fit to be done, or what was the law and judgment in these cases, as the following words explain it, and how and when things were to be done. See Poole "1Ch 12:32" . Times are oft put in Scripture and other authors for the things done in them, by a common figure called a metonymy of the adjunct.

So was the king’ s manner to wit, to consult with them in all matters of moment.

Which saw the king’ s face which had constant freedom of access to the king, and familiar converse with him; which is thus expressed, because the Persian kings were very seldom seen by their subjects.

Which sat the first in the kingdom which were his chief counsellors and officers, and had the precedency from all others.

Memucan though last named, spake first, either because the king first asked him; or because he was the chief of them all, either in dignity or in reputation; or because it then was, as now it is in many places, the custom for the youngest counsellors or judges to deliver their opinion first.

To all the people by giving them an example and encouragement to contemn and disobey their husbands. It is a crime of a high nature, and therefore deserves an exemplary punishment.

Contempt in the wives, and thereupon wrath in the husbands; and consequently strife in families; which may produce great and general mischiefs.

If it please the king which this cunning politician knew it would do.

That it be not altered which caution was necessary for his own security; for if the queen should recover her state and the king’ s favour, he was most likely to fall into his displeasure.

The saying pleased the king and the princes partly because their own authority and interest was concerned in it; and especially by the singular providence of God, who designed to bring about his own great work by this small occasion.

That all sorts of persons, not men only, (who by study or travel many times understand divers languages,) but the women also, might understand it, and therefore be inexcusable if they did not comply with it; for which end it was not only written in each language, for that writing might come but to few hands, but moreover it was published in the several cities and towns by such persons as used to publish the king’ s edicts. Others, that he should speak in the language of his own people , i.e. that men should not, in compliance with their wives, who were oft of other nations and languages, inure themselves to it, and bring their wives’ language into the family; but that men should use their own proper language, and cause their wives and children to use it; this being one sign of dominion, and therefore frequent after this time among the Greeks and Romans, who, together with their victorious arms, brought in their language into other countries, and in a great measure imposed it upon them.

In. Hebrew, "and in." In this manner the books of Scripture are usually connected. Septuagint place first the dream of Mardochai, chap. xi. 2. (Calmet) ---

Assuerus. Septuagint Artaxerxes; as [in] chap xvi. 1. The former is the title of Median, the latter of the Persian, monarchs. This king reigned over both nations, and was most probably Darius Hystaspes, the third king of the Persians, (Tirinus) who subdued India, &c. (Herodotus) (Calmet) (Tirinus) ---

Some understand Cambyses, (1 Esdras iv.; Genebrard) or Xerxes (Scaliger) or Artaxerxes Longimanus, (Bellarmine; Salien) or Memnon, (Eusebius) or Ochus. (Serarius) ---

But (Calmet) the author of 3 Esdras iii. 1., and iv. 43., seems clearly declared for Hystaspes. (Tirinus) ---

Though that work be not canonical, (Du Hamel) it may claim some authority, as an ancient history. (Haydock) ---

This king gave orders for the building of the temple, 1 Esdras vi. 1, 14. ---

India. Part had been (Calmet) subject to Xerxes. (Herodotus iv. 44.) ---

Ethiopia, beyond Egypt, paid an acknowledgment. Cambyses had taken possession of this country. (Calmet) ---

Some understand a part of Arabia to be meant. (Du Hamel) ---

Seven: 120 had been regulated by Darius, the Mede, Daniel vi. 1. (Haydock) ---

The number might vary as the monarch chose. (Du Hamel) ---

Herodotus (iii. 89.) only specifies "twenty." But he speaks of large departments, to which he intimates that several others were subordinate. (Calmet) ---

Provinces. Hebrew medina, "seat of judges." (Haydock) ---

Prefecture. (Menochius)

Captial. Hebrew, "palace, (Protestants; Haydock) or castle," (Calmet) may also signify "a capital." (Montanus, &c.) ---

Hystaspes founded this ancient royal city of Persia, (Pliny, [Natural History?] vi. 27.) or he greatly embellished it. (Calmet) (Ælian, Anim. xiii. 18.) (Tirinus) ---

He seems to have resided here almost constantly. The preceding kings (Calmet) spent the winter in this warm climate, and perhaps the spring. See 2 Esdras i. 1. They spent other parts of the year at Ecbatana and at Babylon. (Calmet)

Reign. When he was solemnly crowned, again, (Tirinus) or removed his court, (Calmet) and dedicated this new capital, with feasting, &c. (Haydock)

Days, or a full half year, according to their reckoning. Nabuchodonosor, after his victory over Arphaxad, (Judith i.) feasted 120 days; Dionysius of Syrachuse, 90; (Aristotle) Solomon seven; (3 Kings viii. 63.) and David three; when he was recognized by all Israel, 1 Paralipomenon xii. 39. The Gaul, Ariamnes, gave a fest to all his countrymen for a whole year. (Atheneus iv. 13.) ---

The Roman emperors sometimes treated all the citizens of Rome, and Alexander did the like to 9000 of his chief officers for one day. But the magnificence of Assuerus surpasses all the rest. The Persians were famous on this account. ---

Persicos odi, puer, apparatus. (Horace i. Ode 38.) (Calmet)

Expired, (Feuardent) or in the last week. (Menochius) (Calmet) ---

King. The Persian monarchs delighted in agriculture. Cyrus the younger, planted trees at Sardis, and never ate till he had taken some exercise of this or of a military nature. (Xenophon Memor.; Cicero Senect.)

Were. Protestants, " where were, " white, green, and blue hangings. ---

Ivory. Hebrew, "silver." (Haydock) ---

Beds, to lie down on at table; though sitting was formerly the fashion, Genesis xliii. 33. The other custom prevailed among the more luxurious nations, and was observed in our Saviour's time, each person reclining upon his left arm, and having his feet behind the next. (Tirinus) ---

These beds were made very low, in Persia; so that Alexander had one put under his feet, when he sat on the throne of Darius, as he was not so tall. (Curtius v. 7.) ---

Their magnificence was surprising. (Herodotus ix. 81.) (Calmet) ---

Variety, in Mosaic work. (Tirinus) ---

They lay upon sheep skins. (Chaldean) Septuagint, "and the beds (or coverlets) were transparent, with various flowers, and full-blown roses, all round." (Haydock)

Vessels. When Lysanias had taken the camp of Mardonius, and beheld the rich vessels, he could not help expressing a surprise that people possessing such advantages, should come to molest the Lacedemonians, who lived so poorly. (Herodotus ix. 79.)

Neither. Hebrew, "and the drinking was according to the law." Greek, "was not according to the pre-established law;" (Haydock) as the usual custom was altered, on this occasion; and thus both may be accurate. The Persians had commonly a king of the feast, whose orders all were obliged to obey in drinking. (Horace i. Ode 4.) (Ecclesiasticus xxxii. 1.) ---

This was an occasion of quarrels, (St. Jerome) and of intoxication. Agesilaus followed the example of Assuerus. Darius, and Cyrus the younger, gloried in being able to drink much wine without being deranged. (Calmet) ----- Reges dicuntur urgere culullis,

Et torquere mero, quem perspexisse laborant,

An sit amicitia dignus. ----- (Horace ad Pison.)

Among friends, these "absurd laws" wer laid aside.

Siccat inequales calices conviva, solutus

Legibus insanis. ----- (Horace ii. Sat. 6.) (Calmet)

This may suggest to Christians, that they ought not to urge any to get drunk, (St. Augustine, ser. 231. de Temp.) lest they should be condemned by the very heathens. (Worthington) ---

Would, and thus prevent disorders as much as possible. (Atheneus x. 6.)

Vasthi. Septuagint Astin. (Haydock) ---

Serarius suspects she was the king's sister, or daughter, as such marriages were common in Persia. (Tirinus) ---

The name is not very different from that of Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus, who was married to Cambyses, Smerdis, and Darius; to the latter of whom she bore four children. (Herodotus iii. 68., and vii. 3. ---

This prince had other wives, particularly Artistona, (Calmet; our Hadossa, (Haydock) or Esther) whom he espoused a virgin, and love the most. Herodotus seems to confound her with Atossa. ---

Dwell. Some Greek copies have "in her own palaces." (Usher) ---

It was proper for women to be more retired. (Menochius) ---

The men feasted in the open air. (Haydock)

Wine. From the king's excess, and the haughtiness of Vasthi, God took occasion to advance Esther, and to deliver his people. (Calmet) ---

Mauman. Septuagint, "Aman." (Tirinus) ---

But the names vary. The Persians seem to have had a predilection for the number seven, ver. 14. (Calmet) Greek, "the seven eunuchs, ministers (deacons) of Artaxerxes."

Head. But without any other covering. (Chaldean) Sulpitius entertained perhaps the same idea. Stulto rege consultior, pudens, virorum oculis spectaculum corporis præbere jussa, abnuit. (Haydock) ---

Some Greek copies assert, very improbably, (Calmet) that she was sent for "to be crowned queen." ---

Beautiful. "The Persian ladies were noted for beauty," (Ammian) insomuch that Alexander called them eye-sores, oculorum dolores. (Curtius) ---

Only prostitutes appeared publicly at feasts. (Macrobius vii. 1.) (St. Ambrose, de Elia. i. 15.) ---

In effect, Vasthi's refusal conformable to the laws of the country. (Josephus) (Plutarch in Themist.) ---

Her offence consisted, therefore, rather in her haughty carriage or words. (Haydock) ---

For the proposal was neither decent nor safe for the king, (Grotius) as the history of Candaules shews. (Herodotus i.) (Not. Var. in Sulpitius)

Fury. This is the usual consequences of excess. (Worthington)

According. Hebrew, "knew the times, (for so was the king's custom with those who knew law and judgment.) And the next," &c. (Haydock) ---

These were the magi, more particularly versed in the constitutions of the country. The Persians commonly held their consultations over wine. (Herodotus i. 133.) ---

Septuagint, "and the king said to his friends, Thus has Astin spoken; do therefore, in this affair, law and judgment. Then came forth to him Arkesaios and Saresthaios, and Malesear, the princes of the Persians and Medes, men near the king, and who sat first after the king. (Haydock) ---

The old Vulgate places Mardochæus first. These seven counsellors were perhaps styled the king's relations," (Brisson i. p. 171.) and administered justice; as even the kings referred their causes to them. (Plut. Artax., &c.)

Mamuchan. Old Vulgate, "Mardochæus." Yet the Jews say this was the infamous Aman; and one Greek copy has Bilgaios, (Calmet) and Arabo, "Mouchaios," chap. iii. 1., and xii. 6. He was the youngest, but spoke first, as was sometimes the case.

Wives. Greek turannides, "princesses, or female tyrants." ---

Slight. Septuagint, "dare to slight their husbands. Wherefore if," &c. (Haydock) ---

Just. Hebrew, "enough of contempt and indignation." This may be referred either to the king or to the women's husbands. The example will prove a source of continual quarrels. (Calmet) ---

Brentius approves the decision of this parasite; though St. Ambrose, &c., think that the queen was justified by the laws, which the king had no right to infringe, to gratify his drunken humour, ver. 10. Luther would also wrest this text in favour of adultery, p.ii. Devort. p. 177. (Worthington)

Altered. This regarded the more solemn acts, signed by the counsellors, Daniel vi. 17. (Grotius) ---

Some decrees were neglected or changed, chap. viii. 9., and 1 Esdras iv. 5, 21., and vi. 1. (Calmet)

Counsel. It was very inconclusive; (Menochius) and even supposing the queen were guilty of some indiscretion, the punishment was too severe. (Menochius) (Grotius, v. 11) (Haydock)

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus,.... Who he was is not easy to say; almost all the kings of Persia are so named by one or another writer. He cannot be the Ahasuerus in Dan 9:1, he was Astyages, the father of Cyaxares or Darius the Mede; but this must be one who had his royal palace in Shushan, which was never the royal city of the Medes, but of the Persians only; nor does he seem to be the Ahasuerus in Ezr 4:6, who is thought to be Cambyses, the son and successor of Cyrus; since, according to the canon of Ptolemy, he reigned but eight years, whereas this Ahasuerus at least reigned twelve, Est 3:7, though indeed some account for it by his reigning in his father's lifetime; besides, Cambyses was always an enemy to the Jews, as this was not; and yet this way go many of the Jewish writers ⁿ and so a very learned man, Nicolaus Abram ^o; according to Bishop Usher ^p, this was Darius Hystaspis, who certainly was a friend to the Jewish nation; but he is rather the Artaxerxes of Ezra and Nehemiah; and so says the Midrash ^q. Dr. Prideaux ^r thinks Ahasuerus was Artaxerxes Longimanus, which is the sense of Josephus ^s, and who is thought by many to be the Artaxerxes in the foresaid books. Capellus ^t is of opinion, that Darius Ochus is meant, to which Bishop Patrick inclines; but I rather think, with Vitringa ^u and others ^w, that Xerxes is the Ahasuerus that was the husband of Esther here spoken of; so the Arabic writers ^x; and as he was the son and successor of Darius Hystaspis, if he is meant by Artaxerxes in the preceding books, the history of which is carried to the thirty second year of his reign, Neh 13:6 and who reigned but four years more; this book of Esther stands in right order of time to carry on the history of the Jewish affairs in the Persian monarchy; and Mr. Broughton ^y owns, that the name of Xerxes, in Greek, agrees with Achasuerus in Hebrew; and in Est 10:1 his name is Achashresh, which, with the Greeks, is Axeres or Xerxes ^z:

this is Ahasuerus, which reigned from India even unto Ethiopia; properly so called; the Ethiopians had been subdued by Cambyses the son and successor of Cyrus ^a, and the Indians by Darius Hystaspis the father of Xerxes ^b; and both, with other great nations, were retained in subjection to him ^c; and many of both, as well as of other nations, were with him in his expedition into Greece ^d:

over an hundred and twenty and seven provinces; there were now seven provinces more under his jurisdiction than were in the times of Darius the Mede, Dan 6:1.

That in those days, when the King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom,.... Not only was placed upon it, but settled in it; after Xerxes had subdued Egypt, in the second year of his reign ^e, and enjoyed great peace and tranquillity:

which was in Shushan the palace; that is, the throne of his kingdom was in Shushan, the royal city of the kings of Persia; of which see Gill on Neh 1:1, Dan 8:2.

In the third year of his reign he made a feast unto all his princes, and his servants,.... The nobles and officers in his court; on what account this was cannot be said with certainty, whether the first day of it was his birthday, or the day of his coming to the throne, on which day Xerxes used to make a feast annually, as Herodotus relates ^f:

the power of Persia and Media; the mighty men therein, the potentates thereof; or the "army", the principal officers of it:

the nobles and princes of the provinces being with him. The first word Aben Ezra declares his ignorance of, whether it is Hebrew or Persian; Jarchi interprets it governors; and the persons intended by both seem to be the deputy governors of the one hundred and twenty seven provinces who were present at this feast. Xerxes, having reduced Egypt, meditated a war with Greece, to which he was pressed by Mardonius, a relation of his; upon which he summoned the chief men of his kingdom, to have their advice about it ^g, which perhaps was taken at this time; for it was in the third year of his reign he resolved upon the war, and began to make preparations for it; and it was usual, at banquets and feasts, that the Persians debated their most important affairs ^h.

When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom,.... Xerxes was the fourth king of the Persian monarchy, and was "far richer than all" that went before him, all their riches coming into his hands, Dan 11:2, and now that prophecy began to be fulfilled, "that by his strength, through his riches, he should stir up all against the realm of Grecia"; which he began to do in the third year of his reign, and for which these his nobles might be called together, as to have their advice, so to animate them to come in the more readily into the expedition, by showing them the riches he was possessed of; for to none of the kings of Persia does this largeness of riches better belong than to Xerxes:

and the honour of his excellent majesty; the grandeur he lived in, the pomp and splendour of his court; he was the most grand and magnificent of all the kings of the Medes and Persians ⁱ:

and this he did many days, even an hundred and fourscore days; to which seven more being added, as in the following verse, it made one hundred and eighty seven, the space of full six months; though some think the feast did not last so long, only seven days, and that the one hundred and eighty days were spent in preparing for it; but the Persian feasts were very long, large, and sumptuous. Dr. Frye ^k says, this custom of keeping an annual feast one hundred and eighty days still continues in Persia. Cheus ^l, a Chinese emperor, used frequently to make a feast which lasted one hundred and twenty days; though it cannot be well thought that the same individual persons here were feasted so long, but, when one company was sufficiently treated, they removed and made way for another; and so it continued successively such a number of days as here related, which was six months, or half a year; a year then in use consisting of three hundred and sixty days, as was common with the Jews, and other nations, and so the Persians ^m.

And when these days were ended,.... The one hundred and eighty, in which the nobles, princes, and great men of the kingdom were feasted:

the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small; of every age, rank, state and condition of life; these were the common people, whether inhabitants of the city or country people there on business, whether natives or foreigners; according to the Targum, there were Israelites there, but not Mordecai and his family; yea, it is said in the Midrash ⁿ, that they were all Jews, and that their number was 18,500; but this is not probable; it is very likely there were some Jews among them, as there were many in the army of Xerxes, when he made his expedition into Greece, according to the poet Choerilus ^o; which is not to be wondered at, since there were so many of them in his dominions, and they men of valour and fidelity, and to whose nation he was so kind and favourable: and this feast was kept

seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace; which no doubt was very large, and sufficient to hold such a number as was assembled together on this occasion, when there was not room enough for them in the palace. There is in history an account of a Persian king that supped with 15,000 men, and in the supper spent forty talents ^p.

Where were white, green, and blue hangings,.... Or curtains of fine linen, as the Targum, which were of these several colours; the first letter of the word for "white" is larger than usual, to denote the exceeding whiteness of them. The next word is "carpas", which Ben Melech observes is a dyed colour, said to be green. Pausanias ^q makes mention of Carpasian linen, and which may be here meant; the last word used signifies blue, sky coloured, or hyacinth:

fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings, and pillars of marble; these pillars are said, in the Targum, to be of divers colours, red, green, and shining yellow and white, on which the silver rings were fixed, and into them were put linen strings of purple colour, which fastened the hangings to them, and so made an enclosure, within which the guests sat at the feast:

the beds were of gold and silver; the couches on which they sat, or rather reclined at eating, as was the manner of the eastern nations; these, according to the Targum, were of lambs' wool, the finest, and the softest, and the posts of them were of gold, and their feet of silver. Such luxury obtained among the Romans in later times ^r:

these were placed in a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble; which, according to some, are the porphyrite, Parian, alabaster, and marble of various colours; the marble of the Persians is of four colours, white, black, red and black, and white and black ^s; but others take them to be precious stones, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra; the first is by the Targum interpreted crystal, by others the emerald, one of which Theophrastus ^t speaks of as four cubits long, and three broad, which might be laid in a pavement; the third is, by Bochart ^u, supposed to be the pearl; and in the Talmud ^w it is said to be of such a nature, that if placed in the middle of a dining room, will give light in it as at noonday, which seems to be what is called lychnites; to which Lucian ^x ascribes a like property: nor need all this seem strange, since great was the luxury of the eastern nations. Philostratus ^y speaks of a temple in India paved with pearls, and which he says all the Barbarians use in their temples; particularly it is said ^z, that the roofs of the palaces of Shushan and Ecbatana, the palaces of the kings of Persia, shone with gold and silver, ivory, and amber; no wonder then that their pavements were of very valuable and precious stones: and from hence it appears, that the "lithostrata", the word here used by the Septuagint, or tesserated pavements, were in use four hundred years before the times of Sylla, where the beginning of them is placed by Pliny ^a; there was a "lithostraton" in the second temple at Jerusalem, by us rendered the pavement, Joh 19:13, perhaps the same with the room Gazith, so called from its being laid with hewn stone. Aristeas ^b, who lived in the times of Ptolemy Philadelphus, testifies that the whole floor of the temple was a "lithostraton", or was paved with stone: it is most likely therefore that these had their original in the eastern country, and not in Greece, as Pliny ^c supposed.

They gave them drink in vessels of gold, the vessels being divers one from another,.... In the pattern and workmanship of them, though of the same metal, which diversity made the festival the more grand; earthen cups, with the Persians, were reckoned very mean; when a king would disgrace a man, he obliged him to use earthen cups ^d. The Targum represents these vessels to be the golden vessels of the temple at Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar carried away; which could not be, since they had been delivered by Cyrus to Zerubbabel, Ezr 1:7,

and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king; such as the king was able to give, the best he had, and that in great plenty; the wine the kings of Persia used to drink, as Strabo ^e relates, was Chalybonian wine, or wine of Helbon, as it is called, Eze 27:18; see Gill on Eze 27:18, but by the wine of the kingdom, as it may be rendered, is meant wine of the country; the wine of Schiras is reckoned the best in Persia ^f.

And the drinking was according to the law, none did compel,.... According to the law Ahasuerus gave to his officers next mentioned, which was not to oblige any man to drink more than he chose; the Targum is,`according to the custom of his body;'that is, as a man is able to bear it, so they drank: some ^f read it, "the drinking according to the law, let none exact"; or require it to be, according to the custom then in use in Persia; for they were degenerated from their former manners, and indulged to intemperance, as Xenophon ^g suggests: the law formerly was, not to carry large vessels into feasts; but now, says he, they drink so much, that they themselves must be carried out, because they cannot go upright: and so it became a law with the Greeks, at their festivals, that either a man must drink or go out ^h; so the master of a feast, at which Empedocles was, ordered either that he should drink, or the wine be poured on his head ⁱ; but such force or compulsion Ahasuerus forbad: and thus with the Chinese now, they force none to drink, but modestly invite them ^k:

for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure; to let them have what wine they would, but not force them to drink more than was agreeable to them.

Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women.... For it was not customary with the Persians, nor other eastern nations, to admit of women to their festivals ^m, but they feasted by themselves. Who Vashti was is not known with any certainty. Bishop Usher, who takes Ahasuerus to be Darius Hystaspis, thinks Vashti was Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus, whom he married. The Targumist says, she was the daughter of Evilmerodach, the son of Nebuchadnezzar. Her name seems to be the same with Vesta, a deity worshipped by the Persians, as Xenophon ⁿ, and signifies vehement fire, which was in great veneration with them; and therefore this queen is most likely to be of Persian original: she kept her feast

in the royal house which belonged to Ahasuerus; her guests not being so many, there was room enough in the king's palace for them, and where it was more decent for them to be than in the open air in the garden, and exposed to the sight of men.

On the seventh day,.... Of the feast, the last day of it, which the Rabbins, as Jarchi observes, say was the sabbath day, and so the Targum:

when the heart of the king was merry with wine; when he was intoxicated with it, and knew not well what he said or did; and the discourse at table ran upon the beauty of women, as the latter Targum; when the king asserted there were no women so beautiful as those of Babylon, and, as a proof of it, ordered his queen to be brought in:

he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains, that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king; or "eunuchs", as the word is sometimes rendered; and such persons were made use of in the eastern countries to, wait upon women, and so were proper to be sent on the king's errand to the queen.

To bring Vashti the queen before the king,.... Not against her will, or by force; but they were sent to let her know it was the king's pleasure that she should come to him immediately:

with the crown royal; that is, upon her head, to make her look the more grand and majestic:

to show the people and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look upon; which was not wisely done, neither was it comely nor safe.

But the queen refused to came at the king's commandment by his chamberlains,.... Even though he sent by them again, as the Targum; and so says Josephus ^o; which might not purely arise from pride in her, and contempt of him, but because she might conclude he was drunk, and knew not well what he did; and therefore had she come at his command, when he was himself and sober, he might blame her for coming, nay, use her ill for it, and especially if she was to come naked, as say the Jews ^p; and besides, it was contrary to the law of the Persians, as not only Josephus ^q, but Plutarch ^r observes, which suffered not women to be seen in public; and particularly did not allow their wives to be with them at feasts, only their concubines and harlots, with whom they could behave with more indecency; as for their wives, they were kept out of sight, at home ^s; and therefore Vashti might think it an indignity to be treated as an harlot or concubine:

therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him; which was the more fierce, as he was inflamed with wine.

Then the king said to the wise men that knew the times,.... Astrologers, as Aben Ezra, that knew the fit time for doing anything; or that had knowledge of ancient times, historians, well read in history, and knew things that had happened similar to this:

for so was the king's manner towards all that knew law and judgment; it was customary with him in any case of difficulty to have the opinion and advice of those that were expert in the law, and well understood right and wrong. These are called by Herodotus ^t the king's judges.

And the next unto him,.... That sat next to the king, and was the chief in dignity and authority under him:

was Carshena; and so everyone in their rank and order, as next mentioned:

Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan; who, according to the latter Targum, were of different countries; the first of Africa, the second of India, the third of Idumea, the fourth of Egypt, the fifth of Resen, Gen 10:12 which is framed out of Marsena, who is dropped, and the last of Jerusalem, said to be Daniel; though the former Targum makes him to be Haman:

the seven powers of Persia and Media; which custom of having seven counsellors with the kings of Persia arose from the seven princes that slew Smerdis the pretender, and made Darius Hystaspis king, the father of Xerxes:

which saw the king's face; were intimate and familiar with him, often in his presence; yea, might go into it when they pleased, without the ceremony of being introduced; which privilege the above persons reserved to themselves, when they placed Darius on the throne, as Herodotus relates ^u:

and which sat the first in the kingdom; next to the king, and were assisting to him in the administration of government, see Ezr 7:14.

What shall we do unto the Queen Vashti, according to law,.... The king desired to know what law was provided in such a case as her's, and what to be done according to it:

because she hath not performed the commandment of the king by the chamberlains? as this was the crime, disobedience to his commands, he would have those who had knowledge of the law consider what punishment was to be inflicted on her for it, according to former laws, usages, and customs, or as reason and justice required; and it being a festival, and they heated with wine, was no objection to a consultation on this head; for it was the manner of the Persians at festivals, and when inflamed with wine, to consult and determine about matters of the greatest moment ^w; yea, reckoned their counsels and decrees firmer than when made when they were sober ^x; so the ancient Germans ^y.

And Memucan answered before the king and the princes,.... Who was the last, and perhaps the least and the youngest of the counsellors; it being appointed by the king, according to the latter Targum that when his counsellors sat, the least should give their counsel first; just as puisne judges, and the youngest peers with us, give their opinion in a case first:

Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus; he means, by setting a bad example to their wives, as after explained; it is an exaggeration of her crime, and made with a design to incense the king the more against her.

For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women,.... It will soon be spread all over the king's dominions, and reach the ears of the wives of all his subjects, and become their general talk everywhere:

so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes: make light of their authority, refuse subjection to them, slight their commands, and neglect to yield obedience to them, and so not give them the honour that is due unto them:

when it shall be reported, the King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, and she came not; was disobedient to his commands, refused to go along with the chamberlains sent by the king to fetch her.

Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen,.... From henceforward they will give a like answer to their husbands, when they lay their commands upon them, as Vashti has to the king; they will tell them to their faces they will not obey their orders:

thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath; there will be in wives a general contempt of their husbands, which will cause discord and strife, quarrels, wrath and anger; contempt on one part, wrath on the other, and contention between both.

If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him,.... Not only a proclamation made, but a law enacted and published by royal authority:

and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and Medes that it be not altered; for so it was, that when a law was made, and signed, and sealed, and registered among the laws of the kingdom, it remained unalterable, Dan 6:8, this precaution Memucan took for his own safety; for had the king acted upon his advice, without passing it into a law in such form, he might change his mind, and recall Vashti, who would not fail of venting her wrath upon the counsellor, and so he be in danger of losing his life for it:

that Vashti come no more before King Ahasuerus; but be entirely divorced, never to be received any more:

and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she; or "to her companions" ^z; that was with her in the house of the women in the seraglio; one that was fairer, as the Targum, or of a better disposition than her; let her be made queen, and enjoy all the honour, and dignity, and marks of royalty Vashti did; her throne, her crown, and royal apparel, as it is interpreted in an ancient Jewish writing ^a.

And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire,.... As it was proper it should, since the report of the queen's deed would be made everywhere:

for it is great; the empire consisting of one hundred and twenty seven provinces, Est 1:1, Aben Ezra and Abendana interpret it, "though" it is great, yet the decree should be published throughout; the latter observes, that this may respect the king's decree; and so the Targum is,"for his decree is great;''it respecting a matter of great importance, and relating to a great personage, and would have great effect on the minds of persons, when it was observed that one so great was treated in this manner: and therefore

all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small; speaking respectfully to them, yielding a ready and cheerful obedience to all their commands; which would be done to princes and peasants, to high and low, to every rank of men.

And the saying pleased the king and the princes,.... The king, and the other six princes and counsellors, approved of the proposal, and unanimously agreed to it:

and the king did according to the word of Memucan; passed a law according to his advice, and signed and sealed it, and registered it among the laws of the kingdom, not to be revoked.

For he sent letters unto all the king's provinces,.... The one hundred and twenty seven provinces, Est 1:1, which, according to the Targum, were written and sealed with his own seal; which is very probable:

into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; that is, these letters were written in the language, and in the characters in which that language was written, used in each of the provinces to which these letters were sent, that they might be easily read and understood by all: the sum of which was:

that every man should bear rule in his own house; be prince, lord, and master there, and his commands obeyed, not only by his children and servants, but by his wife also:

and that it should be published according to the language of every people; but as this is expressed, or at least implied, in the first clause of this verse, it should rather be rendered, "and that he should speak according to the language of his people"; and so is the latter Targum; it seems as if a man, who had married a woman in another country, in complaisance to her had neglected his own native tongue, and used hers in the family, by which means he lost, or seemed to lose, his authority in it: now, to guard against this, this part of the law was made; and, according to Jarchi, the husband was to compel his wife to learn and speak his language, if she was a foreigner; to which agrees the first Targum, which paraphrases the whole thus,"that a man rule over his wife, and oblige her to speak according to the language of her husband, and the speech of his people;''and, in later times, Bahram Gaur forbid any other language, besides the Persian, to be used within his port, either in speaking or writing ^b.

¹ sn In the English Bible Esther appears adjacent to Ezra-Nehemiah and with the historical books, but in the Hebrew Bible it is one of five short books (the so-called Megillot) that appear toward the end of the biblical writings. The canonicity of the book was questioned by some in ancient Judaism and early Christianity. It is one of five OT books that were at one time regarded as antilegomena (i.e., books “spoken against”). The problem with Esther was the absence of any direct mention of God. Some questioned whether a book that did not mention God could be considered sacred scripture. Attempts to resolve this by discovering the tetragrammaton (YHWH) encoded in the Hebrew text (e.g., in the initial letters of four consecutive words in the Hebrew text of Esth 5:4) are unconvincing, although they do illustrate how keenly the problem was felt by some. Martin Luther also questioned the canonicity of this book, objecting to certain parts of its content. Although no copy of Esther was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, this does not necessarily mean that the Qumran community did not regard it as canonical. It is possible that the absence of Esther from what has survived at Qumran is merely a coincidence. Although the book does not directly mention God, it would be difficult to read it without sensing the providence of God working in powerful, though at times subtle, ways to rescue his people from danger and possible extermination. The absence of mention of the name of God may be a deliberate part of the literary strategy of the writer.

² tn Heb “it came about”; KJV, ASV “Now it came to pass.”

³ tn Where the Hebrew text has “Ahasuerus” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV) in this book the LXX has “Artaxerxes.” The ruler mentioned in the Hebrew text is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465 B.C.), and a number of modern English versions use “Xerxes” (e.g., NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT).

⁴ tn Heb “in the days of Ahasuerus, that Ahasuerus who used to rule…” The phrase “I am referring to” has been supplied to clarify the force of the third person masculine singular pronoun, which is functioning like a demonstrative pronoun.

⁵ sn The geographical extent of the Persian empire was vast. The division of Xerxes’ empire into 127 smaller provinces was apparently done for purposes of administrative efficiency.

⁶ tn Heb “Cush” (so NIV, NCV; KJV “Ethiopia”) referring to the region of the upper Nile in Africa. India and Cush (i.e., Ethiopia) are both mentioned in a tablet taken from the foundation of Xerxes’ palace in Persepolis that describes the extent of this empire. See ANET 316-17.

¹ tn Heb “Shushan” (so KJV, ASV). Most recent English versions render this as “Susa.”

sn The city of Susa served as one of several capitals of Persia during this time; the other locations were Ecbatana, Babylon, and Persepolis. Partly due to the extreme heat of its summers, Susa was a place where Persian kings stayed mainly in the winter months. Strabo indicates that reptiles attempting to cross roads at midday died from the extreme heat (Geography 15.3.10-11).

² tn The Hebrew word בִּירָה (birah) can refer to a castle or palace or temple. Here it seems to have in mind that fortified part of the city that might be called an acropolis or citadel. Cf. KJV “palace”; NAB “stronghold”; NASB “capital”; NLT “fortress.”

¹ sn The third year of Xerxes’ reign would be ca. 483 b.c.

² tc Due to the large numbers of people implied, some scholars suggest that the original text may have read “leaders of the army” (cf. NAB “Persian and Median aristocracy”; NASB “the army officers”; NIV “the military leaders”). However, there is no textual evidence for this emendation, and the large numbers are not necessarily improbable.

³ sn Unlike the Book of Daniel, the usual order for this expression in Esther is “Persia and Media” (cf. vv. 14, 18, 19). In Daniel the order is “Media and Persia,” indicating a time in their history when Media was in the ascendancy.

⁴ sn The size of the banquet described here, the number of its invited guests, and the length of its duration, although certainly immense by any standard, are not without precedent in the ancient world. C. A. Moore documents a Persian banquet for 15,000 people and an Assyrian celebration with 69,574 guests (Esther [AB], 6).

¹ tn Heb “many days” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “for many days.”

² tn The words “to be exact!” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation to bring out the clarifying nuance of the time period mentioned. Cf. KJV “even an hundred and fourscore days.”

¹ tc The Hebrew text of Esther does not indicate why this elaborate show of wealth and power was undertaken. According to the LXX these were “the days of the wedding” (αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ γάμου, Jai Jhmerai tou gamou), presumably the king’s wedding. However, a number of scholars have called attention to the fact that this celebration takes place just shortly before Xerxes’ invasion of Greece. It is possible that the banquet was a rallying for the up-coming military effort. See Herodotus, Histories 7.8. There is no reason to adopt the longer reading of the LXX here.

² tc The LXX has ἕξ ({ex, “six”) instead of “seven.” Virtually all English versions follow the reading of the MT here, “seven.”

³ tn Heb “were found.”

⁴ tn Heb “from the great and unto the small.”

¹ sn The finest linen was byssus, a fine, costly, white fabric made in Egypt, Palestine, and Edom, and imported into Persia (BDB 101 s.v. בּוּץ; HALOT 115-16 s.v. בּוּץ).

² tn The Hebrew noun מִטָּה (mittah) refers to a reclining couch (cf. KJV “beds”) spread with covers, cloth and pillow for feasting and carousing (Ezek 23:41; Amos 3:12; 6:4; Esth 1:6; 7:8). See BDB 641-42 s.v.; HALOT 573 s.v.

¹ tn Heb “to cause to drink” (Hiphil infinitive construct of שָׁקָה, shaqah). As the etymology of the Hebrew word for “banquet” (מִשְׁתֶּה, mishteh, from שָׁתָה, shatah, “to drink”) hints, drinking was a prominent feature of ancient Near Eastern banquets.

¹ tn Heb “the drinking was according to law; there was no one compelling.”

² tn Heb “every chief of his house”; KJV “all the officers of his house”; NLT “his staff.”

³ tn Heb “according to the desire of man and man.”

¹ sn Vashti is the name of Xerxes’ queen according to the Book of Esther. But in the Greek histories of this period the queen’s name is given as Amestris (e.g., Herodotus, Histories 9.108-13). The name Vashti does not seem to occur in the nonbiblical records from this period. Apparently the two women are not to be confused, but not enough is known about this period to reconcile completely the biblical and extrabiblical accounts.

¹ tn Heb “as the heart of the king was good with the wine.” Here the proper name (King Ahasuerus) has been substituted for the title in the translation for stylistic reasons.

² tn Heb “King Ahasuerus”; here the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons. Cf. similarly NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT “King Xerxes.”

¹ tn Heb “was good of appearance”; KJV “was fair to look on”; NAB “was lovely to behold.”

¹ sn Refusal to obey the king was risky even for a queen in the ancient world. It is not clear why Vashti behaved so rashly and put herself in such danger. Apparently she anticipated humiliation of some kind and was unwilling to subject herself to it, in spite of the obvious dangers. There is no justification in the biblical text for an ancient Jewish targumic tradition that the king told her to appear before his guests dressed in nothing but her royal high turban, that is, essentially naked.

² tn Heb “at the word of the king”; NASB “at the king’s command.”

³ tn Heb “burned in him” (so KJV).

¹ tn Heb “judgment” (so KJV); NASB, NIV “justice”; NRSV “custom.”

¹ tn Heb “seers of the face of the king”; NASB “who had access to the king’s presence.”

² tn Heb “were sitting first”; NAB “held first rank in the realm.”

¹ tn These words are not present in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT, all of which supply similar phrases).

² tc The location of the prepositional phrase “according to law” is somewhat unusual in the Hebrew text, but not so much so as to require emendation. Some scholars suggest deleting the phrase as an instance of dittography from the final part of the immediately preceding word in v. 14. Others suggest taking the phrase with the end of v. 14 rather than with v. 15. Both proposals, however, lack adequate justification.

¹ sn Heb “If upon the king it is good”; KJV “If it please the king.” Deferential language was common in ancient Near Eastern court language addressing a despot; it occurs often in Esther.

² sn Laws…that cannot be repealed. On the permanence of the laws of Media and Persia see also Esth 8:8 and Dan 6:8, 12, 15.

³ sn Previously in this chapter the word “queen” accompanies Vashti’s name (cf. vv. 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17). But here, in anticipation of her demotion, the title is dropped.

⁴ tn Heb “her neighbor”; NIV “someone else.”

⁵ tn Heb “who is better than she.” The reference is apparently to worthiness of the royal position as demonstrated by compliance with the king’s wishes, although the word טוֹב (tob, “good”) can also be used of physical beauty. Cf. NAB, NASB, NLT “more worthy than she.”

¹ tn Heb “heard”; KJV, NAB, NLT “published”; NIV, NRSV “proclaimed.”

² tc The phrase “vast though it is” is not included in the LXX, although it is retained by almost all English versions.

¹ sn For purposes of diplomacy and governmental communication throughout the far-flung regions of the Persian empire the Aramaic language was normally used. Educated people throughout the kingdom could be expected to have competence in this language. But in the situation described in v. 22 a variety of local languages are to be used, and not just Aramaic, so as to make the king’s edict understandable to the largest possible number of people.

² tn Heb “in his house”; NIV “over his own household.”

³ tc The final prepositional phrase is not included in the LXX, and this shorter reading is followed by a number of English versions (e.g., NAB, NRSV, NLT). Some scholars suggest the phrase may be the result of dittography from the earlier phrase “to each people according to its language,” but this is not a necessary conclusion. The edict was apparently intended to reassert male prerogative with regard to two things (and not just one): sovereign and unquestioned leadership within the family unit, and the right of deciding which language was to be used in the home when a bilingual situation existed.

Now it came to pass in the days of ^{( a )} Ahasuerus, (this [is] Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, [over] an ^{( b )} hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)

The Argument - Because of the variety of names, by which they used to call their kings, and the number of years in which the Hebrews and the Greeks vary, various authors write concerning that Ahasuerus but is seems in (Dan 6:1, Dan 9:1) that he was Darius king of the Medes and son of Astyages also called Ahasuerus which was a name of honour and signified great and chief as chief head. In this is declared the great mercies of God toward his church: who never fails them in their greatest dangers, but when all hope of worldly help fades, he stirs up some, by whom he sends comfort and deliverance. In this also is described the ambition, pride and cruelty of the wicked when they come to honour and their sudden fall when they are at their highest and how God preserves and prefers them who are zealous of his glory and have a care and love for their brethren.

^{( a )} Also called Darius, who was now the favourite monarch and had the government of the Medes, Persians and Chaldeans. Some think he was Darius Hystaspis also called Artaxerxes.

^{( b )} (Dan 6:1) makes mention of only 120 leaving out the number that are imperfect as the scripture uses in various places.

[That] in those days, when the king Ahasuerus ^{( c )} sat on the throne of his kingdom, which [was] in Shushan the palace,

^{( c )} That is, had rest and quietness.

[Where were] white, green, and blue, [hangings], fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the ^{( d )} beds [were of] gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble.

^{( d )} Which they used in those countries instead of tables.

And they gave [them] drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the ^{( e )} state of the king.

^{( e )} As was befitting for so magnificent a king.

And the drinking [was] according to the law; none did ^{( f )} compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.

^{( f )} No one was forced to drink more than it pleased him.

On the ^{( g )} seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

^{( g )} Which was the last day of the feast that the king made for the people as in (Est 1:5).

Then the king said to the wise men, ^{( h )} which knew the times, (for so [was] the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment:

^{( h )} Who had experience in things as they had learned by diligent marking in continuance of time.

And the next unto him [was] Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, [and] Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the ^{( i )} king's face, [and] which sat the first in the kingdom;)

^{( i )} Who were his chief counsellors that always had access to him.

And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done ^{( k )} wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that [are] in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.

^{( k )} By her disobedience she has given an example to all women to do the same to their husbands.

For [this] ^{( l )} deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.

^{( l )} That is, her disobedience.

[Likewise] shall the ^{( m )} ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus [shall there arise] too much contempt and wrath.

^{( m )} Meaning, that they would take the first opportunity to do the same and the rest of the women would also do the same.

If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come ^{( n )} no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.

^{( n )} Let her be divorced and another made queen.

And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is ^{( o )} great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.

^{( o )} For he had under him a hundred and twenty-seven countries.

For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should ^{( p )} bear rule in his own house, and that [it] should be published according to the language of every people.

^{( p )} That is, that the wife should be subject to the husband and at his commandment.

The pride of Ahasuerus's heart rising with the grandeur of his kingdom, he made an extravagant feast. This was vain glory. Better is a dinner of herbs with quietness, than this banquet of wine, with all the noise and tumult that must have attended it. But except grace prevails in the heart, self-exaltation and self-indulgence, in one form or another, will be the ruling principle. Yet none did compel; so that if any drank to excess, it was their own fault. This caution of a heathen prince, even when he would show his generosity, may shame many called Christians, who, under pretence of sending the health round, send sin round, and death with it. There is a woe to them that do so; let them read it, and tremble, Hab 2:15, Hab 2:16.

Ahasuerus's feast ended in heaviness, by his own folly. Seasons of peculiar festivity often end in vexation. Superiors should be careful not to command what may reasonably be disobeyed. But when wine is in, men's reason departs from them. He that had rule over 127 provinces, had no rule over his own spirit. But whether the passion or the policy of the king was served by this decree, God's providence made way for Esther to the crown, and defeated Haman's wicked project, even before it had entered into his heart, and he arrived at his power. Let us rejoice that the Lord reigns, and will overrule the madness or folly of mankind to promote his own glory, and the safety and happiness of his people.

Which of the kings of Persia this Ahasuerus was the learned are not agreed. Mordecai is said to have been one of those that were carried captive from Jerusalem (Est 2:5, Est 2:6), whence it should seem that this Ahasuerus was one of the first kings of that empire. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that he was that Artaxerxes who hindered the building of the temple, who is called also Ahasuerus (Ezr 4:6, Ezr 4:7), after his great-grandfather of the Medes, Dan 9:1. We have here an account,

I. Of the vast extent of his dominion. In the time of Darius and Cyrus there were but 120 princes (Dan 6:1); now there were 127, from India to Ethiopia, Est 1:1. It had become an over-grown kingdom, which in time would sink with its own weight, and, as usual, would lose its provinces as fast as it got them. If such vast power be put into a bad hand, it is able to do so much the more mischief; but, if into a good hand, it is able to do so much the more good. Christ's kingdom is, or shall be, far larger than this, when the kingdoms of the world shall all become his; and it shall be everlasting.

II. Of the great pomp and magnificence of his court. When he found himself fixed in his throne, the pride of his heart rising with the grandeur of his kingdom, he made a most extravagant feast, wherein he put himself to vast expense and trouble only to show the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty, Est 1:4. This was vain glory, an affection of pomp to no purpose at all; for none questioned the riches of his kingdom, nor offered to vie with him for honour. If he had shown the riches of his kingdom and the honour of his majesty, as some of his successors did, in contributing largely towards the building of the temple and the maintaining of the temple service (Ezr 6:8, Ezr 7:22), it would have turned to a much better account. Two feasts Ahasuerus made: - 1. One for his nobles and princes, which lasted a hundred and eighty days, Est 1:3, Est 1:4. Not that he feasted the same persons every day for all that time, but perhaps the nobles and princes of one province one day, of another province another day, while thus he and his constant attendants fared sumptuously every day. The Chaldee paraphrast (who is very bold in his additions to the story of this book) says that there had been a rebellion among his subjects and that this feast was kept for joy of the quashing of it. 2. Another was made for all the people, both great and small, which lasted seven days, some one day and some another; and, because no house would hold them, they were entertained in the court of the garden, Est 1:5. The hangings with which the several apartments were divided or the tents which were there pitched for the company, were very fine and rich; so were the beds or benches on which they sat, and the pavement under their feet, Est 1:6. Better is a dinner of herbs with quietness, and the enjoyment of one's self and a friend, than this banquet of wine with all the noise and tumult that must needs attend it.

III. Of the good order which in some respects was kept there notwithstanding. We do not find this like Belshazzar's feast, in which dunghill-gods were praised and the vessels of the sanctuary profaned, Dan 5:3, Dan 5:4. Yet the Chaldee paraphrase says that the vessels of the sanctuary were used in this feast, to the great grief of the pious Jews. It was not like Herod's feast, which reserved a prophet's head for the last dish. Two things which are laudable we may gather from the account here given of this feast: - 1. That there was no forcing of healths, nor urging of them: The drinking was according to the law, probably some law lately made; none did compel, no, not by continual proposing of it (as Josephus explains it); they did not send the glass about, but every man drank as he pleased (Est 1:8), so that if there were any that drank to excess it was their own fault, a fault which few would commit when the king's order put an honour upon sobriety. This caution of a heathen prince, even when he would show his generosity, may shame many who are called Christians, who think they do not sufficiently show their good housekeeping, nor bid their friends welcome, unless they make them drunk, and, under pretence of sending the health round, send the sin round, and death with it. There is a woe to those that do so; let them read it and tremble, Hab 2:15, Hab 2:16. It is robbing men of their reason, their richest jewel, and making them fools, the greatest wrong that can be. 2. That there was no mixed dancing; for the gentlemen and ladies were entertained asunder, not as in the feast of Belshazzar, whose wives and concubines drank with him (Dan 5:2), or that of Herod, whose daughter danced before him. Vashti feasted the women in her own apartment; not openly in the court of the garden, but in the royal house, Est 1:9. Thus, while the king showed the honour of his majesty, she and her ladies showed the honour of their modesty, which is truly the majesty of the fair sex.

We have here a damp to all the mirth of Ahasuerus's feast; it ended in heaviness, not as Job's children's feast by a wind from the wilderness, not as Belshazzar's by a hand-writing on the wall, but by is own folly. An unhappy falling out there was, at the end of the feast, between the king and queen, which broke of the feast abruptly, and sent the guests away silent and ashamed.

I. It was certainly the king's weakness to send for Vashti into his presence when he was drunk, and in company with abundance of gentlemen, many of whom, it is likely, were in the same condition. When his heart was merry with wine nothing would serve him but Vashti must come, well dressed as she was, with the crown on her head, that the princes and people might see what a handsome woman she was, Est 1:10, Est 1:11. Hereby, 1. He dishonoured himself as a husband, who ought to protect, but by no means expose, the modesty of his wife, who ought to be to her a covering of the eyes (Gen 20:16), not to uncover them. 2. He diminished himself as a king, in commanding that from his wife which she might refuse, much to the honour of her virtue. It was against the custom of the Persians for the women to appear in public, and he put a great hardship upon her when he did not court, but command her to do so uncouth a thing, and make her a show. If he had not been put out of the possession of himself by drinking to excess, he would not have done such a thing, but would have been angry at any one that should have mentioned it. When the wine is in the wit is out, and men's reason departs from them.

II. However, perhaps it was not her wisdom to deny him. She refused to come (Est 1:12); though he sent his command by seven honourable messengers, and publicly, and Josephus says sent again and again, yet she persisted in her denial. Had she come, while it was evident that she did it in pure obedience, it would have been no reflection upon her modesty, nor a bad example. The thing was not in itself sinful, and therefore to obey would have been more her honour than to be so precise. Perhaps she refused in a haughty manner, and then it was certainly evil; she scorned to come at the king's commandment. What a mortification was this to him! While he was showing the glory of his kingdom he showed the reproach of his family, that he had a wife that would do as she pleased. Strifes between yoke-fellows are bad enough at any time, but before company they are very scandalous, and occasion blushing and uneasiness.

III. The king thereupon grew outrageous. He that had rule over 127 provinces had no rule over his own spirit, but his anger burned in him, Est 1:12. He would have consulted his own comfort and credit more if he had stifled his resentment, had passed by the affront his wife gave him, and turned it off with a jest.

IV. Though he was very angry, he would not do any thing in this matter till he advised with his privy-counsellors; as he had seven chamberlains to execute his orders, who are named (Est 1:10), so he had seven counsellors to direct his orders. The greater power a man has the greater need he has of advice, that he may not abuse his power. Of these counsellors it is said that they were learned men, for they knew law and judgment, that they were wise men, for they knew the times, and that the king put great confidence in them and honour upon them, for they saw the king's face and sat first in the kingdom, Est 1:13, Est 1:14. In the multitude of such counsellors there is safety. Now here is,

1. The question proposed to this cabinet-council (Est 1:15): What shall we do to the queen Vashti according to the law? Observe, (1.) Though it was the queen that was guilty, the law must have its course. (2.) Though the king was very angry, yet he would do nothing but what he was advised was according to law.

2. The proposal which Memucan made, that Vashti should be divorced for her disobedience. Some suggest that he gave this severe advice, and the rest agreed to it, because they knew it would please the king, would gratify both his passion now and his appetite afterwards. But Josephus says that, on the contrary, he had a strong affection for Vashti, and would not have put her away for this offence if he could legally have passed it by; and then we must suppose Memucan, in his advice, to have had a sincere regard to justice and the public good. (1.) He shows what would be the bad consequences of the queen's disobedience to her husband, if it were passed by and not animadverted upon, that it would embolden other wives both to disobey their husbands and to domineer over them. Had this unhappy falling out between the king and his wife, wherein she was conqueror, been private, the error would have remained with themselves and the quarrel might have been settled privately between themselves; but it happening to be public, and perhaps the ladies that were now feasting with the queen having shown themselves pleased with her refusal, her bad example would be likely to have a bad influence upon all the families of the kingdom. If the queen must have her humour, and the king must submit to it (since the houses of private persons commonly take their measures from the courts of princes), the wives would be haughty and imperious and would scorn to obey their husbands, and the poor despised husbands might fret at it, but could not help themselves; for the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping, Pro 19:13; Pro 27:15; and see Pro 21:9; Pro 25:24. When wives despise their husbands, whom they ought to reverence (Eph 5:33), and contend for dominion over those to whom they ought to be in subjection (1Pe 3:1), there cannot but be continual guilt and grief, confusion and every evil work. And great ones must take heed of setting copies of this kind, Est 1:16-18. (2.) He shows what would be the good consequence of a decree against Vashti that she should be divorced. We may suppose that before they proceeded to this extremity they sent to Vashti to know if she would yet submit, cry Peccavi - I have done wrong, and ask the king's pardon, and that, if she had done so, the mischief of her example would have been effectually prevented, and process would have been stayed; but it is likely she continued obstinate, and insisted upon it as her prerogative to do as she pleased, whether it pleased the king or no, and therefore they gave this judgment against her, that she come no more before the king, and this judgment so ratified as never to be reversed, Est 1:19. The consequence of this, it was hoped, would be that the wives would give to their husbands honour, even the wives of the great, notwithstanding their own greatness, and the wives of the small, notwithstanding the husband's meanness (Est 1:20); and thus every man would bear rule in his own house, as he ought to do, and, the wives being subject, the children and servants would be so too. It is the interest of states and kingdoms to provide that good order be kept in private families.

3. The edict that passed according to this proposal, signifying that the queen was divorced for contumacy, according to the law, and that, if other wives were in like manner undutiful to their husbands, they must expect to be in like manner disgraced (Est 1:21, Est 1:22): were they better than the queen? Whether it was the passion or the policy of the king that was served by this edict, God's providence served its own purpose by it, which was to make way for Esther to the crown.

The banquet. Est 1:1-3 mark a period. משׁתּה עשׂה , which belongs to ויהי , does not follow till Est 1:3, andeven then the statement concerning the feast is again interrupted by a longparenthesis, and not taken up again and completed till Est 1:5. On the use of ויהי in historical narratives at the beginning of relations having,as in the present instance and Rth 1:1, no reference to a precedingnarrative, see the remark on Jos 1:1. Even when no express reference toany preceding occurrence takes place, the historian still puts what he hasto relate in connection with other historical occurrences by an "and it cameto pass."Ahashverosh is, as has already been remarked on Ezra 4,Xerxes, the son of Darius Hystaspis. Not only does the name אחשׁורושׁ point to the Old-Persian name Ks'ayars'a (with א prosthetic), but the statements also concerning the extent of thekingdom (Est 1:1; Est 10:1), the manners and customs of the country andcourt, the capricious and tyrannical character of Ahashverosh, and thehistorical allusions are suitable only and completely to Xerxes, so that,after the discussions of Justi in Eichhorn's Repert . xv. pp. 3-38, andBaumgarten, de fide , etc., pp. 122-151, no further doubt on the subject canexist. As an historical background to the occurrences to be delineated, the wideextent of the kingdom ruled by the monarch just named is next described:"He is that Ahashverosh who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127provinces." מדינה ... שׁבע is not an accusativedependent on מלך , he ruled 127 provinces, for מלך ,to reign, is construed with על or בּ , but is annexed in the form of afree apposition to the statement: "from India to Cush;"as also in Est 8:9. הדּוּ is in the Old-Persian cuneiform inscriptions, Hidhu; inZend, Hendu; in Sanscrit, Sindhu, i.e., dwellers on the Indus, for Sindhumeans in Sanscrit the river Indus; comp. Roediger in Gesenius, Thes . Append. p. 83, and Lassen, Indische Alterthumsk . i. p. 2. כּוּשׁ isEthiopia. This was the extent of the Persian empire under Xerxes. Mardonius in Herod. 7:9 names not only the Sakers and Assyrians, butalso the Indians and Ethiopians as nations subject to Xerxes. Comp. alsoHerod. 7:97, 98, and 8:65, 69, where the Ethiopians and Indians arereckoned among the races who paid tribute to the Persian king and foughtin the army of Xerxes. The 127 מדינות , provinces, aregovernmental districts, presided over, according to Est 8:9, by satraps,pechahs, and rulers. This statement recalls that made in Dan 6:2, that Darius the Mede set overhis kingdom 120 satraps. We have already shown in our remarks on Dan 6:2 that this form of administration is not in opposition to the statementof Herod. iii. 89f., that Darius Hystaspis divided the kingdom for thepurpose of taxation into twenty ἀρχαί which were called σατραπηΐ́αι . The satrapies into which Darius divided the kingdom generallycomprised several provinces. The first satrapy, e.g., included Mysia andLydia, together with the southern part of Phrygia; the fourth, Syria andPhoenicia, with the island of Cyprus. The Jewish historians, on the otherhand, designate a small portion of this fourth satrapy, viz., the regionoccupied by the Jewish community (Judah and Benjamin, with their chiefcity Jerusalem), as מדינה , Ezr 2:1; Neh 1:3; Neh 7:6; Neh 11:3. Consequently the satrapies of Darius mentioned in Herodotus differ fromthe medinoth of Dan 6:2, and Est 1:1; Est 8:9. The 127 medinoth are a divisionof the kingdom into geographical regions, according to the races inhabitingthe different provinces; the list of satrapies in Herodotus, on the contrary,is a classification of the nations and provinces subject to the empire,determined by the tribute imposed on them.

Est 1:2

The words: in those days, take up the chronological statement ofEst 1:1, and add thereto the new particular: when King Ahashverosh sat onthe throne of his kingdom in the citadel of Susa. שׁבת does notinvolve the notion of quiet and peaceable possession after the terminationof wars (Clericus, Rambach), but that of being seated on the throne withroyal authority. Thus the Persian kings are always represented upon araised seat or throne, even on journeys and in battle. According to Herod. vii. 102, Xerxes watched the battle of Thermopylae sitting upon histhrone. And Plutarch ( Themistocl . c. 13) says the same of the battle ofSalamis. Further examples are given by Baumg. l.c. p. 85f. On the citadelof Susa, see Neh 1:1, and remarks on Dan 8:2.

Est 1:3

"In the third year of his reign he made a feast to all his princes andhis servants, when the forces of Persia and Media, the nobles and princesof the provinces, were before him." משׁתּה עשׂה , tomake, to prepare, i.e., to give, a feast; comp. Gen 21:8. The princes andthe servants are, all who were assembled about him in Susa. These arespecified in the words which follow as חיל פ . We might supply ל before חיל from the preceding words, (viz.) the forces, etc.; butthis would not suit the לפניו at the end of the verse. For thisword shows that an independent circumstantial clause begins with חיל , which is added to call attention to the great number of princes andservants assembled at Susa (Bertheau): the forces of Persia ... were beforehim: when they were before him. By חיל , the host, the forces,Bertheau thinks the body-guard of the king, which, according to Herod. vii. 40, consisted of 2000 selected horsemen, 2000 lancers, and 10,000infantry, is intended. There is, however, no adequate reason for limiting חיל to thebody-guard. It cannot, indeed, be supposed that the whole military powerof Persia and Media was with the king at Susa; but חיՀœ without כּל can only signify an élite of the army, perhaps the captains andleaders as representing it, just as "the people"is frequently used for "therepresentatives of the people."The Persians and Medes are always namedtogether as the two kindred races of the ruling nation. See Dan 6:9, who,however, as writing in the reign of Darius the Mede, places the Medesfirst and the Persians second, while the contrary order is observed herewhen the supremacy had been transferred to the Persians by Cyrus. Onthe form פּרס , see rem. on Ezr 1:1. After the mention of theforces, the Partemim , i.e., nobles, magnates (see on Dan 1:3), and theprinces of the provinces are named as the chief personages of the civilgovernment.

Est 1:4-6

"When he showed the glorious riches of his kingdom and theexcellent honour of his greatness many days, one hundred and eightydays."This verse has been understood by most expositors as stating thatthe king magnificently and splendidly entertained all the grandeesmentioned in Est 1:3 for a full half-year, and gave them a banquet which lasted180 days. Clericus supposes proceedings to have been so arranged, thatthe proceres omnium provinciarum were not entertained at one and thesame time, but alii post alios , because all could not be absent together per sex menses a suis provinciis . Bertheau, however, thinks that the historiandid not purpose to give an exact and graphic description of the proceeding,but only to excite astonishment, and that they who are astonished will notinquire as to the manner in which all took place. The text, however, doesnot say, that the feast lasted 180 days, and hence offers no occasion forsuch a view, which is founded on a mistaken comprehension of Est 1:4, whichcombines וגו בּהראתו with משׁתּה עשׂה ofEst 1:3, while the whole of Est 1:4 is but a further amplification of thecircumstantial clause: when the forces, etc., were before him; thedescription of the banquet not following till Est 1:5, where, however, it isjoined to the concluding words of Est 1:4 : "when these (180) days were full,the king made a feast to all the people that were found in the citadel ofSusa, from great to small, seven days, in the court of the garden of theking's house."This verse is thus explained by Bertheau: after the soldiers, nobles, andprinces of the district had been entertained for six months, all the maleinhabitants of Susa were also entertained in a precinct of the palace garden,the women being feasted by Vashti the queen in the palace (Est 1:9), It is,however, obvious, even from Est 1:11, which says that on the seventh day ofthis banquet the king commanded the queen to appear "to show the peopleand the princes her beauty,"that such a view of the occurrence isinadmissible. For this command presupposes, that the people and princeswere assembled at the king's banquet; while, according to the view ofBertheau and older expositors, who insist on two banquets, one lasting180 days, the other seven, the latter was given to the male inhabitants ofSusa only. The princes and people of the whole kingdom did not,however, dwell in Susa. These princes and people, to whom the queen wasto show her beauty, are undoubtedly the princes and servants of the king,the forces of Persia and Media, and the nobles and princes of theprovinces enumerated in Est 1:3. With this agrees also the description of the guests invited to the sevendays feast. בּשׁוּשׁן הנּמצאים כּל־העם does not signify "all theinhabitants of Susa,"but all then present, i.e., then assembled in the citadelof Susa. הנּמצאים used of persons means, those who for somepurpose are found or present in any place, in distinction from its usualinhabitants; comp. 1Ch 29:17; 2Ch 34:32; Ezr 8:25; and העם does not here signify people in the sense of population, but peoplewho are met in a certain place, and is used both here and Neh 12:38 of anassembly of nobles and princes. קטן ועד למגּדול , moreover, does not mean old and young, but high and low, thegreater and lesser servants ( עבדים ) of the king, and informs us that ofthose assembled at Susa, both princes and servants participated withoutexception in the banquet.

This view of Est 1:3-5 is confirmed by the consideration, that if the seven daysbanquet were a different one from that mentioned in Est 1:3, there could be noreason for naming the latter, which would then be not only entirelyunconnected with the narrative, but for which no object at all would bestated; for בּהראתו cannot be translated, as in the Vulgate, by utostenderet , because, as Bertheau justly remarks, ב cannot indicate apurpose. From all these reasons it is obvious, that the feast of whichfurther particulars are given in Est 1:5-8 is the same משׁתּה which theking, according to Est 1:3, gave to his שׂרים and עבדים , and thatthe text, rightly understood, says nothing of two consecutive banquets. The sense of Est 1:3-5 is accordingly as follows: King Ahasuerus gave to hisnobles and princes, when he had assembled them before him, and showedthem the glorious riches of his kingdom and the magnificence of hisgreatness for 180 days, after these 180 days, to all assembled before him inthe fortress of Susa, a banquet which lasted seven days. The connection of the more particular description of this banquet, bymeans of the words: when these (the previously named 180) days wereover, following upon the accessory clause, Est 1:4, is anacoluthistic, and theanacoluthon has given rise to the misconception, by which Est 1:5 isunderstood to speak of a second banquet differing from the משׁתּה of Est 1:3. The purpose for which the king assembled the grandees ofhis kingdom around him in Susa fore a whole half-year is not stated,because this has no connection with the special design of the present book. If, however, we compare the statement of Herod. vii. 8, that Xerxes, afterthe re-subjection of Egypt, summoned the chief men of his kingdom toSusa to take counsel with them concerning the campaign against Greece, itis obvious, that the assembly for 180 days in Susa, of the princes andnobles mentioned in the book of Esther, took place for the purpose ofsuch consultation. When, too, we compare the statement of Herod. vii. 20, that Xerxes wasfour years preparing for this war, we receive also a corroboration of theparticular mentioned in Est 1:3, that he assembled his princes and nobles inthe third year of his reign. In this view "the riches of his kingdom,"etc.,mentioned in Est 1:4, must not be understood of the splendour andmagnificence displayed in the entertainment of his guests, but referred tothe greatness and resources of the realm, which Xerxes descanted on to hisassembled magnates for the purpose of showing them the possibility ofcarrying into execution his contemplated campaign against Greece. Thebanquet given them after the 180 days of consultation, was held in thecourt of the garden of the royal palace. בּיתן is a later form of בּית , which occurs only here and Est 7:7-8. חצר ,court, is the space in the park of the royal castle which was prepared forthe banquet. The fittings and furniture of this place are described in Est 1:6. "White stuff,variegated and purple hangings, fastened with cords of byssus and purpleto silver rings and marble pillars; couches of gold and silver upon apavement of malachite and marble, mother-of-pearl and tortoise-shell."The description consists of mere allusions to, or exclamations at, thesplendour of the preparations. In the first half of the verse the hangings ofthe room, in the second, the couches for the guests, are noticed. חוּר from חור means a white tissue of either linen or cotton. Bertheau supposes that the somewhat larger form of ch is intended todenote, even by the size of letter employed, the commencement of thedescription. כּרפּס , occurring in Sanscrit, Persian, Armenian, andArabic, in Greek κάρπασος , means originally cotton, in Greek, according tolater authorities, a kind of fine flax, here undoubtedly a cotton texture ofvarious colours. תּכלת , deep blue, purple. The hangings of the space set apart were of these materials. Blue andwhite were, according to Curtius Est 6:6, Est 6:4, the royal colours of thePersians; comp. M. Duncker, Gesch. des Alterthums , ii. pp. 891 and 951of the third edition, in which is described also the royal table, p. 952. Thehangings were fastened ( אחוּז ) with cords of white byssus andpurple to rings and pillars of white marble. מטּות , couches(divans) of gold and silver, i.e., covered with cloth woven of gold and silverthread, were prepared for the guests at the feast. These couches wereplaced upon a tesselated, mosaic-like floor; the tesselation being composedof stones of various colours. בּהט , in Arabic a mock stone, inlxx σμαραγδίτης , a spurious emerald, i.e., a green-coloured stoneresembling the emerald, probably malachite or serpentine. שׁשׁ iswhite marble; דּר , Arabic darrun , darratun , pearl, lxx πίννινος λίθος , a pearl-like stone, perhaps mother-of-pearl. סחרת , a kind ofdark-coloured stone (from סחר = שׁחר , to be dark), black,black marble with shield-like spots (all three words occur only here).

Est 1:7-8

The entertainment: "And drinks poured into vessels of gold!and vessels differing from vessels, and royal wine in abundance, accordingto the hand of a king. (Est 1:8) And the drinking was according to law; ninedid compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house todo according to every one's pleasure." השׁקות , inf. Hiph., to giveto drink, to hand drinks, is used substantively. The golden drinking vesselswere of various kinds, and each differing in form from another. Greatvariety in drinking vessels pertained to the luxury of Persians; comp. Xenoph. Cyrop . viii. 8, 18. מלכוּת יין is wine fromthe royal cellar, therefore costly wine. Many interpreters understand it ofthe Chalybonian wine, which the Persian kings used to drink. See rem. onEze 27:18. המּלך כּיד , according to the hand of theking, i.e., according to royal bounty; comp. 1Ki 10:13. The words: "the drinking was according to law, none did compel,"aregenerally understood to say, that the king abolished for this banquet, theprevailing custom of pledging his guests. According to Grecian information(see Baumgarten, p. 12f.), an exceedingly large quantity of wine was drunkat Persian banquets. This sense of the words is not, however, quite certain. The argument of Baumgarten, Si hic mos vulgaris fuisset in epulis regiis, sine dubio haec omnia non commemorata essent , no more holds good thanhis further remark: formulam illam אנס אין כּדּת non puto adhibitam fuisse, nisi jam altera contraria אנס כּדּת solemnis esset facta . The historian can have noticed thisonly because it was different from the Jewish custom. Bertheau also justlyremarks: "We are not told in the present passage, that the king, on thisoccasion, exceptionally permitted moderation, especially to such of hisguests as were, according to their ancestral customs, addicted tomoderation, and who would else have been compelled to drinkimmoderately. For the words with which this verse concludes, which theyimply also a permission to each to drink as little as he chose, are speciallyintended to allow every one to take much. על יסּד , toappoint concerning, i.e., to enjoin, comp. 1Ch 9:22. בּית רב , those over the house, i.e., the court officials.

Vashti the queen also gave a banquet to the women in the royal house(palace) which belonged to King Ahashverosh, probably in the royalapartments of the palace, which were placed at her disposal for this greatfeast to be given to the women. The name Vashti may be compared withthe Old-Persian vahista , i.e., optimus . In Persian šty , means a beautifulwoman. This statement serves as an introduction to the scene whichfollows. Est 1:10 and Est 1:11. On the seventh, i.e., the last day of the banquet,when the king's heart was merry with wine, he commanded his sevenchamberlains to bring Vashti the queen before him, with the royal crown,to show here beauty to the people and princes. וגו לב כּטוב , when the heart of the king was merry through wine, i.e., when thewine had made him merry, comp. 2Sa 13:28; Jdg 16:25. It was theoffice of the seven eunuchs who served before the king ( את־פּני משׁרת like 1Sa 2:18) to be the means of communication betweenhim and the women, and to deliver to them messages on the part of themonarch. Their number, seven, was connected with that of theAmshaspands; see rem. on Est 1:14. The attempts made to explain theirseveral names are without adequate foundation; nor would much be gainedthereby, the names being of no significance with respect to the matter inquestion. In the lxx the names vary to some extent. The queen was toappear with the crown on her head ( כּתר , κίδαρις or κίταρις , a highturban terminating in a point), and, as is self-evident, otherwise royallyapparelled. The queen was accustomed on ordinary occasions to take hermeals at the king's table; comp. Herod. ix. 110. There is, however, anabsence of historical proof, that she was present at great banquets. Thenotice quoted from Lucian in Brissonius, de regio Pers. princ. i. c. 103, isnot sufficient for the purpose.

The queen refused to appear at the king's command as delivered by theeunuchs, because she did not choose to stake her dignity as a queen and awife before his inebriated guests. The audacity of Persians in such acondition is evident from the history related Herod. Est 1:18.

The king, greatly incensed at this disobedience to his behest, inquired ofhis wise men what was to be done to Queen Vashti according to law. These wise men are Est 1:13 designated as those "who knew the times,"i.e.,astrologers and magi, who give counsel according to celestial phenomena;comp. the wise men of Babylon, Dan 2:27; Dan 5:15; Isa 44:25; Isa 47:13; Jer 50:35. Of these he inquires, "for thus was the business of the kingconducted before all that knew law and judgment." דּבר heredoes not signify word or speech, but matter, business; and the meaning ofthis parenthetical sentence is, that in every matter, the king, beforedeciding, applied to those who were skilled in law and judgment to heartheir opinions concerning it. With this is joined a second explanatoryparenthetical sentence, Est 1:14 : "And those next him were Carshena, etc., theseven princes of the Persians and Medes, who behold the king'scountenance, who hold the first seat in his kingdom." אליו הקּרב is indefinite, and may be understood as expressing theplural. It is perhaps questionable how this clause should be combined with whatprecedes, whether with ודין דּת כּל־ידעי , before all that knewlaw and judgment and those next him, or with לחכמים , Est 1:13 :he spoke to the wise men ... and those next him. In any case the sense is,that the seven princes of the Persians and Medes were also numberedeither among the wise men who knew the times, or those who were skilledin the law. These seven princes are the seven king's counsellors of Ezr 7:14, and by their number of seven form a counterpart to the sevenAmshaspands. They who see the face of the king, i.e., are allowed directintercourse with him. Herod. iii. 84 relates of the seven princes whoconspired the overthrow of the pretended Smerdis, that they resolved, thatit should be permitted them to present themselves unannounced before thefuture king. Hence many expositors identify these seven princes with theauthorities called the seven counsellors, but without sufficient grounds. The number seven frequently recurs, - comp. the seven eunuchs, Est 1:5, theseven maidens who waited on Est 2:9, - and refers in the present case to theseven Amshaspands, in others to the days of the week, or the sevenplanets. ראשׁנה היּשׁבים , who sit first, i.e., in thehighest place, i.e., constitute the highest authority in the realm. What theking said (Est 1:13) does not follow till Est 1:15 : "According to law, what is to bedone to Queen Vashti, because she has not done the word of the king,"i.e.,not obeyed his command by the eunuchs? כּדת , according to law,legally, is placed first because it is intended emphatically to assert that theproceeding is to be in conformity with the law. עשׂה with בּ , toinflict something on any one.

The counsel of the wise men. Est 1:16. Memucan, who was the lastmentioned in Est 1:14, comes forward as spokesman for the rest, and declaresbefore the king and the princes, i.e., in a solemn assembly, and evidently asthe result of a previous joint consultation: Vashti the queen has not donewrong to the king alone, but also to all the princes and all the people,because the example of the queen will lead all the Median and Persianwives to despise their husbands. Therefore an irrevocable edict is to bepublished decreeing the divorce of Queen Vashti, and this law publishedthroughout the whole realm, that all wives may show honour to theirhusbands. Vashti has not transgressed against the king alone (Est 1:16), butagainst all the princes and people in all the provinces of King Ahashverosh(Est 1:16). In what respect, then, is the latter assertion true? We are told Est 1:17 and Est 1:18. "For the deed of the queen will come abroad to ( על for אל ) all women, to bring their husbands into contempt in their eyes(the infin . להבזות stating the result), while they will say,"etc. (the suffix of בּאמרם relates to the women, who will appeal tothe disobedience of the queen). Est 1:18. "And this day (i.e., already) the princesses of the Persians andMedians, who hear of the act of the queen ( דּבר , not the word,but the thing, i.e., her rejection of her husband's command), will tell it to allthe princes of the king, and (there will be) enough contempt andprovocation. קצף is an outburst of anger; here, therefore, aprovocation to wrath. Bertheau makes the words זק בז וּכדי theobject of תּאמרנה , which, after the long parenthesis, is united tothe copula by w, and for, "to speak contempt and wrath,"reads: to speakcontemptuously in wrath. But this change cannot be substantiated. Theexpression, to speak wrath, is indeed unexampled, but that is no reason formaking קצף stand for בּקצף , the very adoption of such anellipsis showing, that this explanation is inadmissible. The words must betaken alone, as an independent clause, which may be readily completed by יהיה : and contempt and wrath will be according to abundance. כּדי is a litotes for: more than enough. The object of תּאמרנה must be supplied from the context: it - that is, what the queen saidto her husband. In the former verse Memucan was speaking of all women;here (Est 1:18) he speaks only of the princesses of the Persians and Medes,because these are staying in the neighbourhood of the court, and willimmediately hear of the matter, and "after the manner of the court ladiesand associates of a queen will quickly follow, and appeal to her example"(Berth.).

That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give herroyal estate unto another that is better than she. After this argument on the queen's conduct, follows the proposal: "If itplease the king ( על טּוב like Neh 2:5), let there go fromhim a word of the kingdom (i.e., a royal edict), and let it be written(entered) in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, and not pass away,that Vashti come no more before King Ahashverosh; and let the king giveher queenship (her royal rank) to another who is better than she."An edictissued by the king, entered among the laws of the Persians and Medes, andsealed with the royal signet (Est 8:8), does not pass away, i.e., remains inforce, is irrevocable (comp. Dan 6:9). The counsellors press for the issueof such an edict, for the purpose of making it impossible to the king totake Vashti again into favour, lest they should experience her vengeance onthe restoration of her influence. רעוּתהּ , her companion, is anyother woman, Vashti being here regarded merely as a woman. הטּובה includes both beauty and good behaviour (Berth.). By this means,add the counsellors in Est 1:20, all the ill effects of Vashti's contumacy will beobviated. "And when the king's decree, which he shall make, is heard in hiswhole kingdom, for it is great, all wives shall give honour to theirhusbands, from great to small." פּתגּן is according to the Keri tobe pointed as the constructive state, פּתגּם . The expression עשׂה פּתגּן is explained by the circumstance, that פתגם signifies not only edict, decree, but also thing (see on Dan 3:16): to do athing. In the present verse also it might be so understood: when the thingis heard which the king will do in his whole kingdom. The parentheticalclause, for it is great, is intended to flatter the king's vanity, and induce aninclination to agree to the proposal. "From great to small"signifies highand low, old and young.

The saying pleased the king and the princes, and the king carried it intoexecution. He sent letters into all his provinces to make known hiscommands, and to let all husbands know, that they were to bear rule intheir own houses. "In every province according to its writing, and to everypeople according to their speech"(comp. Est 8:9), that his will might beclearly understood by all the subjects of his wide domain, who spokedifferent languages and used different alphabetical characters. The contentsof these letters follow in וגו להיות , that every man should bemaster in his own house. These words state only the chief matter andobject of the edict; but they presuppose that the fact which gave rise tothe decree, viz., the refusal of Vashti, and her consequent deposition, werealso mentioned. The last words: "and that he shall speak according to thelanguage of his people,"are obscure. Older expositors understand them to mean, that every man was to speakonly his native language in his house, so that in case he had a foreign wife,or several who spoke other languages, they might be obliged to learn hislanguage, and to use that alone. Bertheau, on the other hand, objects thatsuch a sense is but imported into the words, and in no wise harmonizeswith the context. Both these assertions are, however, unfounded. In thewords, the man shall speak according to the language of his people, i.e., heshall speak his native tongue in his house, it is implied that no otherlanguage was to be used in the house, and the application of this law toforeign wives is obvious from the context. The rule of the husband in thehouse was to be shown by the fact, that only the native tongue of the headof the house was to be used in the family. Thus in a Jewish family theAshdodite or any other language of the wife's native land could not havebeen used, as we find to have been the case in Judaea (Neh 13:23). All other explanations are untenable, as has been already shown byBaumgarten, p. 20; and the conjecture set up after Hitzig by Bertheau, thatinstead of עמּו כּלשׁון we should read עמּו כּל־שׁוה , every one shall speak what becomes him, gives not only a trivial,and not at all an appropriate thought, but is refuted even by the fact thatnot עם שׁוה , but only ל שׁוה (comp. Est 3:8) could bear the meaning: to be becoming to any one. Such a commandmay, indeed, appear strange to us; but the additional particular, that everyman was to speak his native tongue, and to have it alone spoken, in hisown house, is not so strange as the fact itself that an edict should be issuedcommanding that the husband should be master in the house, especially inthe East, where the wife is so accustomed to regard the husband as lordand master. Xerxes was, however, the author of many strange facts besidesthis.

A. Vashti Deposed ch. 1

This chapter records the providential circumstances whereby Esther was able to rise to her influential position with the Persian king.

"Though no mention is made of God's providence, it nevertheless plays a prominent part, and may even give the book its raison d'etre."²⁰

Joyce Baldwin concluded that the writer composed the book in a chiastic structure that focuses on the providence of God in the king's sleepless night.²¹

A Opening and background (ch. 1)

B The king's first decree (chs. 2-3)

C The clash between Haman and Mordecai (chs. 4-5)

D "On the night the king could not sleep" (6:1)

C' Mordecai's triumph over Haman (chs. 6-7)

B' The king's second decree (chs. 8-9)

A' Epilogue (ch. 10)

1. The king's feast 1:1-9

Ahasuerus is the Hebrew name of the Persian king, Khshayarsha, whom we know better in ancient history by his Greek name, Xerxes.²² He reigned over the Persian Empire from 486 to 464 B.C. and was the son of Darius I (521-486 B.C.). His vizier, Artabanus, assassinated him.

Xerxes is famous in secular history for two things: his defeat at the hands of the Greeks, and his building of the royal Persian palace at Persepolis. In 481 B.C. he took about 200,000 soldiers and hundreds of ships to Greece to avenge his father Darius' defeat at the battle of Marathon (490 B.C.). However, he suffered defeat in a three-fold manner. His soldiers lost the battle of Thermopylae to the Spartans, his army also lost at the battle of Plataea, and the Greeks destroyed his navy in the battle of Salamis.

The writer mentioned the vast area Xerxes controlled (cf. Esth. 8:9; 10:1). Perhaps he did this to avoid confusion with another Ahasuerus (Dan. 9:1) whose son, Darius the Mede, governed the Babylonian provinces under Cyrus the Great from 539 to about 525 B.C. "India" refers to the territory that is now West Pakistan. "Cush" was the upper (southern) Nile region including southern Egypt, the Sudan, and northern Ethiopia.

The 127 "provinces" (Heb. medina) were governmental units of the empire. These were political subdivisions of the satrapies (cf. 3:12).²³

"Susa" (v. 2) is the Greek name for the Hebrew "Shushan." It was a winter capital and had formerly been the capital of the kingdom of Elam. Susa was the name of both the capital city and the royal fortress that occupied a separate part of the city.²⁴ Other Persian capitals were Ecbatana (200 miles north of Susa; modern Hamadan; Ezra 6:2), Babylon (200 miles west; Ezra 6:1), Pasargadae, and Persepolis (both 300 miles southeast).²⁵ Persepolis was Xerxes' main residence.²⁶ A generation after the events the writer described in the Book of Esther, Nehemiah served as cupbearer to Artaxerxes, Xerxes' son (cf. Neh. 1:1-2:1).

The Hebrew word translated "capital" (NASB) or "citadel" (NIV; habirah) refers to an acropolis or fortified area that stood 72 feet above the rest of the city. A wall two and one-half miles long surrounded it.²⁷

The third year of Ahasuerus' (Xerxes') reign was evidently 482 B.C. For 180 days (six months) he entertained his guests (v. 4). This was evidently the military planning session that Ahasuerus conducted to prepare for his campaign against the Greeks. The Greek historian Herodotus referred to this meeting and said it took Ahasuerus four years (484-481 B.C.) to prepare for his Greek campaign.²⁸

"While labourers received barely enough to live on, even though they were producing works of art that are still unsurpassed, life at court was extravagant beyond imagining. The more lavish the king's hospitality, the greater his claim to supremacy."²⁹

White and violet (blue, v. 6) were the royal colors of Persia.³⁰

2. The queen's dismissal 1:10-22

The Persian kings castrated many of the men who served the king and his family (v. 10) so they could not have sexual relations with the female members of the royal court and start dynasties of their own.

"Vashti" ("best," "the beloved," or "the desired one," v. 11) was evidently the Persian name of the queen whom Herodotus referred to as Amestris (her Greek name).³¹

It is not possible to determine why Vashti refused to obey the king's summons (v. 12).

"The Rabbis added midrashic embellishments to the story of Vashti, holding that her refusal was the king's order that she appear naked before his guests. . . . According to the Talmud the queen refused to come because Gabriel had smitten her with leprosy."³²

The important point for the writer was that she did not appear, not why she did not.

The counsel of seven (vv. 13-14) continued in existence for at least 25 years after this event (cf. Ezra 7:14). These men were cabinet-level officials in the government.

The king's advisers feared that Vashti's rebellion would lead to a popular women's liberation movement and to a revolution among the aristocratic wives particularly (vv. 17-18).

There is extra-biblical evidence that no one could revoke Persian laws once they were official (v. 19; cf. 8:8; Dan. 6:8).³³

Herodotus (ca. 484-426 B.C.) travelled in western Persia shortly after Ahasuerus' reign. He wrote the following concerning the Persian postal service to which the writer of Esther alluded several times (v. 22; cf. 8:10).

"Nothing mortal travels so fast as these Persian messengers. The entire plan is a Persian invention; and this is the method of it. Along the whole line of road there are men (they say) stationed with horses, in number equal to the number of days which the journey takes, allowing a man and horse to each day; and these men will not be hindered from accomplishing at their best speed the distance which they have to go, either by snow or rain, or heat, or by the darkness of night. The first rider delivers his dispatch to the second, and the second passes it to the third; and so it is born from hand to hand along the whole line."³⁴

The last phrase of verse 22 evidently means that the husband's authority in the home was evident by the fact that his family spoke only his native language.³⁵ The Persian Empire encompassed many different language groups.

"When a marriage took place between people of different ethnic backgrounds, the mother's language would normally prevail in the home and tend to become the language of the children [cf. Neh. 13:23-24]."³⁶

The first chapter, even the whole book, is highly satirical of the Persian nobility and empire.

"It is indeed a derisive eye that our narrator has cast upon the royal court he describes: A king who rules the whole known world spends his time giving lavish banquets! . . .

"From the satirical depiction of the grandiose and lavishly excessive lifestyle of the Persian court, our narrator turns to undisguised farce: the king who rules the whole world cannot bend his own wife to his will! . . .

"But its [the first chapter's] mockery has also a sinister side. It reveals a society fraught with danger, for it is ruled by the pride and pomposity of buffoons whose tender egos can marshal the state's legislative and administrative machinery for the furtherance of selfish and childish causes. Indeed, in such a setting, it will not seem incongruous to find this same machinery of state mobilized to effect the slaughter of one of its own minorities, or to find that this is an end that the king can both blissfully contemplate and cavalierly condone."³⁷

Esther 1 - A Queen Is Deposed

Esther is the last of the historical books of the Bible, so its main character is named Esther - that is, Venus, the morning star, which sheds its light after all the others stars have ceased to shine, and while the sun still delays to rise. Thus the deeds of Queen Esther cast a ray of light forward into Israel's history from a dark time.

A. King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) holds a big feast.

1. (1-2) King Ahasuerus and his domain.

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia), in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the citadel,

a. It came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus: This king Ahasuerus is well known to history, though more commonly under the name Xerxes. He inherited the vast Persian Empire from his father, Darius I (who is mentioned in passages such as Ezra 4:24, 5:5-7, 6:1-15; Daniel 6:1 and 6:25; Haggai 1:15 and 2:10).

i. The fact of the existence of this king and circumstance is extremely well attested; archaeologists have discovered the ruins of the very palace where these events happened.

b. In those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom: At this time (approximately 483 B.C.), Ahasuerus was planning for a doomed invasion of Greece, which would take place several years later. At this time the city of Athens was in its classical glory and in Greece they were celebrating the 79 ^th Olympic games.

i. At this time, the Persian Empire was the largest the world had ever seen. It covered what we call today Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel; and also parts of modern day Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and Arabia.

ii. Also at this time Ezra had returned to Jerusalem after it had been conquered by the Babylonians. The temple had been rebuilt some 30 years before, although more simply and withouth the glory of Solomon's temple.

iii. In 40 years, under the successor of Ahasuerus (Artaxerxes I), Nehemiah would return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the previously conquered city.

2. (3-9) Three royal feasts.

That in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants; the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him; when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all. And when these days were completed, the king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in Shushan the citadel, from great to small, in the court of the garden of the king's palace. There were white and blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars; and the couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black marble. And they served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being different from the other, with royal wine in abundance, according to the generosity of the king. In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they should do according to each man's pleasure. Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.

a. He made a feast for all his officials and servants: The first feast was for all the government officials, where Ahasuerus showed off the glory and splendor of the riches of his kingdom. This feast lasted for 180 days.

b. The king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in Shushan the citadel: The second feast was for the citizens of the capital city, Sushan and it lasted for seven days.

i. The basic reason for these feasts was, of course, pride. The king wanted to impress his subjects with a great display of his own wealth and power and majesty and generosity. This is typical of the way that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them (Matthew 20:25). There is little doubt that Ahasuerus paid for this feast out of the public treasury.

c. There were white and blue linen curtains: In the ancient Hebrew, the white material is literally described as "white stuff." This may be evidence that Esther was written with a man's eye for decorating detail, not a woman's.

d. In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory: Among some of the ancients, each guest was obliged to have a drink with the current round, or else leave the party. At this second feast, the king command that each man could drink as he pleased.

e. Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women: The third feast was for the women in the royal palace, and was conducted by the wife of king Ahasuerus, Queen Vashti.

B. Queen Vashti is deposed.

1. (10-11) King Ahasuerus demands that Vashti display her beauty before the guests at the feast.

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold.

a. When the heart of the king was merry with wine: The clear implication is that Ahasuerus was drunk.

b. To bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown: According to Jewish tradition, this request came from an argument among the men at the feast as to which country had the most beautiful women. Ahasuerus decided to settle the issue by putting his wife the queen on public display.

c. For she was beautiful to behold: It is not specifically said, but the implication is that Vashti was expected to display herself in an immodest way.

2. (12) Queen Vashti refuses to appear before the drunken guests of the feast.

But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.

a. But Queen Vashti refused to come: Though Vashti was by no means a follower of the true God, she had enough wisdom and modesty to know that this was something she should not do.

i. The Bible says that wives have a special responsibility to submit to their husbands (wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord; Ephesians 5:22). Yet it does not mean that a wife must obey her husband if he commands her to sin. Every command to submit on a human level is conditioned by the higher obligation to obey God before man.

ii. However, it is important for a Christian in such a situation to maintain a submissive and respectful attitude towards the one in authority. It is possible to disobey the command of another, but do so in a submissive manner. It is impossible to say if Queen Vashti had this attitude in this situation.

iii. Jewish traditions say that her refusal had nothing to do with modesty. These stories say that she was ready to appear before the banqueters completely unclothed, except that God smote her with leprosy just as she received the request (an obviously fanciful tradition).

b. Therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned: Queen Vashti was therefore in a very dangerous situation. It does not seem that she put herself in this situation, because it seems that she was not even at this banquet.

i. Sadly, many women today put themselves in dangerous places, especially where alcohol is involved, showing a severe lack of wisdom. Nevertheless, it certainly gives no justification to the sin of men against an unwise woman in such a situation.

ii. "What woman, possessing even a common share of prudence and modesty, could consent to expose herself to the view of such a group of drunken Bacchanalians? Her courage was equal to her modesty: she would resist the royal mandate, rather than violate the rules of chaste decorum. . . . Hail, noble woman! be thou a pattern to all thy sex on every similar occasion!" (Clarke)

3. (13-22) The banishment of Vashti.

Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times (for this was the king's manner toward all who knew law and justice, those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who had access to the king's presence, and who ranked highest in the kingdom): "What shall we do to Queen Vashti, according to law, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus brought to her by the eunuchs?" And Memucan answered before the king and the princes: "Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the princes, and all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For the queen's behavior will become known to all women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes, when they report, 'King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come.' This very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to all the king's officials that they have heard of the behavior of the queen. Thus there will be excessive contempt and wrath. If it pleases the king, let a royal decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will not be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. When the king's decree which he will make is proclaimed throughout all his empire (for it is great), all wives will honor their husbands, both great and small." And the reply pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan. Then he sent letters to all the king's provinces, to each province in its own script, and to every people in their own language, that each man should be master in his own house, and speak in the language of his own people.

a. That Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she: When King Ahasuerus heeded this advice from Memucan, he showed himself to be unreasonable and wrong. He should have honored the dignity of his Queen. Yet, history's profile of Ahasuerus shows him to be an unreasonable and foolish man in many cases.

i. On one occasion, Ahasuerus executed the builders of a bridge because an ocean storm destroyed it; then he commanded that the water and waves be whipped and chained to punish the sea.

b. That each man should be master in his own house: The purpose for the harsh treatment of Vashti was so that she would not set a bad example for the other women of Persia. Ahasuerus wanted to reinforce the idea of a man's leadership in the home.

i. They were afraid that because of Queen Vashti's example, wives would despise their husbands . . . that there would be excessive contempt and wrath; therefore they wanted to insure that each man should be master in his own house.

ii. The goal presented here was admirable, and speaks to the need within every man to sense respect and honor from his wife. Paul's instruction to wives was summed up like this: let the wife see that she respects her husband (Ephesians 5:33). A wife's respect is the most precious gift she can give her husband.

iii. However, the means used here to gain and preserve this respect were foolish. A man cannot demand or coerce respect from his wife - if it isn't freely given, then it isn't worth anything.

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission