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Esther Chapter
One
New King James Version
(NKJV)
Esther 1:1. Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus[a] (this was
the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces
from
India to Ethiopia)
YLT 1And it cometh to pass
in
the days of Ahasuerus -- he [is] Ahasuerus who is reigning from Hodu even unto
Cush
seven and twenty and a hundred provinces –
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 Daniel 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 Ezra 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
Esther 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 writersF14Targum & Jarchi in loc. Seder Olam
Rabba
c. 29. Zuta
p. 108. and so a very learned man
Nicolaus AbramF15Pharus
Vet. Test. l. 11. c. 12. p. 305. ; according to Bishop UsherF16Annal.
Vet. Test. p. 160. so Broughton
Works
p. 38
259
581.
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 MidrashF17Midrash
Esther
fol. 86. 2. . Dr. PrideauxF18Connection
&c. par. 1. B.
4. p. 252
&c. thinks Ahasuerus was Artaxerxes Longimanus
which is the
sense of JosephusF19Antiqu. l. 11. c. 6. sect. 1. and so Suidas in
voce εσθηρ.
and who is
thought by many to be the Artaxerxes in the foresaid books. CapellusF20Chronolog.
Sacr. p. 294. is of opinion
that Darius Ochus is meant
to which Bishop
Patrick inclines; but I rather think
with VitringaF21Hypotypos.
Hist. Sacr. p. 110. and othersF23Schichart. de Festo Purim. Rainold.
Praelect. 144. p. 231. Alsted. Chronolog. p. 126
181.
that Xerxes is the
Ahasuerus that was the husband of Esther here spoken of; so the Arabic writersF24In
Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 87. ; 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
Nehemiah 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. BroughtonF25Ut supra. (Broughton
Works
p. 38
259
581.) owns
that the name of Xerxes
in Greek
agrees with Achasuerus in Hebrew; and in Esther 10:1 his
name is Achashresh
which
with the Greeks
is Axeres or XerxesF26Vid.
Hiller. Arcan. Keri & Ketib
p. 87. & Onomastic. Sacr. p. 639. :
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 CyrusF1Herodot.
Thalia
sive
l. 3. c. 97.
and the Indians by Darius Hystaspis the father of
XerxesF2lb. Melpomene
sive
l. 4. c. 44. ; and both
with other
great nations
were retained in subjection to himF3lb. Polymnia
sive
l. 7. c. 9. ; and many of both
as well as of other nations
were with
him in his expedition into GreeceF4lb. c. 65
69
70. :
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
Daniel 6:1.
Esther 1:2. 2 in
those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom
which was
in Shushan[b] the
citadel
YLT 2in those days
at the
sitting of the king Ahasuerus on the throne of his kingdom
that [is] in
Shushan the palace
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 reignF5Herodot. ib. (Thalia
sive
l. 3.) c. 7.
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 Nehemiah 1:1
Daniel 8:2.
Esther 1:3. 3 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—
YLT 3in the third year of his
reign
he hath made a banquet to all his heads and his servants; of the force
of Persia and Media
the chiefs and heads of the provinces [are] before him
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 relatesF6lb.
(Herodot.) Calliope
sive
l. 9. c. 109. :
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 itF7Ib. l. 7. c. 8.
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
affairsF8lb. Clio
sive
l. 1. c. 133. .
Esther 1:4. 4 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.
YLT 4in his shewing the wealth
of the honour of his kingdom
and the glory of the beauty of his greatness
many days -- eighty and a hundred days.
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
Daniel 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 PersiansF9Pausan. Laconica
sive
l.
3. p. 165. :
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. FryeF11Travels
p. 348. apud Patrick in loc. says
this custom
of keeping an annual feast one hundred and eighty days still continues in
Persia. CheusF12In Martin. Sinic. Hist. l. 3. p. 78.
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 PersiansF13Prideaux's Connect.
par. 1. p. 197. .
Esther 1:5. 5 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.
YLT 5And at the fulness of these
days hath the king made to all the people who are found in Shushan the palace
from great even unto small
a banquet
seven days
in the court of the garden
of the house of the king –
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 MidrashF14Midrash Esther
fol. 94. 1.
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 ChoerilusF15Apud Joseph. contr. Apion. l. 1. c. 22. ; 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 talentsF16Ctesias & Dinon in Athenaei
Deipnosoph. l. 4. .
Esther 1:6. 6 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.
YLT 6white linen
white cotton
and blue
fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on rings of silver
and
pillars of marble
couches of gold
and of silver
on a pavement of smaragdus
and white marble
and mother-of-pearl
and black marble –
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. PausaniasF17Attica
sive
l. 1.
p. 48. 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 timesF18Plin. Nat. Hist.
l. 33. c. 11. Sueton. Vit. Caesar. c. 49. :
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 blackF19Universal History
vol. 5. p. 87. ; 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 TheophrastusF20Apud
Plin. l. 37. c. 5. speaks of as four cubits long
and three broad
which might be
laid in a pavement; the third is
by BochartF21Hierozoic. par. 2. l.
5. c. 8.
supposed to be the pearl; and in the TalmudF23T. Bab.
Megillah
fol. 12. 1. 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 LucianF24De Dea Syria. ascribes a
like property: nor need all this seem strange
since great was the luxury of
the eastern nations. PhilostratusF25Vit. Apollon. l. 2. c. 11.
speaks of a temple in India paved with pearls
and which he says all the
Barbarians use in their temples; particularly it is saidF26Aristot.
de Mundo
c. 6. Apuleius de Mundo.
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 PlinyF1Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 25. ; there was a
"lithostraton" in the second temple at Jerusalem
by us rendered the
pavement
John 19:13
perhaps
the same with the room Gazith
so called from its being laid with hewn stone.
AristeasF2De 70 Interpret. p. 32.
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
PlinyF3Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 25.) supposed.
Esther 1:7. 7 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.
YLT 7and the giving of drink in
vessels of gold
and the vessels [are] divers vessels
and the royal wine [is]
abundant
as a memorial of the king.
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 cupsF4Ctesias
in Athenaei Deipnosoph. l. 11. . 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
Ezra 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 StraboF5Geograph. l. 15. p. 505. relates
was Chalybonian wine
or wine of Helbon
as it is called
Ezekiel 27:18; see
Gill on Ezekiel 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 PersiaF6Universal
History
vol. 5. p. 85. .
Esther 1:8. 8 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.
YLT 8And the drinking [is]
according to law
none is pressing
for so hath the king appointed for every
chief one of his house
to do according to the pleasure of man and man.
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: someF6Vid. Drusium in loc. 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
XenophonF7Cyropaedia
l. 8. c. 51. 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 outF8Cicero. Tusculan. Quaest. l. 5. ; so the master of
a feast
at which Empedocles was
ordered either that he should drink
or the
wine be poured on his headF9Laert. in Vit. ejus
l. 8. p. 608. ; but
such force or compulsion Ahasuerus forbad: and thus with the Chinese now
they
force none to drink
but modestly invite themF11Semedo's History of
China
par. 1. c. 13. :
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.
Esther 1:9. 9 Queen
Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged
to King Ahasuerus.
YLT 9Also Vashti the queen hath
made a banquet for women
in the royal house that the king Ahasuerus hath.
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
festivalsF13Justin c Trogo
l. 41. c. 3.
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 XenophonF14Cyropaedia
l. 1. c. 23.
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.
Esther 1:10. 10 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
YLT 10On the seventh day
as the
heart of the king is glad with wine
he hath said to Mehuman
Biztha
Harbona
Bigtha
and Abagtha
Zethar
and Carcas
the seven eunuchs who are ministering
in the presence of the king Ahasuerus
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.
Esther 1:11. 11 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.
YLT 11to bring in Vashti the
queen before the king
with a royal crown
to shew the peoples and the heads
her beauty
for she [is] of good appearance
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.
Esther 1:12. 12 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.
YLT 12and the queen Vashti
refuseth to come in at the word of the king that [is] by the hand of the
eunuchs
and the king is very wroth
and his fury hath burned in him.
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 JosephusF15Antiqu. l. 11. c.
6. sect. 1. ; 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 JewsF16Targum in loc. Midrash Esther
fol. 90. 1. ; and besides
it was contrary to the law of the Persians
as not
only JosephusF17Antiqu. l. 11. c. 6. sect. 1.
but PlutarchF18In
Themistoele. 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 homeF19Macrob.
Saturnal. l. 7. c. 1. ; 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.
Esther 1:13. 13 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
YLT 13And the king saith to wise
men
knowing the times -- for so [is] the word of the king before all knowing law
and judgment
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
HerodotusF20Thalia
sive
l. 3. c. 14
31. so in Aelian. Var. Hist.
l. 1. c. 34. the king's judges.
Esther 1:14. 14 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):
YLT 14and he who is near unto him
[is] Carshena
Shethar
Admatha
Tarshish
Meres
Marsena
Memucan
seven heads
of Persia and Media seeing the face of the king
who are sitting first in the
kingdom –
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
Genesis 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
relatesF21lb. (Thalia
sive
l. 3.) c. 84
118. :
and which sat
the first in the kingdom;
next to the king
and were
assisting to him in the administration of government
see Ezra 7:14.
Esther 1:15. 15 “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?”
YLT 15`According to law
what --
to do with queen Vashti
because that she hath not done the saying of the king
Ahasuerus by the hand of the eunuchs?'
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 momentF23Clio
sive
l. 1. c. 133. ; yea
reckoned their counsels and decrees firmer than when
made when they were soberF24Strabo. Geograph. l. 15. p. 505. Alex.
ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 4. c. 11. & l. 5. c. 21. ; so the ancient GermansF25Tacitus
de Mor. German. c. 22. .
Esther 1:16. 16 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.
YLT 16And Memucan saith before
the king and the heads
`Not against the king by himself hath Vashti the queen
done perversely
but against all the heads
and against all the peoples that
[are] in all provinces of the king Ahasuerus;
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.
Esther 1:17. 17 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.’
YLT 17for go forth doth the word
of the queen unto all the women
to render their husbands contemptible in their
eyes
in their saying
The king Ahasuerus said to bring in Vashti the queen
before him
and she did not come;
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.
Esther 1:18. 18 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.
YLT 18yea
this day do princesses
of Persia and Media
who have heard the word of the queen
say [so] to all
heads of the king
even according to the sufficiency of contempt and wrath.
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.
Esther 1:19. 19 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.
YLT 19`If to the king [it be]
good
there goeth forth a royal word from before him
and it is written with
the laws of Persia and Media
and doth not pass away
that Vashti doth not come
in before the king Ahasuerus
and her royalty doth the king give to her
companion who [is] better than she;
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
Daniel 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"F26לרעותה "sodali
ejus"
Montanus; "sociae ejus"
Tigurine version
Drusius
Rambachius. ; 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 writingF1Tikkune Zohar
correct. 21. fol. 59. 2. .
Esther 1:20. 20 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.”
YLT 20and the sentence of the
king that he maketh hath been heard in all his kingdom -- for it [is] great --
and all the wives give honour to their husbands
from great even unto small.'
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
Esther 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.
Esther 1:21. 21 And
the reply pleased the king and the princes
and the king did according to the
word of Memucan.
YLT 21And the thing is good in
the eyes of the king
and of the princes
and the king doth according to the
word of Memucan
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.
Esther 1:22. 22 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.
YLT 22and sendeth letters unto
all provinces of the king
unto province and province according to its writing
and unto people and people according to its tongue
for every man being head in
his own house -- and speaking according to the language of his people.
For he sent
letters unto all the king's provinces
....
The one hundred and twenty
seven provinces
Esther 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 writingF2Vid. Castel. Lexic. Persic. col. 266. .
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Esther 1:1
Generally identified with Xerxes I (485–464 b.c.)
b.
Esther 1:2 Or Susa
and so throughout this book