Esther Chapter One
The King’s Wine Party and Banquets
1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel,
The author introduces us to Ahasuerus, the king of the sizable Persian kingdom. To emphasize the grandeur of that kingdom we are told that it spreads from India to Ethiopia (essentially modern-day northern Sudan to Pakistan). History records Xerxes (the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew name Ahasueris) reigned for 21 years (486-465 B.C.) The reference to 127 provinces is often a subject of debate since the historian Herodotus describes the kingdom being divided into only 20 regions with 20 satrapies[1] (Hebrew ‘ahašdarpan’,[2] a governor of a Persian region). However, it is believed that those regions were subdivided into provinces. For example, in the book of Ezra, Judah is referred to as being a province (Hebrew ‘mediynāh’,[3] a district or province whose boundaries are based on a political process within a nation’s border).
The author notes that the king was ruling from the royal throne in his citadel (palace) in the city of Susa. The palace would have been primarily occupied during winter through spring due to favorable weather at that time of year. The city of Susa was originally built by the Elamites (see Ezra 4:8-10; Nehemiah 1:1) and was later destroyed by an Assyrian invasion in 648-639 B.C.[4] Years later, Darius (the Great, 522-486 B.C., the first king named Darius, not to be confused with Darius the son of Xerxes, see Daniel 9:1), Xerxes’ father, rebuilt the city and constructed a fortified palace complex.
3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, 4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days.
After three years of being the king, Xerxes gave an enormous banquet for all of his officials and servants, one that lasted six months! His army of Persians and Medes, as well as all his nobles, princes, and governors were there. Xerxes used this multiple-day party to show off the wealth, splendor and majesty of his kingdom.
5 And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. 6 There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones.
At the end of the 180-day event, Xerxes offered an additional seven-day festival for all citizens that were in Susa regardless of rank or social status. It appears that no expense was spared for this celebration as expensive curtains, cords and other brightly colored decorations adorned the furnishings of the palace. To call this venue very ornate would be an understatement, as people could sit on couches of gold and silver and walk on roads paved with costly stones.
7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. 8 And drinking was according to this edict: “There is no compulsion.” For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. 9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus.
Wine was in great abundance during the feast. While drinking was not compulsory, there were no restrictions, as the king made it clear that everyone could have as much as they wanted. The author notes that each vessel was different, some believe that since each vessel was different that they must have exhausted their supply of wine glasses and were using any cup or container to serve the wine. We are then briefly introduced to Queen Vashti, who during the king’s feast week, is sponsoring a feast for the women of his palace.
Queen Vashti’s Refusal to be Displayed
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at.
On the seventh day when the king was apparently drunk with wine, he commanded his eunuchs Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas to bring his queen to him in order to show her off to the people as she was beautiful and pleasant to look at. The text does not explain why it required seven men to summon the queen.
12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.
The queen refused to appear before the king, which made him extremely angry. Being the ruler of what was likely the largest kingdom on earth and now being refused by his queen during a very public event was infuriating, the anger burned within him.
13 Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king’s procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, 14 the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom): 15 “According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?”
The king sought counsel from his wise men and princes that were with him. Even though Xerxes was the king, Persian law legally bound him, so he sought legal advice from those he trusted. These “wise men” (or perhaps members of the “Magi,” see Matthew 2:1-3) were well educated and had extensive knowledge of the law and religion. Some believe they were personally trained by the prophet Daniel who prepared them to look for and subsequently follow a star to the birthplace of the Messiah Jesus many years later.
The question given to these men was straightforward, what did the law say about disobedient queens?
16 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen’s behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s behavior will say the same to all the king’s officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty.
Apparently the law did not sufficiently address the disobedience of the queen, as Memucan, one of the princes, speaks out about how Vashti’s conduct will directly affect the king’s honor and perhaps his kingdom. He points out the queen’s behavior goes beyond disobeying the king, it will serve as an example for other women to disobey and possibly despise their husbands. They will say if the queen was unpunished for disobeying the king, then what is to stop them from refusing commands from their husbands? Memucan further notes that all of the noble women in Persia and Media who heard about this incident will now potentially despise and disobey the king’s officials too. Essentially saying that this insolence will spiral into chaos and eventually destroy the kingdom.
19 If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 20 So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike.”
Memucan then offers a solution to the king. He suggests that the king make a royal decree (so it can not be repealed or altered, an issue of Persian law that will later be a problem, see Esther chapter eight) stating that the queen will be replaced by someone better than her and that she will no longer be able to come into the king’s chambers. He notes that this law, when proclaimed throughout the kingdom, will neutralize any effect Vashti’s disobedience had and all the women of the kingdom will continue to honor their husbands.
21 This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. 22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people.
The king and the other princes were pleased with the Memucan’s idea. Since his kingdom was large and contained people that spoke several languages, the king’s edicts had to be presented to the public in each of those languages. This message also included a declaration that every man should be the master of his own house. The last half of verse 22, “speak according to the language of the people,” has been interpreted in many ways.
This is a difficult phrase, and seemingly not quite relevant to the issue at hand. It seems to be somehow related to each man being master in his own home, but the connection is not easy to make. The Greek versions omit it. Some modern commentators render the meaning more freely or emend the text, since they would like the meaning of “whatever suits him” (Moore, 11–12; cf. Fox, 275). Gerleman (who also does not take this and the preceding phrase as the text of the edict, but analyzes them differently from the way I do) suggests that “the language of his own people” refers back to the multilingual nature of the communication, and means that it was to be proclaimed to each head of household in his own language.[5]
(Introduction/Index) Next Chapter⇒
[1] Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A survey of Old Testament introduction (3rd. ed., p. 465). Moody Press.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 323 and 324.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 4082.
[4] Mark, J. J. (2018, November 12). Susa. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/susa/
[5] Berlin, A. (2001). Esther (pp. 20–21). Jewish Publication Society.