Esther 1:7

7 And they, that were called to meat, drank in golden cups, and meats were borne in to them with one and (an)other vessels; also plenteous wine, and full good was set forth before them, as it was worthy to the great doing, of the king. (And they, who were called to the feast, drank from gold cups, and wine was brought in to them in one and another vessels; yea, very good and plentiful wine, was set forth before them, as was worthy of, or befitting, a king.)

Esther 1:7 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 1:7

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 F4. 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 1:7-10 ) ,

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 F5 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 Persia F6.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 Ctesias in Athenaei Deipnosoph. l. 11.
F5 Geograph. l. 15. p. 505.
F6 Universal History, vol. 5. p. 85.

Esther 1:7 In-Context

5 And when the days of the feast were ended, the emperor called to his (next) feast all the people that was found in the city of Susa, from the most unto the least; and he commanded this feast to be made ready by seven days in the porch of an orchard and of a wood, that was set about with the king's ornament and with his hand, (or works). (And when the days of that feast were over, the king called to his next feast all the people who were found in the capital city of Susa, from the greatest to the least; and he commanded that this feast last for seven days, in the courtyard of the garden of the king's palace.)
6 And tents of the colour of the air, and of gold, and of jacinth, were held up with cords of bis, and of purple, and they hanged on each side, the which tents were set-in (with) circles of ivory, and they were underset with pillars of marble; also there were ordained seats, at the manner of beds, of gold and of silver, upon the pavement (that was) arrayed with smaragdus and with other diverse and precious stones; the which pavement painture (was) made fair by wonderful diversity. (And curtains coloured white, and gold, and blue, were held up with cords of fine linen, and of purple, and hung up all over the grounds, and these hangings were inset with ivory rings, and underset with marble pillars; and there were seats, or couches, of gold and silver, placed on the pavement that was arrayed with emeralds and other diverse and precious stones; and so the painting of the pavement was made beautiful with wonderful diversity.)
7 And they, that were called to meat, drank in golden cups, and meats were borne in to them with one and (an)other vessels; also plenteous wine, and full good was set forth before them, as it was worthy to the great doing, of the king. (And they, who were called to the feast, drank from gold cups, and wine was brought in to them in one and another vessels; yea, very good and plentiful wine, was set forth before them, as was worthy of, or befitting, a king.)
8 And there was no man that constrained them to drink that would not drink; but so the king had ordained, making sovereigns of his princes to all boards, that each man should take that, that he would. (And there was no one who compelled anyone to drink who would not drink; but the king had ordered his palace servants to be at the ready at all the tables, so that each person could have as much as he wanted.)
9 Also Vashti, the queen, made a feast of women in the palace, where king Ahasuerus was wont to dwell. (And Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women, in the palace of King Ahasuerus.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.