Esther 1:9

9 And Vashti the queen gave a feast for the women in the house of King Ahasuerus.

Esther 1:9 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 1:9

Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women
&c.] For it was not customary with the Persians, nor other eastern nations, to admit of women to their festivals ^F13, 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 Justin c Trogo, l. 41. c. 3.
F14 Cyropaedia, l. 1. c. 23.

Esther 1:9 In-Context

7 And they gave them drink in gold vessels, every vessel being different, and wine of the kingdom, freely given by the king.

8 And the drinking was in keeping with the law; no one was forced: for the king had given orders to all the chief servants of his house to do as was pleasing to every man.

9 And Vashti the queen gave a feast for the women in the house of King Ahasuerus.

10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was glad with wine, he gave orders to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven unsexed servants who were waiting before Ahasuerus the king,

11 That Vashti the queen was to come before him, crowned with her crown, and let the people and the captains see her: for she was very beautiful.