Ester 1:8-18

8 Y se bebía conforme a la ley, no había obligación, porque el rey así había dado órdenes a todos los oficiales de su casa para que hicieran conforme a los deseos de cada persona.

9 La reina Vasti también hizo un banquete para las mujeres en el palacio que pertenecía al rey Asuero.

10 Al séptimo día, cuando el corazón del rey estaba alegre por el vino, él ordenó a Mehumán, a Bizta, a Harbona, a Bigta, a Abagta, a Zetar y a Carcas, los siete eunucos que servían en la presencia del rey Asuero,

11 que trajeran a la reina Vasti a la presencia del rey con su corona real, para mostrar al pueblo y a los príncipes su belleza, porque era muy hermosa.

12 Pero la reina Vasti rehusó venir al mandato del rey transmitido por los eunucos. Entonces el rey se enojó mucho y se encendió su furor en él.

13 Y el rey dijo a los sabios que conocían los tiempos (pues era costumbre del rey consultar así a todos los que conocían la ley y el derecho,

14 y estaban junto a él Carsena, Setar, Admata, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena y Memucán, los siete príncipes de Persia y Media que tenían entrada a la presencia del rey y que ocupaban los primeros puestos en el reino):

15 Conforme a la ley, ¿qué se debe hacer con la reina Vasti, por no haber obedecido el mandato del rey Asuero transmitido por los eunucos?

16 Y en presencia del rey y de los príncipes, Memucán dijo: La reina Vasti no sólo ha ofendido al rey sino también a todos los príncipes y a todos los pueblos que están en todas las provincias del rey Asuero.

17 Porque la conducta de la reina llegará a conocerse por todas las mujeres y hará que ellas miren con desdén a sus maridos, y digan: "El rey Asuero ordenó que la reina Vasti fuera llevada a su presencia, pero ella no fue."

18 Y desde hoy las señoras de Persia y Media que han oído de la conducta de la reina hablarán de la misma manera a todos los príncipes del rey, y habrá mucho desdén y enojo.

Ester 1:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ESTHER

This book has its name from the person who is the principal subject of it; it is by Clemens of Alexandria {a} called the Book of Mordecai also; it is commonly called, in the Hebrew copies, "Megillah Esther", the Volume of Esther; and sometimes in the Jewish writings only "Megillah", by way of eminency, "the Volume". It was written, according to the Talmudists {b}, by the men of the great synagogue, composed by Ezra; and some think it was written by Ezra himself {c}; but Aben Ezra is of opinion it was written by Mordecai, since he was concerned in, and had perfect knowledge of, all things related in it; which is rejected by Spinosa {d}, who conceits that this, and the books of Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, were written by one and the same historian long after the times of Judas Maccabaeus: as to the canonical authority of it, it has been generally received by Jews and Christians; our wise men, says Maimonides {e}, openly and plainly affirm of the book of Esther, that it was dictated by the Holy Spirit; so Aben Ezra on Es 6:6, and he himself {f} affirms, that

``all the books of the prophets, and all the Hagiographa (or holy writings), shall cease in the days of the Messiah, except the volume of Esther; and, lo, that shall be as stable as the Pentateuch, and as the constitutions of the oral law, which shall never cease.''

Though the versions of other books of Scripture might not be read in the synagogues, versions of this book might to those who did not understand Hebrew {g}; and so Luther {h} says, the Jews more esteem the book of Esther than any of the prophets. Whence Mr. Baxter {i} had that notion, I can not devise, that the Jews used to cast to the ground the book of Esther before they read it, because the name of God was not in it: nor is that any objection to its authenticity, since the hand and providence of God may be most clearly seen in it; in raising Esther to such grandeur, and that for the deliverance of the people of the Jews, and in counter working and bringing to nought the plots of their enemies, and in saving them: nor that it is not quoted in the New Testament; it is sufficient there is no disagreement between them, yea, an entire agreement, particularly in the account of the captivity of Jeconiah, which is expressed almost in the same words in Es 2:6 as in Mt 1:11,12. It stands in Origen's catalogue {k} of the books of the Old Testament; nor is it any material objection that it appears not in the catalogue of Melito {l}, since in that list is comprehended under Ezra not Nehemiah only, but Esther also, which Jerom {m} mentions along with it. This book is not only of use to the Jews, as it shows the original and foundation of a feast of theirs, still kept up by them, the feast of Purim, and makes for the glory of their nation, and therefore it is no wonder it should be so highly esteemed by them; but serves to show the singular providence of God in taking care of his people in adversity, in humbling the proud, and exalting the lowly, and saving those that pray to him, and trust in him; it furnishes out various instructions in the conduct of the several persons herein mentioned; it is a history but of ten or eleven years at most, from the third of Ahasuerus, to the twelfth of his reign, Es 1:3, 3:7.

{a} Stromat. l. 1. p. 329. {b} T. Bava Bathra, fol. 15. 1. {c} August. de Civ. Dei, l. 18. c. 36. Isidor. Origin. l. 6. c. 2. {d} Tract. Theolog. Politic. c. 10. p. 189 {e} Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 45. {f} Hilchot Megillah, c. 2. sect. 18. {g} Misn. Megillah, c. 2. sect. 1. T. Bab. Megillah, fol. 18. 1. {h} Mensal. Colloqu. c. 31. p. 358. {i} The Saints Everlasting Rest, part 4. c. 3. sect. 1. {k} Apud Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 6. c. 25. {l} Apud ib. l. 4. c. 26. {m} Ad Domnion. & Rogat. tom. 3. fol. 7. F.

\\INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 1\\

This chapter relates, how that Ahasuerus, a great king of Persia, made a feast, first for the grandees of his kingdom, and then for his people, as his queen did for the women, Es 1:1-9, who being sent for by him, and she refusing to come, was, by the advice of one of his counsellors, divorced from him, and an order made and published throughout his dominions, that every man should bear rule in his own house, Es 1:10-22.