Esther 1:2-12

2 when he sat in the seat of his realm, the city of Susa was the beginning of his realm. (when he sat on the throne of his kingdom, in the city of Susa, the capital of his kingdom.)

3 And in the third year of his empire, he made a great feast to all his princes, and to all his children, or servants, to the strongest men of Persia, and to the noble men of Media, and to the prefects, or chief men, of (the) provinces, before himself, (And in the third year of his empire, or of his reign, he gave a great feast for all his princes, or his leaders, and for all his servants, and the strongest men of Persia and Media, and the nobles, and the prefects, or the chief men, of the provinces, who all came before him;)

4 to show the riches of the glory of his realm, and the greatness, and boast of his power in much time, that is, an hundred and eighty days, this feast lasted. (and he showed the riches and the glory of his kingdom, and the greatness and the boast of his power, over much time, that is, this feast lasted for a hundred and eighty days!)

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.)

10 Therefore in the seventh day, when the king was gladder than before, and when he was hot of wine after full much drinking, he commanded to Mehuman, and to Biztha, and to Harbona, and to Bigtha, and to Zethar, and to Abagtha, and to Carcas, seven honest and chaste servants, the which served in his sight, (And so on the seventh day, when the king was happier than before, and he was hot with the wine after a great deal of drinking, he commanded to Mehuman, and Biztha, Harbona, and Bigtha, Zethar, and Abagtha, and Carcas, seven geldings, or eunuchs, who served him,)

11 that they should bring in before the king the queen Vashti, with a diadem set upon her head, to show her fairness to all the peoples and princes; for she was full fair. (that they should bring in Queen Vashti before him, with a crown put on her head, to show off her beauty to all the peoples and the princes, or the leaders; for she was very beautiful indeed.)

12 And she forsook, and despised to come at the commandment of the king, which he had sent (to her) by the honest and chaste servants (But she refused to come at the king's command, which he had sent to her by the eunuchs). Wherefore the king was angry, and kindled with full great vengeance;

Esther 1:2-12 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.