Esther 1:1-8

I. Pageant of Xerxes, Esther 1:1-22

A. Display

TEXT: Esther 1:1-8

1

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus who reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces,)

2

that in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,

3

in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him;

4

when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even a hundred and fourscore days.

5

And when these days were fulfilled, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.

6

There were hangings of white cloth, of green, and of blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and white, and yellow, and black marble.

7

And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another), and royal wine in abundance, according to the bounty of the king.

8

And the drinking was according to the law; none could compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.

Today's English Version, Esther 1:1-8

From his royal throne in Persia's capital city of Susa, King Xerxes ruled 127 provinces, all the way from India to Sudan.
In the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his officials and administrators. The armies of Persia and Media were present, as well as the governors and noblemen of the provinces. For six whole months he made a show of the riches of the imperial court with all its splendor and majesty.
After that, the king gave a banquet for all the men in the capital city of Susa, rich and poor alike. It lasted a whole week and was held in the gardens of the royal palace. The courtyard there was decorated with blue and white cotton curtains, tied by cords of fine purple linen to silver rings on marble columns. Couches made of gold and silver had been placed in the courtyard, which was paved with white marble, red feldspar, shining mother-of-pearl, and blue turquoise. Drinks were served in gold cups, no two of them alike, and the king was generous with the royal wine. There were no limits on the drinks; the king had given orders to the palace servants that everyone could have as much as he wanted.

COMMENTS

Esther 1:1-2 Potentate: -'Achashewerosh is the Hebrew equivalent of the Persian Khshayarsha (which is Xerxes in Greek). Ahasuerus is generally recognized by historians as Xerxes I (486-465). It is not the same Ahasuerus as named in Ezra 4 and Daniel 9 (who was probably Cambyses, the immediate successor of Cyrus the Great). The author of Esther distinguishes this Ahasuerus by describing his reign from India to Ethiopa. The Hebrew word for India is hoddu an old Persian word meaning Hindu or Sanskrit meaning, great river; hence, Indus River. The empire of Xerxes extended from the Indus River on the east to Ethiopia (Cush, in Hebrew) in the south, and to Lydia (Asia Minor) on the east (see map on page 271). At one time, the Persian empire even extended east into the Greek mainland. Some have been skeptical about the statement that Xerxes ruled over 127 provinces, because Herodotus wrote that the empire was divided into 20 satrapies. The Hebrew word translated provinces is medinah and it is not certain at all that medinah represents the same as the word satrapy. Medinah may very well represent a subdivision of the Persian satrapy. According to Herodotus there were about 60 nations under the Persian rule so it is altogether possible that the 20 satrapies or 60 nations were subdivided into smaller provinces (127 of them). Xerxes assumed the throne in 486 B.C. Shushan (Susa) was the city from which he was ruling in the third year of his reign. The Hebrew word birah is translated palace but is, more accurately, fortress. This was the whole palatial section of the city of Susa which was much more strongly fortified than the city surrounding it. The birah included the courts, gardens, out-buildings and the royal palace itself. Furthermore, the same word birah is used in Esther 2:5 to indicate that Mordecai lived within the fortress and in Esther 9:12 showing that as many as 500 other common citizens lived within the fortress of Susa. The main city had a circumference of six to seven miles, and the birah (fortress) was enclosed with a massive wall about two and one half miles square. As late as 1100-1200 A.D. there were 7000 Jews living in Susa. By 1500 A.D. the city became uninhabited and fell into ruins.

Esther 1:3-5 People: In the third year of his reign (483 B.C.), Xerxes was making plans, according to Herodotus, to invade the Greek mainland. He planned to attack within two years. This feast was, in Hebrew, a mishetteh. Mishetteh is from a root word meaning, to drink wine; hence it is a banquet whose main feature is a drinking bout (cf. Esther 1:7-8). The Hebrew word sarav would be better translated officials or rulers than princes. It is from the root sar meaning to rule, while the word nagid (used of the Messiah in Daniel 9:24-27) has more the connotation of royalty. The word paretemim is translated nobles and is probably derived from a Babylonian word meaning first or chief. The word chel is translated in the ASV, power; it means literally, army (cf. Isaiah 36:2; 2 Kings 18:17). We are not told exactly how many guests there were. But the number would certainly run into the hundreds. And it is probable that the guest list changed regularly because he would not want to invite the whole army and all its chiefs at once and leave the empire defenseless. Besides, the feast lasted six months so the guests could come in relays.

Esther 1:4 specifically states the purpose of this feast was that Xerxes might show the riches of his kingdom and his own majesty for half a year. If Xerxes lived today, psychiatrists would say he had an identity problem. The emperor's main reason for this great feast seems to have been to create an image for himself. He wished to impress his government officials with his greatness. According to Herodotus it was at this feast Xerxes announced: As Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius, have enlarged the empire, I wish to do the same. I propose to bridge the Hellespont, march through Europe, and fire Athens for burning Sardis and opposing Datis and Artaphernes. By reducing Attica and Greece, the sky will be the only boundary of Persia. The emperor's image building had also the pragmatic motive of psyching his fighting force up for the coming invasion of Greece. Not only were the government officials and the army and its chiefs feasted, the emperor made a week-long feast for all the other citizens then residing in the fortress of Susa, both rich and poor, great and small. These drinking bouts seem to have been for men only. The women apparently had a feast of their own (Esther 1:9).

Esther 1:6 Palace: The description of the palace is in no way an exaggeration. Tapestries and awnings of expensive, imported linens in pure white, deep green and royal blue were fastened with soft white linen cords to solid silver rings and tall pillars of marble. Some of these columns of marble were 67 feet high. In 1884-86 a Frenchman named Dieulafoy excavated the ruins of this great palace. One writer has said, There is no event described in the Old Testament whose structural surroundings can be so vividly and accurately restored from actual excavations as -Shushan the palace,-' Couches (used to recline upon when eating, probably much like the later Roman triclinium) were either overlaid heavily with gold and silver or made of pure gold and silver. The floors of the palace were made of beautifully patterned and variable-colored marbles red, white, mother-of-pearl yellow, and black.

Esther 1:7-8 Party: The feasting passion of the Persians was insatiable. Some of these feasts had as many as 15,000 guests at one time, and cost nearly $100,000 for each banquet session. As noted before (Esther 1:3) mishetteh means a drinking bout. Wine flowed freely, according to the bounty of the king. The Hebrew word translated bounty is yod and is literally, hand. In other words, the good, choice wine of the imperial wine-cellars was distributed according to the king's boundless means. Ordinarily, everyone present drank only upon command or invitation according to the law of ritual and the whim of the emperor or toastmaster. At these feasts, however, that law had been suspended and everyone was allowed to drink as they pleased. The Persians were noted for their drinking. Xenophon (434-355 B.C.), Greek historian and soldier, knew this and wrote, They drink so much that they cannot stand upright on their feet, and must be carried out. This was the setting and these were the circumstances surrounding critical decisions made by the emperor Xerxes. The results or consequences of his decisions were used by the Lord God Jehovah to save the Jews of the dispersion from extinction and thus provide a witness to the revealed Word of God through the centuries awaiting the Messiah's coming. No matter how depraved or stupid the behavior of man, all will ultimately redound to the goal and glory of God.