AHASUERUS. — Three persons are called by this name in the Old Testament — (1) the Ahasuerus of Daniel 9:1, the father of “Darius the Mede;” if, as is probable, this latter is the same with Astyages, Ahasuerus must be identified with Cyaxares: (2) the Ahasuerus of Ezra 4:6, who is doubtless the same... [ Continue Reading ]
SHUSHAN. — Susa. Mentioned also in Nehemiah 1:1. It was the general abode of the Persian kings. (See Herod. vii. 6.)... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE THIRD YEAR OF HIS REIGN. — Assuming, as we do, the identity of Ahasuerus and Xerxes, this will be 483 B.C., when Xerxes held a meeting at Susa of his princes to make arrangements for invading Greece. At so important a gathering, the feasting was a very obvious adjunct; and besides the coming... [ Continue Reading ]
AN HUNDRED AND FOURSCORE DAYS. — As a period of mere feasting, this long time (half a year) is simply incredible, but we must understand it as a time during which troops were collected, and the plan of invasion settled.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE PEOPLE. — So we find Cyrus feasting “all the Persians” (Herod. i. 126).... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE WERE WHITE.... — This should be [hangings of] “white cotton and blue.” The word translated “cotton” (Heb., ca_rpas_) occurs only here. Canon Rawlinson remarks that “white and blue (or violet) were the royal colours of Persia.” LINEN. — White linen; so the word is used, _e.g.,_ in 2 Chronicles... [ Continue Reading ]
IN VESSELS OF GOLD. — This shows the immense treasures in the hand of the Persian king, when the whole population of Susa could be thus accommodated. ROYAL WINE. — Perhaps wine of Helbon (Ezekiel 27:18); the original seems to imply more than merely wine from the royal cellars: as the king was feast... [ Continue Reading ]
LAW. — Rather _ordinance_ or _decree,_ that is, specially put forth for this occasion. What this means is shown by what follows, namely, that the king had issued special orders to allow all to do as they pleased in the matter of drinking, instead of as usual compelling them to drink. This degrading... [ Continue Reading ]
VASHTI. — According to Gesenius, the name Vashti means _beautiful._ Among the Persians it was customary that one wife of the sovereign should be supreme over the rest, and her we sometimes find exercising an authority which contrasts strangely with the degraded position of women generally. Such a on... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS MERRY WITH WINE. — The habit of the Persians to indulge in wine to excess may be inferred from Esther 1:8. CHAMBERLAINS. — Literally, _eunuchs._ The names of the men, whatever they may be, are apparently not Persian. The enumeration of all the seven names is suggestive of personal knowledge on... [ Continue Reading ]
TO BRING VASHTI. — It is evident from the way in which the incident is introduced that had Ahasuerus been sober he would not have asked such a thing. Vashti naturally sends a refusal. CROWN ROYAL. — If this were like that worn by a king, it would be a tall cap decked with gems, and with a linen fil... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH KNEW THE TIMES. — That is, who were skilled in precedents, and could advise accordingly. FOR SO.... — Translate, _for so was the king’s business laid, before... _... [ Continue Reading ]
MARSENA. — It has been suggested that we may possibly recognise here Mardonius, the commander at Marathon; and in Admatha, Artabanus, the uncle of Xerxes. THE SEVEN PRINCES. — There were seven leading families in Persia, the heads of which were the king’s chief advisers, the “seven counsellors” of... [ Continue Reading ]
ANSWERED BEFORE THE KING. — Memuean, like a true courtier, gives palatable advice to his master, by counsel which is the true echo of the king’s angry question. DONE WRONG. — Literally, _dealt unfairly. _... [ Continue Reading ]
Translate, _and this day shall the princesses of Persia and Media, which heard the affair of the queen, say..._ CONTEMPT AND WRATH. — Presumably, contemptuous defiance on the part of the wives, and anger on the part of the husbands.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT IT BE NOT ALTERED. — Literally, _that it pass not away._ The order having been committed to writing was, in theory at any rate, immutable. The best illustration is the well-known case of Daniel; see also below (Esther 8:8). Probably a strong-willed monarch would interpret this inviolability rat... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SENT LETTERS. — The Persian Empire was the first to possess a postal system (see esp. Herod. vii. 98). The Greek word for “compel,” in Matthew 5:41; Matthew 27:32, is simply a corruption of the Persian word for the impressment of men and horses for the royal service. THAT EVERY MAN SHOULD ... — T... [ Continue Reading ]