Esther 1:11

_TO BRING VASHTI THE QUEEN BEFORE THE KING WITH THE CROWN ROYAL, TO SHEW THE PEOPLE AND THE PRINCES HER BEAUTY: FOR SHE WAS FAIR TO LOOK ON._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

10-22 Ahasuerus's feast ended in heaviness, by his own folly. Seasons of peculiar festivity often end in vexation. Superiors should be careful not to command what may reasonably be disobeyed. But when wine is in, men's reason departs from them. He that had rule over 127 provinces, had no rule over his own spirit. But whether the passion or the policy of the king was served by this decree, God's providence made way for Esther to the crown, and defeated Haman's wicked project, even before it had entered into his heart, and he arrived at his power. Let us rejoice that the Lord reigns, and will overrule the madness or folly of mankind to promote his own glory, and the safety and happiness of his people...

Verse 11. _TO BRING VASHTI THE QUEEN_] The Targum adds _naked_. _FOR SHE_ WAS _FAIR TO LOOK ON._] Hence she had her name [Persian] _Vashti_, which signifies _beautiful_. See Esther 1:9....

TO BRING VASHTI THE QUEEN - This command, though contrary to Persian customs, is not out of harmony with the character of Xerxes; and is evidently related as something strange and unusual. Otherwise, the queen would not have refused to come....

EXPOSITION THE DISGRACE OF VASHTI (Esther 1:10). On the seventh day of the feast "to all in Shushan" (Esther 1:5), the king having excited himself with drink, took it into his head to send a message to Vashti, requiring her to make her appearance in the banquet of the men, since he desired to exhibit her beauty to the assembled guests, as "she_ _was fair to look on" (Esther 1:11). His design must have been to present her unveiled to the coarse admiration of a multitude of semi-drunken revellers, in order that they might envy him the possession of so lovely a wife. Such a proceeding was a gross breach of Persian etiquette, and a cruel ou

TO BRING VASHTI THE QUEEN BEFORE THE KING,.... Not against her will, or by force; but they were sent to let her know it was the king's pleasure that she should come to him immediately: WITH THE CROWN ROYAL; that is, upon her head, to make her look the more grand and majestic: TO SHOW THE PEOPLE AND THE PRINCES HER BEAUTY; for she was fair to look upon; which was not wisely done, neither was it comely nor safe....

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS THE BANQUETS AND QUEEN VASHTI DISOWNED CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The first feast of the king (Esther 1:1)_ 2. The king's feast unto all the people (Esther 1:5) 3. The queen's feast for the women (Esther 1:9) 4. The queen's refusal to appear at the king's feast (Esther 1:10) 5. The queen put away (Esther 1:13) Esther 1:1. King Ahasuerus, one of the leading characters of this book, is known in history as Xerxes I. The n

ESTHER 1. THE ROYAL FEAST. VASHTI'S DISOBEDIENCE AND DEGRADATION. The opening words in MT (and it came to pass) are in good Heb style, which shows that an able scribe wrote here. But they prove that something once stood before them. Even Paton translates, And afterward! After what? He says strangely, This expression is used in continuation of a historical narrative, and adds, lamely and incorrectly, It is an imitation of the beginnings of the older histories. The tale has clearly been truncated here, doubtless because the original spoke of Yahweh. A version of the original still exists in LXX: it is a sort of preface, saying that a Jew lived in Shushan (Daniel 8:2 *), who had a Perso-Babylonian name Mordecai, i.e. related to Marduk, Lord of Fate which the scribes would dislike and he was descended from the house of king Saul, also disliked by scribes. He was a court servant of king Artax...

PEOPLE. peoples....

Vashti's disgrace 10. _he commanded Mehuman etc._ The names of the seven chamberlains, or rather, eunuchs, who were sent to fetch Vashti, vary much in their form in the LXX. and other versions. Their derivation is, like their nationality, quite uncertain, inasmuch as the Persian market was largely supplied with men of other races for this purpose....