Esther 1:13

_THEN THE KING SAID TO THE WISE MEN, WHICH KNEW THE TIMES, (FOR SO WAS THE KING'S MANNER TOWARD ALL THAT KNEW LAW AND JUDGMENT:_ Then the king said to the wise men. These were probably the magi, without whose advice as to the proper time of doing a thing, the Persian kings never did take any step whatever; and the persons named in the following verse were the "seven counselors" (see the note at Ezra 7:14) who formed the state ministry. The eminence of their station in the Persian court is expressed by 'their seeing the king's face,' (this is metaphorically applied to the angels, Matthew 18:10; Luke 1:9). The combined wisdom of all, it seems, was enlisted to consult with the king what course should be taken after

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 13. _TO THE WISE MEN_] Probably the _lawyers_....

WISE MEN ... - Not “astrologers,” who were unknown in Persia; but rather men of practical wisdom, who knew the facts and customs of former times. FOR SO WAS THE KING’S MANNER - Some render it: “for so was the king’s business laid before all that knew law ...”...

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

THEN THE KING SAID TO THE WISE MEN THAT KNEW THE TIMES,.... Astrologers, as Aben Ezra, that knew the fit time for doing anything; or that had knowledge of ancient times, historians, well read in history, and knew things that had happened similar to this: FOR SO WAS THE KING'S MANNER TOWARDS ALL THAT KNEW LAW AND JUDGMENT; it was customary with him in any case of difficulty to have the opinion and advice of those that were expert in the law, and well understood right and wrong. These are called by Herodotus t the king's judges. t Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 14, 31. so in Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 1. c. 34....

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...

FOR. See note on the parentheses, Esther 1:7....

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....