Esther 1:1--2:20
Ahasuerus ....... Ahasuerus <0325> [Ahasuerus.]
Prideaux has shewn satisfactorily that Ahasuerus was the Artaxerxes Longimanus of the Greeks, agreeably to the Septuagint and Josephus. See note on Ezr 6:14.
India <01912> [from India.]
hundred <03967> [an hundred.]
<03427> [sat.]
Susa <07800> [Shushan.]
provided <06213> [A.M. 3542. B.C. 462. he made.]
Persia <06539> [of Persia.]
nobles <06579> [the nobles.]
displayed <07200> [When he.]
riches <06239> [the riches.]
majestic <08597> [excellent.]
present <04672> [present. Heb. found. seven days.]
mother-of-pearl <02353 01858> [white.]
purple <08504> [blue. or, violet.]
couches <04296> [the beds.]
These were couches, covered with gold and silver cloth, on which the guests reclined; for the Orientals do not sit, but recline at their meals.
valuable stones <0923> [red, etc. or, of porphyre, and marble, and alabaster, and stone of blue colour.]
golden containers <02091 03627> [vessels of gold.]
Royal wine <03196 04438> [royal wine. Heb. wine of the kingdom. state of the king.]
Heb. hand of the king.
<0597> [none did compel.]
Every person drank what he pleased. Among the Greeks, however, each guest was obliged to keep the round, or leave the company: hence the proverb [E pithi, e apithi,] Drink, or begone. Mr. Herbert, in his poem entitled "The Church Porch," has severely reprobated this vile custom. In Britain, however, this demoralizing custom is now almost destroyed, and a new era of social pleasure is arising, by temperate habits, increased domestic comforts, and the spread of gospel truths.
supervisors <07227> [the officers.]
Queen <04436> [the queen.]
feeling <03820> [the heart.]
Harbona <02726> [Harbona.]
[Harbonah. chamberlains. or, eunuchs.]
Vashti <02060> [Vashti.]
attractive <04758 02896> [fair to look on. Heb. good of countenance.]
Queen <04436> [the queen.]
This refusal of Vashti's, to expose herself to the view of such a group of drunken Bacchanalians, was highly praiseworthy, and became the dignity of her rank and the modesty of her sex.
refused <03985> [refused.]
through ... eunuchs <03027 05631> [by his chamberlains. Heb. which was by the hand of his eunuchs. was the king.]
consumed <01197> [burned.]
wise <02450> [the wise.]
then ......... discerners .................. proficient <03045> [knew.]
seven <07651> [the seven.]
saw <07200> [saw.]
done <06213> [What shall we do. Heb. What to do.]
Vashti <02060> [Vashti.]
This reasoning was inconsequent and false. Vashti had not generally disobeyed the king, therefore she could be no precedent for the general conduct of the Persian women. She disobeyed only in one particular; and this, to serve a purpose, Memucan draws into a general consequence: and the rest came into the conclusion, being either too intoxicated to be able to discern right from wrong, or too intent on reducing women to a state of vassalage, to neglect the present favourable opportunity.
wrong <05753> [done wrong.]
contempt <0959> [despise.]
ladies <08282> [the ladies.]
{Saroth,} the princesses: but the meaning is well expressed by our term ladies.
king .... inclined ................................... King ......... royalty <04428 02895> [it please the king. Heb. it be good with the king.]
from him ......................... presence <06440> [from him. Heb. from before him. it be not altered. Heb. it pass not away.]
Let it be inserted among the permanent laws, and be made a part of the constitution of the empire. The Persians seem to have affected such a degree of wisdom in the construction of their laws, that they never could be amended, and should never be repealed; and this formed the ground of the saying, "The laws of the Medes and Persians that change not."
another <07468> [another. Heb. her companion. that is better.]
kingdom <04438> [throughout.]
women <0802> [all the wives.]
seemed ..... king ....... king <03190 04428> [pleased the king. Heb. was good in the eyes of the king.]
provinces ... each province <04082> [into every province.]
man <0376> [that every man.]
Both the law of God and common sense taught this from the foundation of the world; and this parade of enactment was only to deprive Vashti of her crown.
speaking <01696> [it should, etc. Heb. one should publish it according to the language of his country.]
script .......... language ............... language <03791 03956> [according.]
remembered <02142> [A.M. 3543. B.C. 461. he remembered.]
decided <01504> [what was decreed.]
king's servants ............. king's <05288 04428> [king's servants.]
attractive <02896> [Let there be.]
provinces <04082> [in all the provinces.]
gather <06908> [that they may gather.]
This was the usual way in which the harem, or {seraglio,} was furnished; the finest women in the land, whether of high or low birth, were sought out and brought to the harem. They all became the king's concubines; but one was raised as chief wife, or sultana, to the throne; and her issue was especially entitled to inherit.
authority <03027> [the custody. Heb. the hand. Hege.]
[Hegai. the king's chamberlain.]
{Saris hammelech,} "the king's eunuch:" so the LXX., Vulgate, Targum, and Syriac.
cosmetics <08562> [their things.]
young woman <05291> [let the maiden.]
idea <01697> [the thing.]
Susa <07800> [Shushan.]
Jewish man <03064 0376> [a certain Jew.]
son ..... son ... Shimei ... son <01121 08096> [the son of Shimei.]
Jeconiah <03204> [Jeconiah.]
[Jeboiachin.]
[Coniah.]
guardian <0539> [brought up. Heb. nourished.]
Hadassah <01919> [Hadassah.]
uncle <01730> [his uncle's.]
beautiful <02896 03303> [fair and beautiful. Heb. fair of form and good of countenance.]
raised <03947> [took.]
Hegai ................ Hegai <01896> [Hegai.]
One of Dr. Kennicott's MSS., instead of Hegai has Heg‚, as in ver. 3.
found <05375> [she obtained.]
cosmetics <08562> [her her things.]
rations <04490> [such things. Heb. her portions. preferred her. Heb. changed her.]
disclosed <05046> [had not shewed.]
Mordecai <04782> [for Mordecai.]
Mordecai <04782> [Mordecai.]
The apartments of the women are accounted so inviolable, that it is even a crime to enquire what passes within their walls. A man, says Chardin, may walk a hundred days, one after the other, by the house where the women are, and yet know no more what is done there than at the farther end of Tartary. This sufficiently explains the conduct of Mordecai.
walk <01980> [walked.]
Esther <0635 07965> [how Esther did. Heb. the peace of Esther.]
arrived <0935> [A.M. 3546. B.C. 458. to go in.]
months .................................. six months ....... six months <02320 08337> [six months.]
pleased <02654> [delighted.]
requested <07121> [she were called.]
her <03947> [who had taken.]
Esther ............................................. Esther <0635> [Esther.]
tenth month ..... month <02320 06224> [the tenth month.]
seventh <07651> [the seventh.]
loving approval <02617> [favour. or, kindness. in his sight. Heb. before him. so that he set.]
Bishop Patrick observes, that those who suggest that Esther committed a great sin to come at the dignity of queen of Persia, do not consider the custom of those times and countries. Every one that the king took to his bed was married to him, and was his wife of a lower rank, as Hagar was to Abraham.
prepared ... large ................. set aside <06213 01419> [A.M. 3547. B.C. 457. made a great.]
prepared ................... set aside <06213> [he made.]
We learn from Herodotus and Athen‘us, that the Persian monarchs were accustomed to give their wives distinct cities and provinces for the purpose of supplying them with different articles of dress: one was assigned for ornamenting the head and neck; another provided robes, zones, etc.; and the city of Anthilla was given to a Persian queen, we read, to supply her with shoes and sandals. It is probable, therefore, that, at the desire of Esther, Ahasuerus relieved those cities and provinces that had before paid it, from this expense.
holiday <02010> [release. Heb. rest. gave gifts.]
young women <01330> [the virgins.]
sitting .... king's gate <03427 04428 08179> [sat in the king's gate.]
divulging <05046> [had not yet shewed.]
Esther ................. Esther <0635> [for Esther.]
