3 In the third H7969 year H8141 of his reign, H4427 he made H6213 a feast H4960 unto all his princes H8269 and his servants; H5650 the power H2428 of Persia H6539 and Media, H4074 the nobles H6579 and princes H8269 of the provinces, H4082 being before H6440 him:
Then the king H4428 made H6213 a great H1419 feast H4960 unto all his princes H8269 and his servants, H5650 even Esther's H635 feast; H4960 and he made H6213 a release H2010 to the provinces, H4082 and gave H5414 gifts, H4864 according to the state H3027 of the king. H4428
And Solomon H8010 awoke; H3364 and, behold, it was a dream. H2472 And he came H935 to Jerusalem, H3389 and stood H5975 before H6440 the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD, H3068 and offered up H5927 burnt offerings, H5930 and offered H6213 peace offerings, H8002 and made H6213 a feast H4960 to all his servants. H5650
And it came to pass the third H7992 day, H3117 which was Pharaoh's H6547 birthday, H3117 H3205 that he made H6213 a feast H4960 unto all his servants: H5650 and he lifted up H5375 the head H7218 of the chief H8269 butler H8248 and of the chief H8269 baker H644 among H8432 his servants. H5650
Thus saith H559 Cyrus H3566 king H4428 of Persia, H6539 The LORD H3068 God H430 of heaven H8064 hath given H5414 me all the kingdoms H4467 of the earth; H776 and he hath charged H6485 me to build H1129 him an house H1004 at Jerusalem, H3389 which is in Judah. H3063
And the next H7138 unto him was Carshena, H3771 Shethar, H8369 Admatha, H133 Tarshish, H8659 Meres, H4825 Marsena, H4826 and Memucan, H4462 the seven H7651 princes H8269 of Persia H6539 and Media, H4074 which saw H7200 the king's H4428 face, H6440 and which sat H3427 the first H7223 in the kingdom;) H4438
Make bright H1305 the arrows; H2671 gather H4390 the shields: H7982 the LORD H3068 hath raised up H5782 the spirit H7307 of the kings H4428 of the Medes: H4074 for his device H4209 is against Babylon, H894 to destroy H7843 it; because it is the vengeance H5360 of the LORD, H3068 the vengeance H5360 of his temple. H1964
Then Nebuchadnezzar H5020 the king H4430 sent H7972 to gather together H3673 the princes, H324 the governors, H5460 and the captains, H6347 the judges, H148 the treasurers, H1411 the counsellors, H1884 the sheriffs, H8614 and all H3606 the rulers H7984 of the provinces, H4083 to come H858 to the dedication H2597 of the image H6755 which Nebuchadnezzar H5020 the king H4430 had set up. H6966 Then H116 the princes, H324 the governors, H5460 and captains, H6347 the judges, H148 the treasurers, H1411 the counsellors, H1884 the sheriffs, H8614 and all H3606 the rulers H7984 of the provinces, H4083 were gathered together H3673 unto the dedication H2597 of the image H6755 that Nebuchadnezzar H5020 the king H4430 had set up; H6966 and they stood H6966 before H6903 the image H6755 that Nebuchadnezzar H5020 had set up. H6966
Then H116 these H459 presidents H5632 and princes H324 assembled together H7284 to the king, H4430 and said H560 thus H3652 unto him, H5922 King H4430 Darius, H1868 live H2418 for ever. H5957 All H3606 the presidents H5632 of the kingdom, H4437 the governors, H5460 and the princes, H324 the counsellors, H1907 and the captains, H6347 have consulted together H3272 to establish H6966 a royal H4430 statute, H7010 and to make a firm H8631 decree, H633 that whosoever shall ask H1156 a petition H1159 of H4481 any H3606 God H426 or man H606 for H5705 thirty H8533 days, H3118 save H3861 of thee, H4481 O king, H4430 he shall be cast H7412 into the den H1358 of lions. H744
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Esther 1
Commentary on Esther 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The Book of Esther
Chapter 1
Several things in this chapter itself are very instructive and of great use; but the design of recording the story of it is to show how way was made for Esther to the crown, in order to her being instrumental to defeat Haman's plot, and this long before the plot was laid, that we may observe and admire the foresight and vast reaches of Providence. "Known unto God are all his works' before-hand. Ahasuerus the king,
This shows how God serves his own purposes even by the sins and follies of men, which he would not permit if he know not how to bring good out of them.
Est 1:1-9
Which of the kings of Persia this Ahasuerus was the learned are not agreed. Mordecai is said to have been one of those that were carried captive from Jerusalem (ch. 2:5, 6), whence it should seem that this Ahasuerus was one of the first kings of that empire. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that he was that Artaxerxes who hindered the building of the temple, who is called also Ahasuerus (Ezra 4:6, 7), after his great-grandfather of the Medes, Dan. 9:1. We have here an account,
Est 1:10-22
We have here a damp to all the mirth of Ahasuerus's feast; it ended in heaviness, not as Job's children's feast by a wind from the wilderness, not as Belshazzar's by a hand-writing on the wall, but by is own folly. An unhappy falling out there was, at the end of the feast, between the king and queen, which broke of the feast abruptly, and sent the guests away silent and ashamed.