Esther 1

Esther · Chapter 1

Esther 1:10

1Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)2That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,3In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:4When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days.5And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace;6Where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble.7And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king.8And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure.9Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.10On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,11To 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.12But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.13Then 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:14And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)15What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?16And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.17For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.18Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king’s princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.19If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.20And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.21And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:22For he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
10On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,On the seventh day, when the king’s heart was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
on the dayבַּיּוֹם֙bai-yOmH3117G
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

the seventhהַשְּׁבִיעִ֔יha-she-vi-'IH7637
seventh

שְׁבִיעִי (she.vi.i) 1) seventh 1a) ordinal number

when was goodכְּט֥וֹבke-TOVH2895
be pleasing

טוֹב (tov) 1) to be good, be pleasing, be joyful, be beneficial, be pleasant, be favourable, be happy, be right 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be pleasant, be delightful 1a2) to be glad, be joyful 1a3) to be better 1a4) to be well with, be good for 1a5) to be pleasing 1b) (Hiphil) to do well, do good, act right, act rightly

[the] heart ofלֵב־lev-H3820A
mind

בָּל (bal) mind, heart Aramaic of lev (לֵב "heart" H3820A)

the kingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

by the wineבַּיָּ֑יִןbai-YA-yinH3196
wine

יַ֫יִן (ya.yin) wine

he saidאָמַ֡ר'a-MARH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

to Mehumanלִ֠מְהוּמָןLIM-hu-monH4104
Mehuman

מְהוּמָן (me.hu.man) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Mehuman = "faithful" one of the 7 eunuchs of Ahasuerus

Bizthaבִּזְּתָ֨אbi-ze-TA'H0968
Biztha

בִּזְּתָא (biz.ta) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Biztha = "booty" one of Ahasuerus' (Xerxes') eunuchs

Harbonaחַרְבוֹנָ֜אchar-vo-NA'H2726G
Harbona

חַרְבוֹנָא (char.vo.na) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Harbona or Harbonah = "ass-driver" the 3rd of the seven chamberlains or eunuchs who served Ahasuerus

Bigthaבִּגְתָ֤אbig-TA'H0903
Bigtha

בִּגְתָא (big.ta) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Bigtha = "in the wine-press" a eunuch in king Ahasuerus' (Xerxes) court

and Abagthaוַאֲבַגְתָא֙va-'a-vag-TA'H0005
Abagtha

אֲבַגְתָא (a.vag.ta) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Abagtha = "God-given" one of the seven eunuchs in the Persian court of Ahasuerus

Zetharזֵתַ֣רze-TARH2242
Zethar

זֵתַר (ze.tar) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Zethar = "star" one of the seven eunuchs of Ahasuerus

and Carcasוְכַרְכַּ֔סve-khar-KASH3752
Carkas

כַּרְכַּס (kar.kas) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Carcas = "severe" the 7th of the 7 eunuchs of king Ahasuerus

[the] sevenשִׁבְעַת֙shiv-'ATH7651
seven

שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) 1) seven (cardinal number) 1a) as ordinal number 1b) in combination-17, 700 etc Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)

the eunuchsהַסָּ֣רִיסִ֔יםha-SA-ri-SIMH5631
eunuch

סָרִיס (sa.ris) official, eunuch

who servedהַמְשָׁ֣רְתִ֔יםham-SHA-re-TIMH8334
to minister

שָׁרַת (sha.rat) (Piel) to minister, serve, minister to

withאֶת־'et-H0854
with

אֵת (et) 1) with, near, together with 1a) with, together with 1b) with (of relationship) 1c) near (of place) 1d) with (poss.) 1e) from...with, from (with other prep)

[the] face ofפְּנֵ֖יpe-NEIH6440G
face: before

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

the kingהַמֶּ֥לֶךְha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵרֽוֹשׁ׃'a-chash-ve-RO-oshH0325
Ahasuerus

אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ (a.chash.ve.rosh) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.4.6; married to Vashti (H2060); father of: Darius (H1868H) § Ahasuerus = "I will be silent and poor" title of the king of Persia, probably Xerxes

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.