Esther 1

Esther · Chapter 1

Esther 1:14

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
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;)His closest advisors were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom.and the next unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom),

In context

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and the [ones] closeוְהַקָּרֹ֣בve-ha-ka-ROH7138
near

קָרֹב (qa.rov) 1) near 1a) of place 1b) of time 1c) of personal relationship 1c1) kinship

to himאֵלָ֗יו'e-LAVH0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

[were] Carshenaכַּרְשְׁנָ֤אkar-she-NA'H3771
Carshena

כַּרְשְׁנָא (kar.she.na) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.14 § Carshena = "illustrious" one of the 7 princes of Persia and Media under king Ahasuerus

Shetharשֵׁתָר֙she-TARH8369
Shethar

שֵׁתָר (she.tar) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.14 § Shethar = "a star" one of the 7 princes of Media or Persian empire

Admathaאַדְמָ֣תָא'ad-MA-ta'H0133
Admatha

אַדְמָתָא (ad.ma.ta) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.14 § Admatha = "a testimony to them" prince of Persia in reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes)

Tarshishתַרְשִׁ֔ישׁtar-SHISHH8659H
Tarshish

תַּרְשִׁישׁ (tar.shish) § Tarshish or Tharshish = "yellow jasper" 1) a city of the Phoenicians in a distant part of the Mediterranean Sea to which the prophet Jonah was trying to flee perhaps in Cyprus or Spain 2) a city somewhere near and accessible to the Red Sea to which ships constructed at Ezion-geber on the Elanitic Gulf on the Red Sea were to sail

Meresמֶ֥רֶסME-resH4825
Meres

מֶ֫רֶס (me.res) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.14 § Meres = "lofty" one of the 7 counsellors of Ahasuerus

Marsenaמַרְסְנָ֖אmar-se-NA'H4826
Marsena

מַרְסְנָא (mar.se.na) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.14 § Marsena = "worthy" one of the 7 counsellors of Ahasuerus

Memucanמְמוּכָ֑ןme-mu-KHANH4462
Memucan

מְמוּכָן (me.mu.khan) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.1.14 § Memucan = "dignified" one of the 7 princes of Persia in the reign of Ahasuerus

[the] sevenשִׁבְעַ֞תshiv-'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] officials ofשָׂרֵ֣י׀sa-REIH8269
ruler

שַׂר (sar) 1) prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain 1a) chieftain, leader 1b) vassal, noble, official (under king) 1c) captain, general, commander (military) 1d) chief, head, overseer (of other official classes) 1e) heads, princes (of religious office) 1f) elders (of representative leaders of people) 1g) merchant-princes (of rank and dignity) 1h) patron-angel 1i) Ruler of rulers (of God) 1j) warden

Persiaפָּרַ֣סpa-RASH6539
Persia

אֲפָֽרְסָיֵא (a.pha.re.say) Persia or Apharsite = "causers of division (?)" (CLBL) an unknown office (TWOT) perhaps a title of an official Another spelling of pa.ras (פָּרַס "Persia" H6539)

and Mediaוּמָדַ֗יu-ma-DAIH4074H
Media

מָדַי (ma.day) § Media = "middle land" Land inhabited by the descendants of Japheth; located northwest of Persia proper, south and southwest of the Caspian Sea, east of Armenia and Assyria, and west and northwest of the great salt desert of Iram

[who] sawרֹאֵי֙ro-'EIH7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

of [the] face ofפְּנֵ֣יpe-NEIH6440H
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 kingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

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

who satהַיֹּשְׁבִ֥יםhai-yo-she-VIMH3427
to dwell

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

foremostרִאשֹׁנָ֖הri-sho-NAHH7223G
first

רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) : first adj 1) first, primary, former 1a) former (of time) 1a1) ancestors 1a2) former things 1b) foremost (of location) 1c) first (in time) 1d) first, chief (in degree) adv 2) first, before, formerly, at first

in the kingdomבַּמַּלְכֽוּת׃ba-mal-KHUTH4438
kingdom

מַלְכוּ (mal.khu) 1) royalty, reign, kingdom 1a) royalty, kingship, kingly authority 1b) kingdom 1c) realm (of territory) 1d) reign (of time)

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