1:1Esther’s story begins in 483 B.C., 103 years after Nebuchadnezzar had taken the Jews into captivity (2 Kings 25), 54 years after Zerubbabel led the first group of exiles back to Jerusalem (Ezra 1-2), and 25 years before Ezra led the second group to Jerusalem (Ezra 7). Esther tived in the kingdom of Persia, the dominant kingdom in the Middle East after Babylon's fall in 539 B.C. Esther’s parents must have been among those exiles who chose not to return to Jerusalem, even though Cyrus. the Persian king, had issued a decree allowing them to do so. The defeated at Salamis in 480 and had to return to Persia. Esther became queen in 479.
Life Application Study BibleEstherChapter 1
Esther 1
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 768, 769, 770
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1Esther 1
1THE BLUEPRINT1. Esther becomes queen (1:1—2:23)2. The Jews are threatened (3:1—4:17)3. Esther intercedes for the Jews (5:1—8:17)4. The Jews are delivered (9:1—10:3)MEGATHEMESTHEMEGod'sSovereignty1. Esther becomes queen
The King’s Banquet
These events happened in the days of King Xerxes,* who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia.* 2At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. 3In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. 4The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty. 1:1a Hebrew Ahasuerus, another name for Xerxes; also throughout the book of Esther. Xerxes reigned 486-465 I BC 5When it was all over, the king gave a banquet for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were in the fortress of Susa. It lasted for seven days and was held in the courtyard of the palace garden. The courtyard was beautifully decorated with white cotton curtains and blue hangings, which were fastened with white linen cords and purple ribbons to silver rings embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones. 7Drinks were served in gold goblets of many designs, and there was an abundance of royal wine, reflecting the king’s generosity. 9By edict of the king, no limits were placed on the drinking, for the king had instructed all his palace officials to serve each man as much as he wanted. 2At the same time, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
Queen Vashti Deposed
1010On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas~ 11to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. 12But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger. 13He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice. 4The names of these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan—seven nobles of Persia and Media. They met with the king regularly and held the highest positions in the empire. 15“What must be done to Queen Vashti?” the king demanded. “What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king’s orders, properly sent through his eunuchs?” _ 16Memucan answered the king and his nobles, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also every noble and citizen throughout your empire. 17Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. 18Before this day is out, the wives of all the king’s nobles throughout Persia and Media will hear what the queen did and will start treating their husbands the same way. There will be no end to their contempt and anger. 19“So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she. 20When this decree is published throughout the king's vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!” 21The king and his nobles thought this made good sense, so he followed Memucan’s counsel. 22He sent letters to all parts of the empire, to each province in its own script and language, proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases.*
Textual footnotes
- 1:1b Hebrew fo Cush.
- 1:22 Or and should speak in the language of his own people.
Life Application Notes 11 notes
1:2In this context, “fortress” means “palace.”
1:4The celebration lasted 180 days (about six months) because its real purpose was to plan the battle strategy for invading Greece and to demonstrate that the king had sufficient wealth to carry it out. Waging war was not only for survival: it was a means of acquiring more wealth, territory, and power.
1:5-7Persia was a world power, and the king, as the center of that power, was one of the wealthiest people in the world. Persian kings loved to flaunt their wealth, even wearing precious gemstones in their beards. Jewelry was a sign of rank for Persian men. Even soldiers wore great amounts of gold jewelry into battle.
1:9Ancient Greek documents call Xerxes’ wife Amestris, probably a Greek form of Vashti. Vashti was deposed in 483/482 B.C., but she is mentioned again in ancient records as the queen mother during the reign of her son, Artaxerxes, who succeeded Xerxes. Toward the end of Xerxes’ reign, either Esther died or Vashti was able through her son to regain the influence she had lost.
1:10Some advisers and government officials were castrated in order to prevent them fram having children and then rebelling and trying to establish a dynasty of their own. A castrated official was called a eunuch.
1:10,11Xerxes made a rash, half-drunk decision, based purety on feelings. His self-restraint and practical wisdom were weakened by too much wine. Poor decisions are made when people don’t think clearly. Base your decisions on careful thinking, not on the emotions of the moment. Impulsive decision-making leads to severe complications.
1:13-15Xerxes, like most leaders past and present, kept a handful of advisers whom he consulted on almost all matters. Often a king’s success rose or fell on the wisdom of these men. Daniel was such an adviser under Darius and Cyrus (Daniel 6:28).
1:15Middle Eastern kings often did not have close personal relationships with their wives. Xerxes demonstrates this because (1) he had a harem (2:3); (2) he showed no respect for Vashti’s personhood (1:10-12); (3) Esther, when she became queen, did not see him for long periods of time (4:11).
1:16-21Perhaps the men’s thinking had been clouded by drinking. Obviously this law would not cause the women of the country to respect their husbands. Respect between men and women comes from mutual regard and appreciation for each other as those created in God's image, not from legal pronouncemerits and orders. Forced obedience is a poor substitute for the love and respect wives and husbands should have for each other.
1:19A Persian king was thought to be a god by many of his people; therefore, when he issued a law or command, it stood forever (see the notes on 8:8 and Daniel 6:8). The law could never be canceled, even if it was ill-advised; but if necessary, a new law could be issued to neutralize the effects of the old law.
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Study feature · page 768
The book of Esther is an example of God’s divine guidance and care over our lives. God’s sovereignty and power are seen throughout this book. Although we may question certain circumstances in our lives, we must have faith that God is in control, working through both the pleasant and difficult times so that we can serve him effectively.
IMPORTANCE With God in charge, we can take courage. He can guide us through the circumstances we face in our lives. We should expect God to display his power in carrying out his will. As we unite our life's purposes to God’s purpose, we benefit from his sovereign care. Racial hatred is always sinful. We must never condone it in any form. Every person on earth has intrinsic worth because God created people in his own image. Therefore, Gad’s people must stand against racism whenever and wherever it occurs. Because God is in control of history, he is never frustrated by any turn of events or human action. He is able to save us from the evil of this world and deliver us from sin and death. Because we trust God, we are not to fear what people may do to us; instead, we are to be confident in God’s control. When outnumbered and powerless, it is natural for us to feel helpless. Esther and Mordecai resisted this temptation and acted with courage. It is not enough to know that God is in control; we must act with self-sacrifice and courage to follow God’s guidance. It takes great wisdom to survive in a non-believing world. In a setting which is for the most part hostile to Christianity, we can demonstrate wisdom by giving respect to what is true and good and by humbly standing against what is wrong.
EXPLANATION The book of Esther tells of the circumstances that were essential to the survival of God’s people in Persia. These “circumstances” were not the result of chance but of God’s grand design. God is sovereign over every area of life. The Jews in Persia had been a minority since their deportation from Judah 100 years earlier. Haman was a descendant of King Agag, an enemy of the Jews. Lust for power and pride drove Haman to hate Mordecai, Esther’s cousin. Haman convinced the king to kill all the Jews. in February or March, the Jews celebrate the Festival of Purim, which symbolizes God’s deliverance. Purim means “lots,” such as those used by Haman to set the date for the extermination of all Jews from Persia. But God overruled, using Queen Esther to intercede on behalf of the Jews. Faced with death, Esther and Mordecai set aside their own fear and took action. Esther risked her life by asking King Xerxes to save the Jews.
Racial Hatred
Deliverance
Action
The Jews were a minority in a world hostile to them. It took great wisdom for Mordecai to survive. Serving as a faithful official of the king, Mordecai took steps to understand and work within the Persian law. Yet he did not compromise his integrity.
Wisdom
Study feature · page 768
Jewish exiles had great freedom in Persia, and many remained because they had established themselves there or were fearful of the dangerous journey back to their homeland. 1:1. Xerxes the Great was Persia’s fifth king (486-466 B.C.). He was proud and impulsive, as we see from the events in chapter 1. His winter palace was in Susa, where he held the banquet described in 1:3-7. Persian kings often held great banquets before going to war. In 481, Xerxes launched an attack against Greece. After his fleet won a great victory at Thermopylae, he was
Study feature · page 769
THE WORLD OF ESTHER’S DAY Esther lived in the capital of the vast Medo-Persian Empire, which incorporated the provinces of Media and Persia, as well as the previous empires of Assyria and Babylon. Esther, a Jew, was chosen by King Xerxes to be his queen. The story of how she saved her people takes place in the palace in Susa.
Caspian Mediterranean BABYLONIAS, giuch I vofthe empire
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