וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הוּא אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הַמֹּלֵךְ מֵהֹדּוּ וְעַד־כּוּשׁ שֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמֵאָה מְדִינָה

It was in the days of Ahashverosh, that Ahashverosh who reigned from India to Kush, southern Egypt. The Persian kingdom, which was at its zenith at the time, was divided into one hundred and twenty-seven provinces. The empire was divided into large regions that were under the control of governors, called satraps, while a subordinate governor was appointed over each state or province.

בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם כְּשֶׁבֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ עַל כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה

It happened that in those days, when King Ahashverosh sat on the royal throne that was in the Shushan citadel [habira]. Shushan, also known as Susa, was a city in Elam, whose ruins are still extant. Inside the city was a royal fortress, or citadel [bira], where both the central government and Ahashverosh’s palace were located.

בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלוֹשׁ לְמָלְכוֹ עָשָׂה מִשְׁתֶּה לְכָל־שָׂרָיו וַעֲבָדָיו חֵיל פָּרַס וּמָדַי הַפַּרְתְּמִים וְשָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינוֹת לְפָנָיו

In the third year of his reign, after he had crushed all those who stood in his way, he made a large public banquet for all his princes and his servants. He did not hold his coronation celebrations immediately upon ascending the throne, possibly because he was preoccupied with settling internal disputes. Once he had firmly established his reign, he invited the elite of Persia and Media, two separate states that were partly unified; the nobles and princes who were appointed to be in charge of the provinces before him,

בְּהַרְאֹתוֹ אֶת־עֹשֶׁר כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ וְאֶת־יְקָר תִּפְאֶרֶת גְּדוּלָּתוֹ יָמִים רַבִּים שְׁמוֹנִים וּמְאַת יוֹם

with his showing the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the honor of his splendid majesty, for many days. The feast, which was designed to publicly display the king’s riches and might, lasted one hundred and eighty days.

וּבִמְלוֹאת הַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ לְכָל־הָעָם הַנִּמְצְאִים בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה לְמִגָּדוֹל וְעַד־קָטָן מִשְׁתֶּה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בַּחֲצַר גִּנַּת בִּיתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ

Upon the completion of those days, during which a banquet was held for people who came from afar, the king made a banquet for all the people who were present in the Shushan citadel, from great to small, seven days. He may have treated them to this feast in an attempt to win the trust of the citadel’s residents, many of whom were government officials. This banquet took place in the court of the garden of the king’s audience hall, a courtyard with a garden or orchard, adjacent to the audience hall.

חוּר כַּרְפַּס וּתְכֵלֶת אָחוּז בְּחַבְלֵי־בוּץ וְאַרְגָּמָן עַל־גְּלִילֵי כֶסֶף וְעַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ מִטּוֹת זָהָב וָכֶסֶף עַל רִצְפַת בַּהַט־וָשֵׁשׁ וְדַר וְסֹחָרֶת

The place was decorated with expensive fabrics: White linen, green cotton [karpas],and sky-blue wool, all bound with cords of fine linen and purple wool. All these fabrics and cords were hung on silver rods and marble pillars, and there were couches of gold and silver on a floor of alabaster, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stone.

וְהַשְׁקוֹת בִּכְלֵי זָהָב וְכֵלִים מִכֵּלִים שׁוֹנִים וְיֵין מַלְכוּת רָב כְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ

Serving drink in vessels of gold, as befitted a royal feast, and vessels of diverse kinds; the guests were offered vessels of various shapes and colors, in accordance with their status and needs. And abundant royal wine was provided at the king’s expense, in accordance with the king’s bounty, offered freely and without concern for the cost.

וְהַשְּׁתִיָּה כַדָּת אֵין אֹנֵס כִּי־כֵן יִסַּד הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל כָּל־רַב בֵּיתוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת כִּרְצוֹן אִישׁ־וָאִישׁ

The drinking was as customary, following the accepted rules of etiquette, and without constraint. Since the king wanted the people to feel part of the royal feast, they were free to drink as they pleased. For so did the king establish, command, for all the officials of his palace, to act in accordance with the wishes of each and every man. The Persian policy was not to try to impose conformity within the multicultural empire, but to grant each nation the freedom to preserve their identity, language, and customs.

גַּם וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה עָשְׂתָה מִשְׁתֵּה נָשִׁים בֵית הַמַּלְכוּת אֲשֶׁר לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ

Also Vashti the queen made a banquet for the women, in parallel to the great feast for the men, in another wing of the royal palace of King Ahashverosh. The feast for the women was held separately from that of the men to avoid the undesirable consequences of mixed festivities. Unlike the king’s wild feast, the women’s banquet was a more dignified affair.

בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי כְּטוֹב לֵב־הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּיָּיִן אָמַר לִמְהוּמָן בִּזְּתָא חַרְבוֹנָא בִּגְתָא וַאֲבַגְתָא זֵתַר וְכַרְכַּס שִׁבְעַת הַסָּרִיסִים הַמְשָׁרְתִים אֶת־פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ

On the seventh day of the feast, when the king was merry with wine; he was in good spirits after much drinking. It is hard to tell whether he was actually drunk, partly due to the rather formal tone of the description here. In any case, he, Ahashverosh, said to Mehuman, Bizeta, Harbona, Bigta, Avagta, Zetar, and Karkas, the seven special chamberlains [sarisim] who attended to King Ahashverosh, and who were closest to him. The word sarisim can also mean eunuchs and it can be assumed that these were actual eunuchs, as their job required them to pass between the men and the women. In the raucous atmosphere of debauchery at the party, the king bragged about his power, wealth, wisdom, and success. He also boasted of his beautiful wife.

לְהָבִיא אֶת־וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת לְהַרְאוֹת הָעַמִּים וְהַשָּׂרִים אֶת־יָפְיָהּ כִּי־טוֹבַת מַרְאֶה הִיא

The king, not satisfied with mere boasts, commanded his officials to bring Queen Vashti before the king with the royal crown, in order to display her beauty to all the peoples and the princes, as she was of fair appearance.

וַתְּמָאֵן הַמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּי לָבוֹא בִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר בְּיַד הַסָּרִיסִים וַיִּקְצֹף הַמֶּלֶךְ מְאֹד וַחֲמָתוֹ בָּעֲרָה בוֹ

Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s word, delivered by means of the chamberlains. Her refusal to obey the command of the king, whose authority was absolutely unlimited, is indicative of her high status. She was unwilling to humiliate herself by parading her body before an audience. The king was very angry, and his fury burned within him. His rage was provoked by his wife’s audacity in rejecting his demand, which was not issued privately but by an official delegation. His sensitivity to any slight to his honor was undoubtedly heightened by his inebriated state. Under the circumstances, he had anticipated that his request would be obeyed immediately and in full. Perhaps Vashti also alluded to his drunkenness, or mocked him, further enflaming his anger. This is possibly the meaning of the phrase in verse 17, “for the matter [devar] of the queen,” which can also mean the statement of the queen.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לַחֲכָמִים יֹדְעֵי הָעִתִּים כִּי־כֵן דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ לִפְנֵי כָּל־יֹדְעֵי דָּת וָדִין

The king communicated with the wise men, knowledgeable of the portents, the astrologers, or his advisors in charge of managing the affairs of the kingdom, for so was the practice of the king before those learned in custom and law, to present his problems before his legal counselors.

וְהַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו כַּרְשְׁנָא שֵׁתָר אַדְמָתָא תַרְשִׁישׁ מֶרֶס מַרְסְנָא מְמוּכָן שִׁבְעַת שָׂרֵי פָּרַס וּמָדַי רֹאֵי פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַיֹּשְׁבִים רִאשֹׁנָה בַּמַּלְכוּת

The verse notes that those advisors who were close to him, the king, were Karshena, Shetar, Admata, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memukhan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who viewed the king’s face, who would meet with him. The king did not ordinarily appear in public and only his closest courtiers would regularly encounter him face-to-face. It was these advisors who were seated first in the kingdom, as the chief ministers of his government.

כְּדָת מַה־לַּעֲשׂוֹת בַּמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּי עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָשְׂתָה אֶת־מַאֲמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ בְּיַד הַסָּרִיסִים

The legal question under discussion was as follows: As to the policy: What to do to Queen Vashti, in that she did not follow the order of King Ahashverosh by means of the chamberlains? What is to be done in light of the queen’s public refusal to obey the king’s command, which was delivered to her by an official delegation?

וַיֹּאמֶר מְמוּכָן לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשָּׂרִים לֹא עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ לְבַדּוֹ עָוְתָה וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה כִּי עַל־כָּל־הַשָּׂרִים וְעַל־כָּל־הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל־מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ

Memukhan said before the king and the princes that the queen’s sin was even worse than might have been thought: It is not the king alone that Queen Vashti has wronged, by failing to obey his instruction; rather, it is all the princes, and all the peoples, who are in all the provinces of King Ahashverosh. Since she publicly rebelled against the king, her decision will have ramifications that will spread throughout the entire Persian Empire.

כִּי־יֵצֵא דְבַר הַמַּלְכָּה עַל־כָּל־הַנָּשִׁים לְהַבְזוֹת בַּעְלֵיהֶן בְּעֵינֵיהֶן בְּאָמְרָם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אָמַר לְהָבִיא אֶת־וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה לְפָנָיו וְלֹא־בָאָה

For the matter of the queen will get out to all the women, rendering their husbands contemptible in their eyes. Although the queen did not issue an explicit declaration to this effect, and did not preach this type of conduct, her personal example here is likely to become the norm, in their saying, by women who seek to copy her: King Ahashverosh said to bring Queen Vashti before him, but she did not come. The queen has created a dangerous precedent.

והַיּוֹם הַזֶּה תֹּאמַרְנָה שָׂרוֹת פָּרַס־וּמָדַי אֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעוּ אֶת־דְּבַר הַמַּלְכָּה לְכֹל שָׂרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וּכְדַי בִּזָּיוֹן וָקָצֶף

From this day onward, the princesses of Persia and Media, the wives of the officials and nobles, who have heard of the matter of the queen, will recount it to all the king’s princes, they will issue similar statements, and perhaps the wives of commoners will follow suit as well. Vashti’s refusal will embolden these women when they quarrel with their husbands, and through this incident there will be no end of contempt and wrath, or contempt that should arouse our anger. This is not merely a personal slight, which the king could potentially overlook; rather, the broader consequences of the queen’s refusal will be severe, as her scandalous behavior, even if not repeated, is likely to serve as a model that will be imitated throughout the kingdom.

אִם־עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב יֵצֵא דְבַר־מַלְכוּת מִלְּפָנָיו וְיִכָּתֵב בְּדָתֵי פָרַס־וּמָדַי וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תָבוֹא וַשְׁתִּי לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ ומַלְכוּתָהּ יִתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ לִרְעוּתָהּ הַטּוֹבָה מִמֶּנָּה

Therefore, if it pleases the king, let the royal edict be issued before him. The decision should be published as a formal decree, and furthermore, let it be written in the book of the decrees of Persia and Media, not to be repealed, as despite the king’s power and position, he is considered to be bound by the laws and proclamations of the kingdom, at least technically (see 8:8), that Vashti will not come before King Ahashverosh. Memukhan did not specify her fate; whether she was to be killed, permanently exiled, or simply deposed from her position as queen. And it should also be decreed that the king will give her queenship, her official status as queen, to her counterpart who is worthier than she. The king should dispense with her and choose a more suitable woman to replace her.

וְנִשְׁמַע פִּתְגָם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂה בְּכָל־מַלְכוּתוֹ כִּי רַבָּה הִיא וכָל־הַנָּשִׁים יִתְּנוּ יְקָר לְבַעְלֵיהֶן לְמִגָּדוֹל וְעַד־קָטָן

The king’s edict that he will enact will be heard throughout his entire kingdom, although it, the kingdom, is vast, and all the wives, following the dissemination of the royal precedent, will confer honor on their husbands, and will not disobey their commands, from great to small.

וַיִּיטַב הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשָּׂרִים וַיַּעַשׂ הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּדְבַר מְמוּכָן

The matter was pleasing in the eyes of the king and the princes. Memukhan’s appraisal of the fundamental problem, with its potentially serious consequences, was greeted with approval. In his speech, Memukhan presented his solution not as a royal whim, but rather as an important precedent in the management of the country. The angry, drunken king was delighted at the opportunity to inflate the incident into an event of imperial importance. And therefore the king acted in accordance with the word of Memukhan. As noted in the introduction, the book of Esther, with its formal style, does not criticize the king overtly. However, reading between the lines, Ahashverosh emerges as a ridiculous, easily manipulated figure.

וַיִּשְׁלַח סְפָרִים אֶל־כָּל־מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה כִּכְתָבָהּ וְאֶל־עַם וָעָם כִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ לִהְיוֹת כָּל־אִישׁ שֹׂרֵר בְּבֵיתוֹ וּמְדַבֵּר כִּלְשׁוֹן עַמּוֹ

He, Ahashverosh, sent scrolls containing the official order to all the provinces of the king, to each and every province in its script, and to each and every people in its language: Every man shall be ruler in his house. The king did not mention Vashti by name, but simply declared that each man should be in charge of his house, and that he should speak the language of his people. People of different nationalities in his kingdom had intermarried, thereby mixing their languages. Consequently, the king took this opportunity to issue a decree that from this point forward the language of the husband should be the one spoken by all members of his household.