Esther 1:1-22
“Now 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:) That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, In 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: When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even and hundred and fourscore days.” (Esther 1:1-4)
About 528 BC., Ahaseurus ascended the throne of the Persian Empire. He seized Egypt in early 525 BC, giving him control of everything from the boundary of India to the boundary of Ethiopia according to Ethiopian and Persian records. He held a six month celebration of his victory over Egypt to impress the rulers of his various provinces with his power.
“And 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; Where 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.
And 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. And 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. Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.” (Esther 1:5-9)
To show his appreciation for their work, after the huge celebration, Ahaseurus had a seven day feast for the men who had done all the work in the richly appointed palace courtyard. His wife, Vashti was holding a similar event for the women.
“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 served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on. But 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.” (Esther 1:10-12)
Wanting to show off his trophy wife, Ahaseurus sent some of the waiters to bring her to the men’s party. She was busy overseeing the party ofr the ladies and resented the implication that what she was doing was less important than what he was doing. Almost no one enjoys being ordered around, and especially not by their servants, and she found it embarrassing to be on display where she would be the only woman present, so she refused to go.
“Then 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: And 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;) What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?” (Esther 1:13-15)
Accustomed to having people respond immediately to his commands, Ahaseurus saw her refusal as rebellion against his authority, completely ignoring her feelings. Embarassed that she ignored his demands in front of other men he became angry and asked the legal experts what could be done about her refusal.
“And 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. For 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. Likewise 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.
If 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. And 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.” (Esther 1:16-20)
As so often happens, the lawyers forgot this was a minor dispute between a husband and wife and made a federal case out of it. They said that her refusal to obey Ahaseurus would set a precedent for women not to obey their husbands and result in the collapse of their system.
They recommended that he divorce her and find someone who would be more compliant to take her place, so that the women would be afraid to oppose their husbands. and that a law be made enabling a husband to divorce any wife who wouldn‘t obey.
“And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan: For 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.” (Esther 1:21-22)
The lawyers solution appealed to Ahasuerus because he didn’t have to accept any of the blame for the conflict, and he would be doing a great thing for the people. Unfortunately, we tend to focus on our desired outcome and ignore what our actions may cause. Under Persian law, once a law had been passed, it could not be changed, so that principle would be enforced for a hundred years, producing an attitude toward women that persists to the present day in the region.
What started because a husband failed to consider his wife’s feelings turned into a major problem that has lasted over two thousand and five hundred years. Lawyers and politicians turned a molehill into a mountain because they didn't consider all the ramifications of their decision.
“Now 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:) That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, In 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: When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even and hundred and fourscore days.” (Esther 1:1-4)
About 528 BC., Ahaseurus ascended the throne of the Persian Empire. He seized Egypt in early 525 BC, giving him control of everything from the boundary of India to the boundary of Ethiopia according to Ethiopian and Persian records. He held a six month celebration of his victory over Egypt to impress the rulers of his various provinces with his power.
“And 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; Where 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.
And 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. And 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. Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.” (Esther 1:5-9)
To show his appreciation for their work, after the huge celebration, Ahaseurus had a seven day feast for the men who had done all the work in the richly appointed palace courtyard. His wife, Vashti was holding a similar event for the women.
“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 served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on. But 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.” (Esther 1:10-12)
Wanting to show off his trophy wife, Ahaseurus sent some of the waiters to bring her to the men’s party. She was busy overseeing the party ofr the ladies and resented the implication that what she was doing was less important than what he was doing. Almost no one enjoys being ordered around, and especially not by their servants, and she found it embarrassing to be on display where she would be the only woman present, so she refused to go.
“Then 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: And 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;) What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?” (Esther 1:13-15)
Accustomed to having people respond immediately to his commands, Ahaseurus saw her refusal as rebellion against his authority, completely ignoring her feelings. Embarassed that she ignored his demands in front of other men he became angry and asked the legal experts what could be done about her refusal.
“And 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. For 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. Likewise 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.
If 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. And 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.” (Esther 1:16-20)
As so often happens, the lawyers forgot this was a minor dispute between a husband and wife and made a federal case out of it. They said that her refusal to obey Ahaseurus would set a precedent for women not to obey their husbands and result in the collapse of their system.
They recommended that he divorce her and find someone who would be more compliant to take her place, so that the women would be afraid to oppose their husbands. and that a law be made enabling a husband to divorce any wife who wouldn‘t obey.
“And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan: For 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.” (Esther 1:21-22)
The lawyers solution appealed to Ahasuerus because he didn’t have to accept any of the blame for the conflict, and he would be doing a great thing for the people. Unfortunately, we tend to focus on our desired outcome and ignore what our actions may cause. Under Persian law, once a law had been passed, it could not be changed, so that principle would be enforced for a hundred years, producing an attitude toward women that persists to the present day in the region.
What started because a husband failed to consider his wife’s feelings turned into a major problem that has lasted over two thousand and five hundred years. Lawyers and politicians turned a molehill into a mountain because they didn't consider all the ramifications of their decision.
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