Esther 1:3-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Esther 1:1-9

Which of the kings of Persia this Ahasuerus was the learned are not agreed. Mordecai is said to have been one of those that were carried captive from Jerusalem (Est. 2:5, 6), whence it should seem that this Ahasuerus was one of the first kings of that empire. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that he was that Artaxerxes who hindered the building of the temple, who is called also Ahasuerus (Ezra 4:6, 7), after his great-grandfather of the Medes, Dan. 9:1. We have here an account, I. Of the vast extent of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:3

In the third year of his reign he made a feast unto all his princes, and his servants ,.... The nobles and officers in his court; on what account this was cannot be said with certainty, whether the first day of it was his birthday, or the day of his coming to the throne, on which day Xerxes used to make a feast annually, as Herodotus relates F6 lb. (Herodot.) Calliope, sive, l. 9. c. 109. : the power of Persia and Media ; the mighty men therein, the potentates thereof; or the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:4

When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom ,.... Xerxes was the fourth king of the Persian monarchy, and was "far richer than all" that went before him, all their riches coming into his hands, Daniel 11:2 , and now that prophecy began to be fulfilled, "that by his strength, through his riches, he should stir up all against the realm of Grecia"; which he began to do in the third year of his reign, and for which these his nobles might be called together, as to have their advice, so to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:5

And when these days were ended ,.... The one hundred and eighty, in which the nobles, princes, and great men of the kingdom were feasted: the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small ; of every age, rank, state and condition of life; these were the common people, whether inhabitants of the city or country people there on business, whether natives or foreigners; according to the Targum, there were Israelites there, but not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:6

Where were white, green, and blue hangings ,.... Or curtains of fine linen, as the Targum, which were of these several colours; the first letter of the word for "white" is larger than usual, to denote the exceeding whiteness of them. The next word is "carpas", which Ben Melech observes is a dyed colour, said to be green. Pausanias F17 Attica, sive, l. 1. p. 48. makes mention of Carpasian linen, and which may be here meant; the last word used signifies blue, sky coloured, or hyacinth: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:7

They gave them drink in vessels of gold, the vessels being divers one from another ,.... In the pattern and workmanship of them, though of the same metal, which diversity made the festival the more grand; earthen cups, with the Persians, were reckoned very mean; when a king would disgrace a man, he obliged him to use earthen cups F4 Ctesias in Athenaei Deipnosoph. l. 11. . The Targum represents these vessels to be the golden vessels of the temple at Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar carried... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:8

And the drinking was according to the law, none did compel ,.... According to the law Ahasuerus gave to his officers next mentioned, which was not to oblige any man to drink more than he chose; the Targum is,`according to the custom of his body;'that is, as a man is able to bear it, so they drank: some F6 Vid. Drusium in loc. read it, "the drinking according to the law, let none exact"; or require it to be, according to the custom then in use in Persia; for they were degenerated from... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Esther 1:4

The riches of his glorious kingdom - Luxury was the characteristic of the Eastern monarchs, and particularly of the Persians. In their feasts, which were superb and of long continuance, they made a general exhibition of their wealth, grandeur, etc., and received the highest encomiums from their poets and flatterers. Their ostentation on such occasions passed into a proverb: hence Horace: - Persicos odi, puer, apparatus: Displicent nexae philyra coronae; Mitte sectari, rosa... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Esther 1:5

A feast unto all the people - The first was a feast for the nobles in general; this, for the people of the city at large. In the court of the garden - As the company was very numerous that was to be received, no apartments in the palace could be capable of containing them; therefore the court of the garden was chosen. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Esther 1:6

White , green , and blue hangings - It was customary, on such occasions, not only to hang the place about with elegant curtains of the above colors, as Dr. Shaw and others have remarked, but also to have a canopy of rich stuffs suspended on cords from side to side of the place in which they feasted. And such courts were ordinarily paved with different coloured marbles, or with tiles painted, as above specified. And this was the origin of the Musive or Mosaic work, well known among... read more

Group of Brands