Esther 1
Queen Vashti Deposed (1:1–22)
1–3 The events in the book of Esther begin in the third year of the reign of Xerxes4 king of Persia. His empire stretched from India to Cush (presentday Sudan), and included virtually all the nations of the Middle East. One of his capital cities was Susa, located in what is now southern Iran, and as the book opens we find Xerxes in the citadel of Susa, his fortress and palace in the center of the city.5 There he is about to give a banquet for all his nobles and officials, including the military leaders of Media (northern Iran), an important part of the Persian Empire.
4–9 For six months before the banquet, Xerxes had been displaying the vast wealth of his kingdom to all his nobles, officials, and military leaders; probably he had gathered them in Susa to discuss some important affairs of the kingdom. Then he gave a lavish sevenday banquet, which the writer describes in detail in verses 5–8. Xerxes’ wife, Queen Vashti, also gave a banquet for the women staying in the palace (verse 9).
10–12 On the last day of the banquet the somewhat intoxicated Xerxes called for his wife Vashti to come and display her beauty before all the guests.6 She evidently felt this would be demeaning to her, so she refused to come. This, of course, made Xerxes look foolish, and he became furious (verse 12). He controlled the greatest empire in the world, but he couldn’t control his wife!
13–18 Xerxes consulted with his wise men, or court astrologers, concerning what to do about Vashti’s refusal to obey his command. Their spokesman Memucan pointed out that the issue at stake involved more than just Xerxes and his wife; it involved every husband in the land. What if all the other wives of Persia should follow Vashti’s example and begin to disobey their husbands!
19–22 So Memucan advised the king to depose Vashti, to remove her from his presence and from her position as queen. Xerxes should do this by issuing a royal decree7 to be proclaimed throughout the land. Then all the wives of Persia would hear about it and learn to respect their husbands. Xerxes agreed with Memucan’s advice and issued the decree; he also sent dispatches throughout the kingdom proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household (verse 22).
