Amplified Bible
Esther 1:12
12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command, which was delivered [to her] by the eunuchs. So the king became extremely angry and burned with rage.
Esther 1:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.
Context of Esther 1:12
10On the seventh day, when the king’s heart was joyful with wine (in high spirits), he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus [as his attendants], 11to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown (high turban), to display her beauty before the people and the officials, for she was lovely to see. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command, which was delivered [to her] by the eunuchs. So the king became extremely angry and burned with rage. 13Then the king spoke to the wise men who understood the times [asking for their advice]—for it was the custom of the king to speak before all those who were familiar with law and legal matters— 14and who were close to him [as advisors]: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had access to the king and were ranked highest in the kingdom.
Read all of Esther 1Esther 1:12 word by word
וַתְּמָאֵ֞ן הַמַּלְכָּ֣ה וַשְׁתִּ֗י לָבוֹא֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּיַ֣ד הַסָּרִיסִ֑ים וַיִּקְצֹ֤ף הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַחֲמָת֖וֹ בָּעֲרָ֥ה בֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But the queenמַלְכָּהmalkâh · queenH4436
- Vashtiוַשְׁתִּיvashtîy · VashtiH2060
- refusedמָאֵןmâ'ên · to refuseH3985
- to comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- at the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- commandmentדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- byיָדyâd · hand: toH3027
- chamberlainsסָרִיסsârîys sâris · eunuchH5631
- veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
- wrothקָצַףqâtsaph · be angryH7107
- and his angerחֵמָהchêmâh chêmâ' · rageH2534
- burnedבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
Cross-references for Esther 1:12
- Genesis 3:16To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth; In pain you will give birth to children; Yet your desire and longing will be for your husband, And he will rule [with authority] over you and be responsible for you.”
- Ephesians 5:22Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as [a service] to the Lord.
- 1 Peter 3:1In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate, not as inferior, but out of respect for the responsibilities entrusted to husbands and their accountability to God, and so partnering with them] so that even if some do not obey the word [of God], they may be won over [to Christ] without discussion by the godly lives of their wives,
- Proverbs 19:12The king’s wrath terrifies like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is as [refreshing and nourishing as] dew on the grass.
- Proverbs 20:2The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion; Whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
- Daniel 2:12Because of this the king was indignant and extremely furious and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
- Daniel 3:13Then Nebuchadnezzar in a furious rage gave a command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; and these men were brought before the king.
- Nahum 1:6Who can stand before His indignation [His great wrath]? And who can stand up and endure the fierceness of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire And the rocks are destroyed by Him.
- Revelation 6:16and they called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the [righteous] wrath and indignation of the Lamb;
- Exodus 32:19And as soon as he approached the camp and he saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned; and he threw the tablets from his hands and smashed them at the foot of the mountain.
- Deuteronomy 29:20the Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him; the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven.
- Psalms 74:1O God, why have You rejected us forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
- Psalms 79:5How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy [which cannot endure a divided allegiance] burn like fire?
Commentaries on Esther 1:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Vashti refused to come - And much should she be commended for it. What woman, possessing even a common share of prudence and modesty, could consent to expose herself to the view of such a group of drunken Bacchanalians? Her courage was equal to her modesty: she would resist the royal mandate, rather than violate the rules of chaste decorum. Her contempt of worldly grandeur, when brought in competition with what every modest woman holds dear and sacred, is…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-22Verses 10-22 Ahasuerus's feast ended in heaviness, by his own folly. Seasons of peculiar festivity often end in vexation. Superiors should be careful not to command what may reasonably be disobeyed. But when wine is in, men's reason departs from them. He that had rule over 127 provinces, had no rule over his own spirit. But whether the passion or the policy of the king was served by this decree, God's providence made way for Esther to the crown, and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12refused to come: The queen's refusal is not explained. Perhaps she feared the king, who was drunk, might humiliate her. the king became furious: His anger likely increased because he was drunk and felt embarrassed in front of his friends.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-1210-12. On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine--As the feast days advanced, the drinking was more freely indulged in, so that the close was usually marked by great excesses of revelry. he commanded ... the seven chamberlains--These were the eunuchs who had charge of the royal harem. The refusal of Vashti to obey an order which required her to make an indecent exposure of herself before a company of drunken revellers, was…Read the comment
Topics related to Esther 1:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Esther 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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