American Standard Version
Esther 1:22
22for 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 should speak according to the language of his people.
Esther 1:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, to each province in its own script, and to every people in their own language, that each man should be master in his own house, and speak in the language of his own people.
Context of Esther 1:22
20And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small. 21And 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 should speak according to the language of his people.
Read all of Esther 1Esther 1:22 word by word
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח סְפָרִים֙ אֶל־כָּל־מְדִינ֣וֹת הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֶל־מְדִינָ֤ה וּמְדִינָה֙ כִּכְתָבָ֔הּ וְאֶל־עַ֥ם וָעָ֖ם כִּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹ לִהְי֤וֹת כָּל־אִישׁ֙ שֹׂרֵ֣ר בְּבֵית֔וֹ וּמְדַבֵּ֖ר כִּלְשׁ֥וֹן עַמּֽוֹ׃ פRead the interlinear
- sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- lettersסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
- king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- provincesמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
- peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- languageלָשׁוֹןlâshôn lâshôn leshônâh · tongue: languageH3956
- manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- ruleשָׂרַרώârar · to ruleH8323
- houseבֵּיתbayith · betweenH1004
- speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
Cross-references for Esther 1:22
- Esther 3:12Then were the king’s scribes called in the first month, on the thirteenth day thereof; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king’s satraps, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.
- Esther 8:9Then were the king’s scribes called at that time, in the third month, which is the month Sivan, on the three and twentiethday thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, a hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
- Daniel 3:29Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort.
- Daniel 4:1Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.
- Ephesians 5:22Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
- 1 Timothy 2:12But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness.
- Luke 16:8And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light.
- Acts 2:5Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 14:19howbeit in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Commentaries on Esther 1:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22That every man should bear rule in his own house - Both God's law and common sense taught this from the foundation of the world. And is it possible that this did not obtain in the Persian empire, previously to this edict? The twentieth verse has another clause, That all wives shall give to their husbands honor, both to great and small. This also was universally understood. This law did nothing. I suppose the parade of enactment was only made to deprive…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22He sent letters - The Persian system of posts incidentally noticed in the present book Esther 3:12-15; Esther 8:9-14, is in entire harmony with the accounts of Herodotus and Xenophon. Into every province according to the writing thereof - The practice of the Persians to address proclamations to the subject-nations in their own speech, and not merely in the language of the conqueror, is illustrated by the bilingual and trilingual inscriptions of the…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. 22The decree was published in each region's script and language so everyone in the Persian Empire could understand it. every man should be master of his own household: In the ancient Near East, it was already common for men to rule their houses. The decree made this custom legally enforceable.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-22Commentary by Robert Jamieson 1. Ahasuerus--It is now generally agreed among learned men that the Ahasuerus mentioned in this episode is the Xerxes who figures in Grecian history.Read the comment
Topics related to Esther 1:22
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries