Christian Standard Bible
Esther 1:12
12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command that was delivered by his eunuchs. The king became furious and his anger burned within him.
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 was feeling good from the wine, Ahasuerus commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas — the seven eunuchs who personally served him — 11to bring Queen Vashti before him with her royal crown. He wanted to show off her beauty to the people and the officials, because she was very beautiful. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command that was delivered by his eunuchs. The king became furious and his anger burned within him. 13The king consulted the wise men who understood the times, for it was his normal procedure to confer with experts in law and justice. 14The most trusted ones were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven officials of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and occupied the highest positions 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 3:16He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children with painful effort. Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you.
- Ephesians 5:22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord,
- 1 Peter 3:1In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the word, they may be won over without a word by the way their wives live
- Proverbs 19:12A king’s rage is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
- Proverbs 20:2A king’s terrible wrath is like the roaring of a lion; anyone who provokes him endangers himself.
- Daniel 2:12Because of this, the king became violently angry and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
- Daniel 3:13Then in a furious rage Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king.
- Nahum 1:6Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before him.
- Revelation 6:16And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb,
- Exodus 32:19As he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became enraged and threw the tablets out of his hands, smashing them at the base of the mountain.
- Deuteronomy 29:20The Lord will not be willing to forgive him. Instead, his anger and jealousy will burn against that person, and every curse written in this scroll will descend on him. The Lord will blot out his name under heaven,
- Psalms 74:1Why have you rejected us forever, God? Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture?
- Psalms 79:5How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy keep burning 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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