Esther 1:12

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 of the feast, King Xerxes was feeling happy, because he had drunk so much wine. He had seven eunuchs who served him in the palace. Their names were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas. 11He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him. He said that she must wear her royal crown. He wanted to show everyone at his feast how beautiful his queen was. She was a very beautiful woman. The eunuchs told Queen Vashti what the king had commanded. But she refused to go to him. This made the king very angry. 13The king spoke to his wise advisors about what had happened. These men understood the laws and customs of Persia. When something like this happened, the king would ask them what he should do. 14The seven advisors who were often with the king were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan. These men were the most important officers in the kingdom.

Esther 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 3:16God said to the woman, ‘I will cause you to have great pain when you give birth to children. You will want to please your husband. But he will rule over you as your master.’
• Ephesians 5:22Wives, obey your own husbands, as you obey the Lord.
• 1 Peter 3:1I need to speak to you wives. You should each respect the authority of your own husband. Even if your husband does not believe God's message about Jesus Christ, you should still respect him. If you do that, he may then turn to God and believe his message. You will not need to tell him what is true. He will see the good way that you live.
• Proverbs 19:12When the king is angry, he makes people afraid, like a lion that roars. But when he is pleased with you, that is like dew on fresh grass.
• Proverbs 20:2When the king is angry, he is as dangerous as a lion that roars. If you make him angry, you will lose your life.
• Daniel 2:12This made the king very angry. So he said to his soldiers, ‘Kill all the wise men in Babylon.’
• Daniel 3:13When King Nebuchadnezzar heard this, he was very angry. He told his servants to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to him. So they brought those men to stand in front of the king.
• Nahum 1:6Nobody can fight God when he is very angry. The Lord pours his anger out like fire and he breaks the rocks in his path.
• Revelation 6:16They shouted to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and cover us. Hide us, so that the one who sits on the throne cannot see us. Also hide us from the Lamb who is very angry with us.
• Exodus 32:19Then Moses arrived at the camp. He saw the gold calf. He saw that the people were dancing. He became very angry. He threw the two flat stones that he was carrying onto the ground. He broke them into pieces there at the bottom of the mountain.
• Deuteronomy 29:20The Lord will never forgive that person. He will be very angry with him. The Lord will punish him in all the terrible ways that are written in this book. The Lord will destroy him completely so that his family name comes to an end.
• Psalms 74:1God, have you turned against us for ever? Why are you so angry with us? We belong to you, so please take care of us, like a shepherd takes care of his sheep.
• Psalms 79:5Lord, how long will this continue? Will you be angry with us for ever? Will you always be angry, like a fire that continues to burn?

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

• Anger
• Chamberlain
• Divorce
• Family
• Husband
• Modesty
• Persia
• Queen
• Vashti
• Wife
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Vashti
• Shushan
• Chamberlain
• Commandment, the New
• Esther, Book of
• Purim; Pur
• Wrath, (anger)

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