Esther 2:18

Esther 2:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
• New International Version (NIV)And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.

Context of Esther 2:18

16So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal turban on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts in proportion to the king’s bounty. 19Now when the virgins were gathered together for the second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20Esther still had not revealed her relatives or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her just as she had when under his care.

Esther 2:18 word by word

וַיַּ֨עַשׂ הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה גָד֗וֹל לְכָל־שָׂרָיו֙ וַעֲבָדָ֔יו אֵ֖ת מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה אֶסְתֵּ֑ר וַהֲנָחָ֤ה לַמְּדִינוֹת֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וַיִּתֵּ֥ן מַשְׂאֵ֖ת כְּיַ֥ד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃Read the interlinear

• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• heldעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: offerH6213
• a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• banquetמִשְׁתֶּהmishteh · feastH4960
• Esther’sאֶסְתֵּר'estêr · EstherH635
• for allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• his officialsשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• and his servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• a holidayהֲנָחָהhănâchâh · holidayH2010
• for the provincesמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
• and gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• giftsמַשְׂאֵתmaώ'êth · tributeH4864
• bountyיָדyâd · hand: toH3027

Cross-references for Esther 2:18

• Esther 1:3in the third year of his reign he held a banquet for all his officials and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the officials of his provinces, in his presence.
• Genesis 29:22So Laban gathered all the people of the place and held a feast.
• Judges 14:10Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson held a feast there, for the young men customarily did this.
• Matthew 22:2“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who held a wedding feast for his son.
• Luke 14:8“Whenever you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him,
• Revelation 19:9Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
• Esther 9:22because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from grief into joy, and from mourning into a holiday; that they were to make them days of feasting and rejoicing, and sending portions of food to one another, and gifts to the poor.
• 1 Samuel 25:8Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”
• Nehemiah 8:11So the Levites silenced all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”
• Revelation 11:10And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth.

Commentaries on Esther 2:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Made a release to the provinces - Remitted some kind of tribute or impost, in honor of Esther, at her coronation, as our kings generally do when they are crowned, ordering a discharge from prison of many who are confined for minor offenses. As it was the custom of the Persian kings to give their queens something like what is called with us the aurum reginae, "queen gold," which was a tenth of all fines, etc., above what was given to the king; (for they…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18A release - Either remission of taxation, or of military service, or of both.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18he king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet: The king honored his wife instead of showing her off (compare Esther 1:11). He proclaimed a tax holiday: The Hebrew word for “public holiday” (hanakhah) is related to the verb meaning “rest” (nukh). The book describes how the Jewish people found rest from their enemies' threats (see Esther 9:16–22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-201-3. After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased--On recovering from the violent excitement of his revelry and rage, the king was pierced with poignant regret for the unmerited treatment he had given to his beautiful and dignified queen. But, according to the law, which made the word of a Persian king irrevocable, she could not be restored. His counsellors, for their own sake, were solicitous to remove his disquietude, and hastened…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 2:18

• Chamberlain
• Marriage

In the dictionaries

• Esther, Book of
• Gift
• Release
• Vashti

Commentaries on Esther 2

• 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