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, as King Ahasuerus was feeling the effects of the wine, he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who attended him, 11to bring Queen Vashti into the king’s presence wearing her royal high turban. He wanted to show the people and the officials her beauty, for she was very attractive. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s bidding conveyed through the eunuchs. Then the king became extremely angry, and his rage consumed him. 13The king then inquired of the wise men who were discerners of the times – for it was the royal custom to confer with all those who were proficient in laws and legalities. 14Those who were closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. These men were the seven officials of Persia and Media who saw the king on a regular basis and had the most prominent offices 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 3:16To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your labor pains; with pain you will give birth to children. You will want to control your husband, but he will dominate you.”
• Ephesians 5:22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord,
• 1 Peter 3:1In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live,
• Proverbs 19:12A king’s wrath is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
• Proverbs 20:2The king’s terrifying anger is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him sins against himself.
• Daniel 2:12Because of this the king got furiously angry and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
• Daniel 3:13Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage demanded that they bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them before the king.
• Nahum 1:6No one can withstand his indignation! No one can resist his fierce anger! His wrath is poured out like volcanic fire, boulders are broken up as he approaches.
• Revelation 6:16They said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb,
• Exodus 32:19When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became extremely angry. He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain.
• Deuteronomy 29:20The Lord will be unwilling to forgive him, and his intense anger will rage against that man; all the curses written in this scroll will fall upon him and the Lord will obliterate his name from memory.
• Psalms 74:1Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us? Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture?
• Psalms 79:5How long will this go on, O Lord? Will you stay angry forever? How long will your rage 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

• 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