Esther 1:19

Esther 1:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
• New International Version (NIV)“Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If it pleases the king, let a royal decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will not be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.

Context of Esther 1:19

17For the matter concerning the queen will spread to all the women, leading them to treat their husbands with contempt, saying, ‘When King Ahasuerus gave orders to bring Queen Vashti into his presence, she would not come.’ 18And this very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media who have heard the matter concerning the queen will respond in the same way to all the royal officials, and there will be more than enough contempt and anger! If the king is so inclined, let a royal edict go forth from him, and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media that cannot be repealed, that Vashti may not come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king convey her royalty to another who is more deserving than she. 20And let the king’s decision which he will enact be disseminated throughout all his kingdom, vast though it is. Then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the most prominent to the lowly.” 21The matter seemed appropriate to the king and the officials. So the king acted on the advice of Memucan.

Esther 1:19 word by word

אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ט֗וֹב יֵצֵ֤א דְבַר־מַלְכוּת֙ מִלְּפָנָ֔יו וְיִכָּתֵ֛ב בְּדָתֵ֥י פָֽרַס־וּמָדַ֖י וְלֹ֣א יַעֲב֑וֹר אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־תָב֜וֹא וַשְׁתִּ֗י לִפְנֵי֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וּמַלְכוּתָהּ֙ יִתֵּ֣ן הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ לִרְעוּתָ֖הּ הַטּוֹבָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנָּה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If it pleaseטוֹבţôb · be pleasingH2895
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• let there goיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• a royalמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438
• commandmentדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• from himפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• and let it be writtenכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
• among the lawsדָּתdâth · lawH1881
• of the Persiansפָּרַסpâras · PersiaH6539
• and the Medesמָדַיmâday · MedeH4074
• that it be not alteredעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• That Vashtiוַשְׁתִּיvashtîy · VashtiH2060
• comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ'ăchashvêrôsh 'achashrôsh · AhasuerusH325
• giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• unto anotherרְעוּתre‛ûth · neighborH7468
• that is betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896

Cross-references for Esther 1:19

• Esther 1:21The matter seemed appropriate to the king and the officials. So the king acted on the advice of Memucan.
• Esther 3:9If the king is so inclined, let an edict be issued to destroy them. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to be conveyed to the king’s treasuries for the officials who carry out this business.”
• Esther 8:5She said, “If the king is so inclined and if I have met with his approval and if the matter is agreeable to the king and if I am attractive to him, let an edict be written rescinding those recorded intentions of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote in order to destroy the Jews who are throughout all the king’s provinces.
• Esther 8:8Now you write in the king’s name whatever in your opinion is appropriate concerning the Jews and seal it with the king’s signet ring. Any decree that is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring cannot be rescinded.
• Daniel 6:8Now let the king issue a written interdict so that it cannot be altered, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.
• 1 Samuel 15:28Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to one of your colleagues who is better than you!
• 1 Kings 3:28When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected the king, for they realized that he possessed supernatural wisdom to make judicial decisions.

Commentaries on Esther 1:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19That it be not altered - Let it be inserted among the permanent laws, and made a part of the constitution of the empire. Perhaps the Persians affected such a degree of wisdom in the construction of their laws, that they never could be amended, and should never be repeated. And this we may understand to be the ground of the saying, The laws of the Medes and Persians, that change not.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19That it be not altered - Compare the margin reference. This was the theory. Practically, the monarch, if he chose, could always dispense with the law. It was therefore quite within his power to restore Vashti to her queenly dignity notwithstanding the present decree, if he so pleased.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. 19issue a royal decree...that it cannot be repealed: This decree would become an unchangeable law (Esther 8:8; Daniel 6:8, 12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1913-19. Then the king said to the wise men--These were probably the magi, without whose advice as to the proper time of doing a thing the Persian kings never did take any step whatever; and the persons named in Es 1:14 were the "seven counsellors" (compare Ezr 7:14) who formed the state ministry. The combined wisdom of all, it seems, was enlisted to consult with the king what course should be taken after so unprecedented an occurrence as Vashti's…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 1:19

• Babylon
• Divorce
• Family
• Husband
• Medes
• Memucan
• Persia
• Queen
• Vashti
• Wife
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Ahasuerus
• Vashti
• Ahasuerus; Asseurus
• Medes
• Persians
• Mede, Medes, Media
• Persia, Persians
• Shushan
• Esther, Book of
• Good

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