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pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes.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a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus.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

17Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. 18Before this day is out, the wives of all the king’s nobles throughout Persia and Media will hear what the queen did and will start treating their husbands the same way. There will be no end to their contempt and anger. “So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she. 20When this decree is published throughout the king’s vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!” 21The king and his nobles thought this made good sense, so he followed Memucan’s counsel.

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 king and his nobles thought this made good sense, so he followed Memucan’s counsel.
• Esther 3:9If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”
• Esther 8:5Esther said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the orders of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who ordered that Jews throughout all the king’s provinces should be destroyed.
• Esther 8:8Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the king’s name, telling them whatever you want, and seal it with the king’s signet ring. But remember that whatever has already been written in the king’s name and sealed with his signet ring can never be revoked.”
• Daniel 6:8And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”
• 1 Samuel 15:28And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you.
• 1 Kings 3:28When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

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
• Medes
• 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