Revised Literal Translation
Esther 1:14
14And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)
Esther 1:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)
- New International Version (NIV)and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
- English Standard Version (ESV)the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom):
- New King James Version (NKJV)those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who had access to the king’s presence, and who ranked highest in the kingdom):
Context of Esther 1:14
12But 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. 13Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment: And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;) 15What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains? 16And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
Read all of Esther 1Esther 1:14 word by word
וְהַקָּרֹ֣ב אֵלָ֗יו כַּרְשְׁנָ֤א שֵׁתָר֙ אַדְמָ֣תָא תַרְשִׁ֔ישׁ מֶ֥רֶס מַרְסְנָ֖א מְמוּכָ֑ן שִׁבְעַ֞ת שָׂרֵ֣י׀ פָּרַ֣ס וּמָדַ֗י רֹאֵי֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥ים רִאשֹׁנָ֖ה בַּמַּלְכֽוּת׃Read the interlinear
- And the nextקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
- Carshenaכַּרְשְׁנָאkarshenâ' · CarshenaH3771
- Shetharשֵׁתָרshêthâr · ShetharH8369
- Admathaאַדְמָתָא'admâthâ' · AdmathaH133
- Tarshishתַּרְשִׁישׁtarshîysh · TarshishH8659
- Meresמֶ֫רֶסmeres · MeresH4825
- Marsenaמַרְסְנָאmarsenâ' · MarsenaH4826
- Memucanמְמוּכָןmemûkân mômûkân · MemucanH4462
- the sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- of Persiaפָּרַסpâras · PersiaH6539
- and Mediaמָדַיmâday · MediaH4074
- which sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- which satיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- the firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
- in the kingdomמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438
Cross-references for Esther 1:14
- Ezra 7:14Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
- 2 Kings 25:19And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the army, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:
- Matthew 18:10Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
- Revelation 22:4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Commentaries on Esther 1:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14And the next unto him - the seven princes - Probably, the privy counsellors of the king. Which saw the king's face - were at all times admitted to the royal presence.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14In Marsena we may perhaps recognize the famous Mardonius, and in Admatha, Xerxes‘ uncle, Artabanus. The seven princes - There were seven families of the first rank in Persia, from which alone the king could take his wives. Their chiefs were entitled to have free access to the monarch‘s person. See the margin reference note.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
- 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 1:14
In the dictionaries
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries