Esther 1:10
in Esther 1On the seventh day, when the king’s heart was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
KJV
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
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This verse in Esther 1
Commentary
8 notes on this verseHe commanded Mehuman - All these are doubtless Persian names; but so disguised by passing through a Hebrew medium, that some of them can scarcely be known. Mehuman signifies a stranger or guest. We shall find other names and words in this book, the Persian etymology of which may be easily traced.
This site's exposition
made a feast for the women in the royal house
on Esther 1:9-12
Vashti hosts her own feast for the women, a mirror court inside the court, before the king, merry with wine on the seventh day, sends for her to be displayed before the princes wearing the crown royal. The readings on her refusal are named and neither is pressed as settled: many of the bench read a queen guarding her dignity against an indecent summons before drunken men, while others read plain disobedience to a lawful royal command. Either way the text records only the refusal and the king’s burning anger, and leaves the reason to the reader.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
The seventh day of the banquet signifies the beauty of the time in which the incarnate Lord manifested with more abundant grace all the mysteries of the law and the prophets on which the pious minds of the faithful had until then pastured. And writing …
"So on the seventh day when the king was very festive, and after he had drunk too much and grown heated from the wine, he ordered Mehuman, and Biztha, and Harbona, and Bigtha, and Abigtha, and Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who ministered in …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
8 And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure. 9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus. Which of the kings of Persia this Ahasuerus was the learned are not agreed.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:88%@v8-10
On the seventh day,....
The greater power a man has the greater need he has of advice, that he may not abuse his power. Of these counsellors it is said that they were learned men, for they knew law and judgment, that they were wise men, for they knew the times, and that the king put great confidence in them and honour upon them, for they saw the king's face and sat first in the kingdom,
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the seventh day. Our Rabbis said. Maseches Megillah 12b. that it was on Shabbos. 23 Corresponding to “the seventh day” of the week.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
On the seventh day, when the king and the hundred and twenty-seven crowned princes who were with him were merry with wine, a dispute arose among them about indecent things. The kings of the West said, Our women are the handsomest. The others said the same of their women.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בַּיּוֹם֙ | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י | hashevii | <the> seventh | H7637 → | |
| כְּט֥וֹב | ketov | when was good | H2895 → | |
| לֵב־ | lev- | [the] heart of | H3820 → | 595 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בַּיָּ֑יִן | baiyayin | by the wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
| אָמַ֡ר | ʾamar | he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִ֠מְהוּמָן | limhumon | to Mehuman | H4104 → | |
| בִּזְּתָ֨א | bizeta' | Biztha | H968 → | |
| חַרְבוֹנָ֜א | charvona' | Harbona | H2726 → | |
| בִּגְתָ֤א | bigta' | Bigtha | H903 → | |
| וַאֲבַגְתָא֙ | vaavagta' | and Abagtha | H5 → | |
| זֵתַ֣ר | zetar | Zethar | H2242 → | |
| וְכַרְכַּ֔ס | vekharkas | and Carcas | H3752 → | |
| שִׁבְעַת֙ | shivat | [the] seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| הַסָּ֣רִיסִ֔ים | hasarisim | the eunuchs | H5631 → | 42 times |
| הַמְשָׁ֣רְתִ֔ים | hamsharetim | who served | H8334 → | 97 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| פְּנֵ֖י | penei | [the] face of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲחַשְׁוֵרֽוֹשׁ׃ | ʾachashveroosh | Ahasuerus | H325 → | 31 times |
בַּיּוֹם֙on the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י<the> seventh
hasheviiH7637 →
כְּט֥וֹבwhen was good
ketovH2895 →
לֵב־[the] heart of
lev-H3820 →595 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
בַּיָּ֑יִןby the wine
baiyayinH3196 →141 times
אָמַ֡רhe said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
לִ֠מְהוּמָןto Mehuman
limhumonH4104 →
בִּזְּתָ֨אBiztha
bizeta'H968 →
חַרְבוֹנָ֜אHarbona
charvona'H2726 →
בִּגְתָ֤אBigtha
bigta'H903 →
וַאֲבַגְתָא֙and Abagtha
vaavagta'H5 →
זֵתַ֣רZethar
zetarH2242 →
וְכַרְכַּ֔סand Carcas
vekharkasH3752 →
שִׁבְעַת֙[the] seven
shivatH7651 →394 times
הַסָּ֣רִיסִ֔יםthe eunuchs
hasarisimH5631 →42 times
הַמְשָׁ֣רְתִ֔יםwho served
hamsharetimH8334 →97 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
פְּנֵ֖י[the] face of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲחַשְׁוֵרֽוֹשׁ׃Ahasuerus
ʾachashverooshH325 →31 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 20:1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:18
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
- Hosea 4:11
Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
- Isaiah 28:7
These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling…
- Proverbs 31:4
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,
- 1 Corinthians 6:10
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
- Ephesians 5:18
Through
Esther 7:9Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: “There is a gallows fifty cubits high at Haman’s house. He had it built for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king.”…
it leads to
- Psalms 7:15–16
He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making.
- Proverbs 11:5–6
The righteousness of the blameless directs their path, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness.
- Psalms 7:15–16
Through
2 Samuel 13:28Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid.…
it leads to
- Judges 19:6
So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and let your heart be merry.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 19:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
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About Esther
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 2; Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).