Esther 1:18
in Esther 1This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in much contempt and wrath.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And this day will the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen say the like unto all the king’s princes. So will there arise much contempt and wrath.
KJV
Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king’s princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.
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This verse in Esther 1
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe advice which King Ahasuerus asks of his seven sages who were, according to royal custom always by his side, concerning the insolent Vashti—as well as the sentence he orders them to pass concerning her—undoubtedly signifies the sentence our Savior passes against the arrogance of …
This site's exposition
Queen Vashti has wronged
on Esther 1:16-18
Memucan widens one refusal into a wrong against the whole empire. He says Vashti has wronged "all the princes and the peoples in all the provinces," because her conduct "will become known to all women". The noble women, he warns, "will say the same thing to all the king’s officials".
This site's exposition
This very day the noble women
Adam Clarke gives the Hebrew word for the noble women as saroth, the princesses. Albert Barnes renders the verse so that these princesses of Persia and Media speak this very day to the king's princes. The first houses at risk are the princes' own.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
But let us hear what Scripture has to say about the stubbornness of Vashti, that most foolish of queens: "So the king was angered, and enflamed by his excessive rage he questioned his wise men, who were always at his side according to royal custom; …
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
How does this Heathen prince shame many, that are called Christians, who think they do not make their friends welcome, unless they make them drunk, and under pretense of sending the health round, send the sin round, and death with it! Women - While the king entertained the men. For this was the common custom of the Persians, that men and women did not feast together.
Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 disobedience of the royal summons. It is scarcely possible for us to imagine the astonishment produced by such a refusal in a country and a court where the will of the sovereign was absolute.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The ladies of Persia - שרות saroth, the princesses; but the meaning is very well expressed by our term ladies.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Translate it: “Likewise shall the princesses of Persia and Media, which have heard of the deed of the queen, say this day unto all the king’s princes.”
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְֽהַיּ֨וֹם | vehaiyom | and the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּ֜ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| תֹּאמַ֣רְנָה׀ | tomarnah | they will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שָׂר֣וֹת | sarot | [the] noble ladies of | H8282 → | |
| פָּֽרַס־ | paras- | Persia | H6539 → | 28 times |
| וּמָדַ֗י | umadai | and Media | H4074 → | 16 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ | shameu | they have heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּבַ֣ר | devar | [the] matter of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה | hamalkah | the queen | H4436 → | 35 times |
| לְכֹ֖ל | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שָׂרֵ֣י | sarei | [the] officials of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וּכְדַ֖י | ukhedai | and [will be] as enough of | H1767 → | |
| בִּזָּי֥וֹן | bizayon | contempt | H963 → | |
| וָקָֽצֶף׃ | vakatzef | and anger | H7110 → |
וְֽהַיּ֨וֹםand the day
vehaiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּ֜ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
תֹּאמַ֣רְנָה׀they will say
tomarnahH559 →5305 times
שָׂר֣וֹת[the] noble ladies of
sarotH8282 →
פָּֽרַס־Persia
paras-H6539 →28 times
וּמָדַ֗יand Media
umadaiH4074 →16 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
שָֽׁמְעוּ֙they have heard
shameuH8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דְּבַ֣ר[the] matter of
devarH1697 →1440 times
הַמַּלְכָּ֔הthe queen
hamalkahH4436 →35 times
לְכֹ֖לto all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
שָׂרֵ֣י[the] officials of
sareiH8269 →421 times
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וּכְדַ֖יand [will be] as enough of
ukhedaiH1767 →
בִּזָּי֥וֹןcontempt
bizayonH963 →
וָקָֽצֶף׃and anger
vakatzefH7110 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
1 Kings 11:3He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 5:13–16
After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
- Ecclesiastes 7:28
While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
- 2 Chronicles 11:21
Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
- 2 Samuel 3:2–5
And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
- Judges 8:30–31
Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.
- 2 Samuel 5:13–16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this verse
About Esther
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 2 and Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther.