Esther 1:3 BSB — MannaFest

Esther 1:3

In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him;

KJV

In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:

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Commentary

3 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)

In the third year of his reign he made a feast unto all his princes, and his servants,.... The nobles and officers in his court; on what account this was cannot be said with certainty, whether the first day of it was his birthday, or the day of his coming to the throne, on which day Xerxes used to make a feast annually, as Herodotus relates (f): the power of Persia and Media; the mighty men therein, the potentates thereof; or the "army", the principal officers of it: the nobles and princes of the provinces being with him.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

The Chaldee paraphrast (who is very bold in his additions to the story of this book) says that there had been a rebellion among his subjects and that this feast was kept for joy of the quashing of it.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

In the third year - In this year, 483 B.C., Xerxes assembled the governors of provinces at Susa, in connection with his contemplated expedition against Greece. The nobles - literally, “the first men.” The Hebrew word used is one adopted from the Persian.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

15 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
בִּשְׁנַ֤ת	bish.Nat	in year	H8141 →
שָׁלוֹשׁ֙	sha.lo.Vosh	three	H7969 →
לְמָלְכ֔וֹ	le.ma.le.Kho	of reigning his	H4427 →
עָשָׂ֣ה	'a.Sah	he made	H6213 →
מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה	mish.Teh	a feast	H4960 →
לְכָל־	le.khol	for all	H3605 →
שָׂרָ֖יו	sa.Rav	officials his	H8269 →
וַעֲבָדָ֑יו	va.'a.va.Dav	and servants his	H5650 →
חֵ֣יל׀	cheil	[the] army of	H2428 →
פָּרַ֣ס	pa.Ras	Persia	H6539 →
וּמָדַ֗י	u.ma.Dai	and Media	H4074 →
הַֽפַּרְתְּמִ֛ים	ha.par.te.Mim	the nobles	H6579 →
וְשָׂרֵ֥י	ve.sa.Rei	and [the] officials of	H8269 →
הַמְּדִינ֖וֹת	ha.me.di.Not	the provinces	H4082 →
לְפָנָֽיו׃	le.fa.Nav	[were] <to> before him	H6440 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Mark 6:21
On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
leads to
- Genesis 40:20
  On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Esther 2:18
  Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
Through
Esther 2:18
Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
leads to
- Revelation 11:10
  And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts, because these two prophets had tormented them.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
Through
Genesis 40:20
On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
leads to
- Matthew 14:6
  On Herod’s birthday, however, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod
- Genesis 40:19
  Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.”
- Genesis 40:13
  Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer.
Through
1 Kings 3:15
Then Solomon awoke, and indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he…
leads to
- 1 Kings 8:65
  So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him—a great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—kept the feast before the LORD our God for seven days and seven more…
- Genesis 41:7
  And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.

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About Esther

Queen Vashti Refuses to Obey Ahasuerus' Command — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Esther: the study guide →Read chapter 1 →The featured study →

Continue: Esther 1 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Esther

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Esther