Esther 1:8
in Esther 1By order of the king, no limit was placed on the drinking, and every official of his household was to serve each man whatever he desired.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the drinking was according to the law; none could compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Esther 1
Commentary
9 notes on this verseNone did compel: for so the king had appointed - Every person drank what he pleased; he was not obliged to take more than he had reason to think would do him good. Among the Greeks, each guest was obliged to keep the round, or leave the company: hence the proverb Η πιθι, η απιθι; Drink or begone. To this Horace refers, but gives more license: - Pasco libatis dapibus; prout cuique libido est. Siccat inaequales calices conviva, solutus Legibus insanis: seu quis capit acria fortis Pocula; seu modicis humescit aetius. Horat. Sat. lib. ii., s. vi., ver.
This site's exposition
At the end of this time
on Esther 1:5-8
A second feast of seven days follows for all the people, "from the least to the greatest". Verse 8 puts even the drinking under a royal word: "By order of the king, no limit was placed on the drinking". An order reaches into matters no law needs to govern.
This site's exposition
By order of the king
Barnes reads the order as an exception made for this feast to the usual practice of forced drinking. Clarke notes that each man drank whatever he desired, where a Greek guest had to keep the round or leave. Henry turned the order against Christians who make their guests drunk.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
"So in the third year of his rule, King Ahasuerus held a grand feast for all his officials and young men, the famous heroes of Persia and Media, and the chiefs of the provinces in his presence, so that he could show off the wealth …
Even though from the historical point of view it simply appears to show the abundance of riches and the luxury of delights of a powerful king, … according to the holier mystery of our most powerful king, namely, Our Lord Christ, this preparation of a …
Though these preparations for so rich a feast seem intended to portray in concrete terms the parade of wealth and the abundance of delights possessed by a powerful king, it is actually a very sanctified allegory which symbolizes the magnitude of spiritual riches, and the …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This caution of a heathen prince, even when he would show his generosity, may shame many who are called Christians, who think they do not sufficiently show their good housekeeping, nor bid their friends welcome, unless they make them drunk, and, under pretence of sending the health round, send the sin round, and death with it.
And the drinking was according to the law, none did compel,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
According to the law - An exception to the ordinary practice of compulsory drinking had been made on this occasion by the king’s order.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַשְּׁתִיָּ֥ה | vehashetiyah | and the drinking | H8360 → | |
| כַדָּ֖ת | khadat | [was] according to the law | H1881 → | 22 times |
| אֵ֣ין | ʾein | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| אֹנֵ֑ס | ʾones | [was one who] compelled | H597 → | |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כֵ֣ן׀ | khen | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| יִסַּ֣ד | yisad | he had appointed | H3245 → | |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| עַ֚ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| רַ֣ב | rav | <the> chief of | H7227 → | 454 times |
| בֵּית֔וֹ | beito | house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כִּרְצ֥וֹן | kirtzon | according to [the] pleasure of | H7522 → | |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וָאִֽישׁ׃ | vaish | and man | H376 → | 1663 times |
וְהַשְּׁתִיָּ֥הand the drinking
vehashetiyahH8360 →
כַדָּ֖ת[was] according to the law
khadatH1881 →22 times
אֵ֣יןthere not
ʾeinH369 →789 times
אֹנֵ֑ס[was one who] compelled
ʾonesH597 →
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
כֵ֣ן׀thus
khenH3651 →771 times
יִסַּ֣דhe had appointed
yisadH3245 →
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
עַ֚לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
רַ֣ב<the> chief of
ravH7227 →454 times
בֵּית֔וֹhouse his
beitoH1004 →2046 times
לַעֲשׂ֖וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
כִּרְצ֥וֹןaccording to [the] pleasure of
kirtzonH7522 →
אִישׁ־man
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
וָאִֽישׁ׃and man
vaishH376 →1663 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
Jeremiah 51:7Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.
it leads to
- Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
- Revelation 17:4
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual…
- Revelation 17:2
The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
- Revelation 18:3
All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance…
- Revelation 14:8
Through
Jeremiah 35:8And we have obeyed the voice of our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab in all he commanded us. So we have not drunk wine all our lives—neither we nor our wives nor our sons…
it leads to
- Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
- Proverbs 1:8–9
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
- Colossians 3:20
Through
John 2:8“Now draw some out,” He said, “and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so,
it leads to
- Proverbs 3:5–6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
- John 2:9
and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he…
- Proverbs 3:5–6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this verse
About Esther
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther and Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 1.