Esther 1:10 - Meaning and Application

Here we see a dark end to Ahasuerus’s feast, the Persian king also called Xerxes. It did not end, as Job’s children’s feast did, with a wind from the wilderness, or as Belshazzar’s did with writing on the wall. It ended through the king’s own foolishness.

At the close of the feast, an unhappy quarrel broke out between the king and Queen Vashti. That quarrel ended the celebration at once and sent the guests away silent and embarrassed. The king showed weakness by calling for Vashti while he was drunk and surrounded by many officials, likely some of them drunk too. When his heart was merry with wine, he wanted Vashti to come in full royal dress, with the crown on her head, so the nobles and people could admire her beauty (Esther 1:10, Esther 1:11).

This dishonored him as a husband, because a husband should protect his wife’s modesty, not expose it. It also lowered him as a king, because he demanded from his wife what she had a right to refuse, to the credit of her virtue. Among the Persians, women did not usually appear in public, so he put her under a great burden by commanding her to do something so awkward and making her a display.

Still, her refusal may not have been wise. She refused to come (Esther 1:12), even though the king sent seven honored servants and, as Josephus says, sent more than once. If she had come openly and simply obeyed, it would not have harmed her modesty, since the thing itself was not sinful. Obedience in such a case would have brought her more honor than a stiff refusal. If she refused in pride, then her action was clearly wrong, because she scorned the king’s command.

This was a humiliating blow to the king. While he was showing the glory of his kingdom, he also revealed the shame of his own house, that his wife would do only what she pleased. Quarrels between husband and wife are bad enough at any time, but in front of other people they become especially shameful and painful.

The king then became furious. He ruled over 127 provinces, but he could not rule his own spirit, and his anger burned within him (Esther 1:12). He would have served himself better by quieting his resentment, overlooking the insult, and perhaps turning it into a joke. Instead of showing restraint, he let anger master him.

Even so, he did not act at once. Before doing anything, he asked his wise advisers. Just as he had seven chamberlains to carry out his commands, so he had seven counselors to guide them. The greater a person’s power, the more he needs wise advice, so that power is not abused. These men were learned, because they knew law and judgment; they were wise, because they understood the times; and they were honored, because they saw the king’s face and sat first in the kingdom (Esther 1:13, Esther 1:14). There is safety in many such counselors.

The question put before them was this: what should be done with Queen Vashti according to the law? (Esther 1:15) Even though Vashti was the guilty one, the law had to take its course. And even though the king was very angry, he wanted to act only on advice that was lawful. Memucan then proposed that Vashti should be divorced for her disobedience.

Some think he gave this harsh advice, and the others agreed, because they knew it would please the king and satisfy his anger. Josephus, however, says the king still felt affection for Vashti and would not have put her away if he could lawfully have avoided it. In that case, Memucan’s advice would have come from a real concern for justice and the public good. He warned that if Vashti’s behavior were ignored, other wives would be encouraged to disobey their husbands and rule over them. Since the quarrel was public, and the women at the feast may have approved Vashti’s refusal, her example could spread through the whole kingdom.

If the queen got her way and the king had to give in, then the wives of the land, great and small alike, would likely become proud and stubborn. The homes of the people often follow the example set at court. Such household strife brings constant trouble, like a continual dripping that wears everything down (Proverbs 19:13; Proverbs 27:15; see also Proverbs 21:9; Proverbs 25:24). When wives despise their husbands, whom they should respect (Ephesians 5:33), and fight for rule over them, whom they should submit to (1 Peter 3:1), the result is guilt, grief, confusion, and every kind of evil.

Memucan also showed the good that might come from a decree against Vashti. Before going to this extreme, it is likely they tried to see whether she would submit, confess her wrong, and ask the king’s pardon. If she had done that, her bad example might have been stopped. But she probably stayed stubborn and insisted on doing as she pleased, whether the king liked it or not. So they ruled that she should never again come before the king, and that decision was made final and not to be reversed (Esther 1:19).

The hoped-for result was that wives would learn to give honor to their husbands, whether rich or poor, great or small (Esther 1:20). Then each man would rule in his own house as he should, and if wives were subject, children and servants would likely be so too. It is in the interest of governments and kingdoms to keep good order in private homes.

The decree that followed this proposal showed that the queen was removed for stubborn disobedience, according to the law. It also warned that if other wives acted the same way toward their husbands, they should expect the same kind of disgrace (Esther 1:21, Esther 1:22). Were they better than the queen?

Whether the king was guided by anger or by political wisdom, God’s providence used the decree for its own purpose. It cleared the way for Esther to become queen.