เอสเธอร์ 1:12 วิจารณ์

Several things in this chapter itself are very instructive and of great use; but the design of recording the story of it is to show how way was made for Esther to the crown, in order to her being instrumental to defeat Haman's plot, and this long before the plot was laid, that we may observe and admire the foresight and vast reaches of Providence. "Known unto God are all his works" before-hand. Ahasuerus the king, I. In his height feasts all his great men (Est 1:1-9). II. In his heat he divorces his queen, because she would not come to him when he sent for her (Est 1:10-22). This shows how God serves his own purposes even by the sins and follies of men, which he would not permit if he know not how to bring good out of them.

This chapter relates, how that Ahasuerus, a great king of Persia, made a feast, first for the grandees of his kingdom, and then for his people, as his queen did for the women, Est 1:1, who being sent for by him, and she refusing to come, was, by the advice of one of his counsellors, divorced from him, and an order made and published throughout his dominions, that every man should bear rule in his own house, Est 1:10.

But the queen refused to came at the king's commandment by his chamberlains,.... Even though he sent by them again, as the Targum; and so says Josephus (o); which might not purely arise from pride in her, and contempt of him, but because she might conclude he was drunk, and knew not well what he did; and therefore had she come at his command, when he was himself and sober, he might blame her for coming, nay, use her ill for it, and especially if she was to come naked, as say the Jews (p); and besides, it was contrary to the law of the Persians, as not only Josephus (q), but Plutarch (r) observes, which suffered not women to be seen in public; and particularly did not allow their wives to be with them at feasts, only their concubines and harlots, with whom they could behave with more indecency; as for their wives, they were kept out of sight, at home (s); and therefore Vashti might think it an indignity to be treated as an harlot or concubine: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him; which was the more fierce, as he was inflamed with wine. (o) Antiqu. l. 11. c. 6. sect. 1. (p) Targum in loc. Midrash Esther, fol. 90. 1. (q) Antiqu. l. 11. c. 6. sect. 1. (r) In Themistoele. (s) Macrob. Saturnal. l. 7. c. 1.

“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 his presence, to bring in Queen Vashti before the king once the diadem had been placed upon her head, so that he could show off her beauty to all the peoples and officials; for she was very beautiful. But she refused, and disdained to come at the king’s command.” The seventh day of the feast symbolizes the beauty of the time when the Lord incarnate clarified in his abundant grace all the mysteries of the Law and the prophets upon which the pious minds of devout men had been feeding till then. It is about this completion that Paul writes to the Galatians when he says: “And when the time was completed, God sent his own son made from a woman so that he might redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive the adoption given to children. Because you are the children of God, God has sent the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying: ‘Abba! Father (Galatians 4)!’” And it is well said that after drinking too much he had grown heated from the wine, because he poured into his disciples, through the arrival of the Paraclete, abundant grace through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We read about this wine in the Acts of the Apostles that when, in the Cenacle of Zion, the Holy Spirit settled upon one hundred and twenty believers and the Jews thought that they were full of new wine, Peter answered them with: “Brothers, despite what you think these men are sober, since it is the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘And it will be in the last days, says the Lord, that I will pour out from my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy; and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. And I will indeed pour out from my spirit in those days upon my servants and my maids, and they will prophesy; and I will show marvels in the heavens above, and signs on the earth below (Acts 2).’” When, during the allegorical wedding in the Gospel, the chief steward tastes the sweetness of the wine, he says to the groom: “Every man serves the good wine first, and once they have become drunk he serves the inferior stuff. But you have saved the good wine till now.” So the king in his happiness ordered the seven eunuchs who ministered in his presence to bring in Queen Vashti before the king once the diadem had been placed upon her head, so that he could show off her beauty to all the peoples. And in the same way, our Redeemer Christ (i.e. the Lord) directed the order of the aforementioned saints, which was full of the grace of the sevenfold Holy Spirit, to assemble the Jewish people at a spiritual feast, so that its beauty and nobility— which it had as a privilege of its ancestors, and because of its knowledge of the Law and the prophets and its cultivation of righteousness (for which it was better known than the other nations before the coming of the Lord)—would be known to the peoples of the entire world. But she disdained to come, not only showing her contempt for the emissaries but even rejecting the authority of the supreme king. Of course, the Lord himself referred to this in the Gospel parables, when he explained that it was the mercy of the righteous father toward his wasteful but penitent son, whom he took into his home, that led him to sacrifice a calf and hold a feast which his older son refused to attend even though his father had summoned him from town. And elsewhere we read about the men who—occupied with their pursuit of other things—did not want to come to the wedding which the king had prepared for his son, or to the great meal which, it is written, a certain man had prepared and to which he had invited many people. It was, we are told, because of this that the head of the household—who had every right to feel indignant—turned away even men of the highest rank and substituted others in their place. Hence the older son, and the ancient people of the Synagogue who are represented in the person of Queen Vashti, refused to leave their dwelling, i.e. to be parted from the letter of the Law, but were rather content to live by their own judgment which they would exercise for the satisfaction of their earthly desires. They were exiled far from the homeland of the Holy Spirit and the counsel of the Father, forever brittle and hard, full of rancor and indignation; they are the one who says: “I have bought a field, and I need to go out and see it; I ask you to excuse me” (Luke 14). The one who purchases five yoke of oxen is weighed down by the burden of the Law while enjoying the pleasures of our earthly senses; the one who has gotten married and cannot come to the wedding, and having been made flesh can never be one with the spirit—the character of this man is much like that of the workers in the parable in which they are sent to the vineyard at the first, the third, the sixth, and the ninth hour, i.e. they were hired at different times. So they are indignant that the workers hired at the eleventh hour are being paid the same amount as they are.

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; and he used to do whatever they advised him, since they knew the laws and the rules of the ancestors. And in the first and second place were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven leaders of Persia and Media who would see his face and whose authority was normally second only to his own; and it was to their judgment that Queen Vashti was subject when she did not want to obey the command of King Ahasuerus given to her through the eunuchs. And as the king and his officials listened to him, Memucan said: ‘Vashti has injured not only the king, but all the officials and peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For her words will go out to all the women, so that they will despise their husbands and say: “King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti to come to him, and she did not want to.” And with this example, all the wives of the officials of Persia and Media will hold cheap the authority of their husbands; so that the king’s indignation is just. And if it pleases you, let an edict go forth from your face, and let it be written according to the law of Persia and Media— which it is forbidden to ignore—that Vashti may no longer come into the king’s presence, but that her reign should be given to another who is better than her.’” Now, when Vashti shows her arrogance, King Ahasuerus seeks the advice of the seven wise men who are always at his side according to royal custom, and commands that their judgment about her should be carried out; and this can only mean that our Savior— through his learned men who are filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and always take care to stand in his presence with upright faith and good works—bases his verdict upon the stubbornness of the Jewish people who are guilty of punishing and condemning him. He ruled, in other words, that they should be driven from the seat of the king, i.e. from their relationship with God for which they were ordained and chosen; and that another, better people—namely, the Church of the nations—should take its place in genuine faith and full devotion. So the Lord promised by the Law and the prophets shows in the Gospel itself that he was destined, at the behest of the Father, to summon Judea when he says: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15)”; and likewise: “It is not good to take the bread of children and toss it to the dogs” (ibid.). But when the gentile woman continues to petition him, the Lord himself rightly praises her great faith; and elsewhere the faith of the centurion is shown preference over the faith of the Jews, when he says: “Amen, I tell you, many will come from the East and the West and will recline with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven; while the children of this kingdom will be cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8). Likewise, in another passage the Truth herself says to Jerusalem: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill your prophets and you stone those who were sent to you; how often have I wanted to gather your children, like the hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings, but you did not want me to. See, your house will be left to you desolate” (Luke 13). Moreover, after his resurrection he commanded his disciples as follows about summoning the nations: “Go and teach all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to keep everything I have ordered you to do. And see, I myself am with you for all the days until the very end of the age” (Matthew 28). It is also fitting that he was publishing his decision about Vashti through Memucan, who is mentioned last in the series of seven wise men, because he symbolizes the persona of the apostle Paul who was the last to be called as an apostle, and through whom the Jews are properly reproached for their faithlessness. For he says about himself: “But I am the least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15).And elsewhere he says: “To me, the least among the saints, has been given this grace, so that I might evangelize Christ among the nations” (2 Corinthians 3). So while he had been preaching the word of God together with Barnabas in the Synagogue of the Jews, and the Jews—who were full of zeal— were speaking out blasphemously against what Paul was saying, he said to them firmly: “It was proper that the word of God should first be spoken to you; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves undeserving of eternal life, see we are turning to the nations. For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I placed you as a light for the nations, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ And hearing this, the nations rejoiced, and they glorified the word of the Lord, and whoever had been preordained for eternal life believed” (Acts 13).

Ahasuerus makes royal feasts for his nobles and people, Est 1:1-9. Vashti is sent for by the king, but refuses to come, Est 1:10-12. Vashti is disgraced; and a law made for the subjection of women, Est 1:13-22. The whole history of this book in its connected order, with the occurrences in the Persian empire at that time, will be found in the introduction: to which the reader is referred. Concerning the author of this book there are several opinions: some attribute the work to Ezra; some to one Joachim, a high priest; others, to the men of the Great Synagogue; and others to Mordecai. This latter is the most likely opinion: nor is that to be disregarded which gives to Mordecai for co-partner Ezra himself; though it is likely that the conclusion, from Est 9:23 to the end of the book, was inserted by another hand, and at a later time. Though some Christians have hesitated to receive the book of Esther into the sacred canon; yet it has always been received by the Jews, not only as perfectly authentic, but also as one of the most excellent of their sacred books. They call it מגילה megillah, The Volume, by way of eminence; and hold it in the highest estimation. That it records the history of a real fact, the observation of the feast of Purim, to the present day, is a sufficient evidence. Indeed, this is one of the strongest evidences that any fact can have, viz., that, to commemorate it, a certain rite, procession, feast, or the like, should have been instituted at the time, which, without intermission, has been continued annually through every generation of that people, and in whatsoever place they or parties of them may have sojourned, to the present day. This is the fact concerning the feast of Purim here mentioned; which the Jews, in all places of their dispersion, have uninterruptedly celebrated, and do still continue to celebrate, from the time of their deliverance from the massacre intended by Haman to the present time. Copies of this book, widely differing from each other, exist in Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, Greek, and Latin. All these differ much from the Hebrew text, particularly the Greek and the Chaldee: the former has many additional paragraphs; and the latter, as it exists in the London Polyglot, contains five times more than the Hebrew text. To notice all the various readings, additions, and paraphrases, in the above copies, would require a volume of no inconsiderable magnitude. The reader who is curious may consult the above Polyglot. This book does not appear to be extant in Arabic, or in any other of the Oriental languages, besides the Hebrew and Syriac. The question may naturally arise, What was the original of this book? or, In what language was it written? Though learned men in general decide in favor of a Hebrew original, yet there are many reasons which might be urged in favor of the Persian. Several of the proper names are evidently of a Persian origin; and no doubt all the others are so; but they are so transformed by passing through the Hebrew, that they are no longer discernible. The Hebrew has even retained some of the Persian words, having done little else than alter the character, e.g., Esther, Mehuman, Mishak, Melzar, Vashti, Shushan, Pur, Darius, Paradise, etc., several of which will be noted in their proper places. The Targum in the London Polyglot is widely different from that in the Complutum, Antwerp, and Paris editions. The principal additions in the Greek are carefully marked in the London Polyglot, but are too long and too numerous to be inserted here. It is a singular circumstance that the name of God does not once occur in the whole of this book as it stands in Hebrew.

Vashti refused to come - And much should she be commended for it. What woman, possessing even a common share of prudence and modesty, could consent to expose herself to the view of such a group of drunken Bacchanalians? Her courage was equal to her modesty: she would resist the royal mandate, rather than violate the rules of chaste decorum. Her contempt of worldly grandeur, when brought in competition with what every modest woman holds dear and sacred, is worthy of observation. She well knew that this act of disobedience would cost her her crown, if not her life also: but she was regardless of both, as she conceived her virtue and honor were at stake. Her humility was greatly evidenced in this refusal. She was beautiful; and might have shown herself to great advantage, and have had a fine opportunity of gratifying her vanity, if she had any: but she refused to come. Hail, noble woman! be thou a pattern to all thy sex on every similar occasion! Surely, every thing considered, we have few women like Vashti; for some of the highest of the land will dress and deck themselves with the utmost splendor, even to the selvedge of their fortunes, to exhibit themselves at balls, plays, galas, operas, and public assemblies of all kinds, (nearly half naked), that they may be seen and admired of men, and even, to the endless reproach and broad suspicion of their honor and chastity, figure away in masquerades! Vashti must be considered at the top of her sex: - Rara avis in terris, nigroque simillima cygno. A black swan is not half so rare a bird.

AHASUERUS MAKES ROYAL FEASTS. (Est. 1:1-22) Ahasuerus--It is now generally agreed among learned men that the Ahasuerus mentioned in this episode is the Xerxes who figures in Grecian history.

The Banquet of King Ahashverosh and the Divorce of Queen Vashti - Esther 1 Ahashverosh, king of Persia, gave, in the third year of his reign, a banquet to the grandees of his kingdom then assembled in Susa, for the purpose of showing them the greatness and glory of his kingdom; while the queen at the same time made a feast for the women in the royal palace (Est 1:1-9). On the seventh day of the feast, the king, "when his heart was merry with wine," sent a message by his chief courtiers to the queen, commanding her to appear before him, to show the people and the princes her beauty, and on her refusal to come, was greatly incensed against her (Est 1:10-12). Upon inquiring of his astrologers and princes what ought in justice to be done to the queen on account of this disobedience, they advised him to divorce Vashti by an irrevocable decree, and to give her dignity to another and better; also to publish this decree throughout the whole kingdom (Est 1:13-20). This advice pleasing the king, it was acted upon accordingly (Est 1:21 and Est 1:22).

The queen refused to appear at the king's command as delivered by the eunuchs, because she did not choose to stake her dignity as a queen and a wife before his inebriated guests. The audacity of Persians in such a condition is evident from the history related Herod. Est 1:18.