Esther 7:1 — Word Study
WLCוַיָּבֹ֤א הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְהָמָ֔ן לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת עִם־ אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּֽה׃
BSASo the kingmelek [ruler, monarch] and HamanHâmân [a powerful Persian official] wentbôwʼ▸ [came] to dineshâthâh [to banquet, to drink wine] withʻim EstherʼEçtêr [a brave Jewish woman] the queenmalkâh [a female ruler, with royal authority]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֤א | and he went | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | the king | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וְהָמָ֔ן | and Haman | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת | to drink | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common |
| עִם־ | with | Preposition |
| אֶסְתֵּ֥ר | Esther | Noun proper feminine |
| הַמַּלְכָּֽה׃ | the queen | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | So the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen, |
| KJV | So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. |
| ASV | So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. |
| YLT | And the king cometh in, and Haman, to drink with Esther the queen, |
| WEB | So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. |
| BBE | So the king and Haman came to take wine with Esther the queen. |
Translations agree on the actions and characters present in this verse.
The sentence has a main clause followed by two prepositional phrases that provide context for the action.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them ›
clause
verbבּוֹא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Esther 7:1
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Banquet with Esthergenerated
Esther 7:1 describes a crucial event where the king and Haman attend a banquet hosted by Esther. This gathering sets the stage for Esther to reveal her true identity and the threat to her people. The tension builds as the narrative unfolds, leading to significant revelations and actions that impact the fate of the Jewish people.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esther 3:15 | The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion. |
| 2 | Esther 5:8 | If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — וַיָּבֹ֤א, vai.ya.Vo'generated
The verb בּוֹא (bo) means to go or come, with a broad range of applications including entering a place or approaching someone. In this context, it indicates the action of the king and Haman arriving at Esther's banquet.
The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine singular shows that this action is part of a narrative sequence, emphasizing the unfolding events as the story progresses.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen.' This wording is consistent across several translations, including the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וַיָּבֹ֤א governs the sentence, indicating the action of coming or going, with the subjects 'the king and Haman' as the noun phrase that precedes it. The structure flows from the subjects to the action, followed by the prepositional phrase indicating the company they are with.
The sentence structure emphasizes the action of entering into a social setting, which is central to the narrative development.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַיָּבֹ֤א as εἰσῆλθεν, indicating a similar meaning of entering or coming in. This choice aligns with the context of the banquet and maintains the focus on the action of the characters.
This translation choice reinforces the significance of the gathering, suggesting a formal entrance into a crucial moment in the story.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Esther 7:1 tells us that the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen. This moment is key in the story, as it leads to Esther revealing her identity and the danger her people face.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The banquet is significant as it serves as the setting for Esther to reveal her identity and the plot against her people.
Haman is the antagonist who plots against the Jews, making his presence at the banquet crucial to the unfolding drama.
Esther's identity as a Jewish woman becomes pivotal as she navigates her position as queen to save her people.
Themes of power dynamics, identity, and the unfolding of fate are present as the characters interact at the banquet.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from Esther's bravery in this moment?
- How do the relationships between the characters influence the story?
- What significance does the act of dining together have in this cultural context?
- How does this verse set the stage for the events that follow?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Esther 7:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleSo the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. Or, "to drink with her" (e), that is, wine; for in the next verse it is called a banquet of wine; so they did according to the invitation
Read John Gill on Esther 7 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentarySo the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Esther 7 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEsther 7:1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.Ver. 1. So the king and Haman came to the banquet] Heb. To drink, for multorum vivere est bibere; of many, to live is to drink, and profane persons have a proverb, Bibere et sudare est vita Cardiaci. To drink and to sweat is the life of Cardiacus. Such are your chamber champions, whose teeth in a temperate air do beat in their heads at a cup of cold sack and sugar. Belshazzar’ s feast days were called σακεαιημεραι, because he was quaffing in the bowls of the sanctuary, to the honour of Shac or Bacchus (Greg. Posthum.). Little did either he or Haman think, that in the fulness of their sufficiency they should be in such…
Read John Trapp on Esther 7 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleCHAPTER VII The king at the banquet urges Esther to prefer her petition, with the positive assurance that it shall be granted, 1, 2. She petitions for her own life, and the life of her people, who were sold to be destroyed, 3, 4. The king inquires the author of this project, and Haman is accused by the queen, 5, 6. The king is enraged: Haman supplicates for his life; but the king orders him to be hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, 7-10. NOTES ON CHAP. VII
Read AdamClarke on Esther 7 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
So the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen,
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
So the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen,
So the king and Haman came to dine with Queen Esther.
Tyndale line
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
So the King and Haman came to banket with the Queene Ester.
Strictly literal
And the king and Haman came to drink with Esther the queen.
And the king cometh in, and Haman, to drink with Esther the queen,
And the king comes in, and Haman, to drink with Esther the queen,
And the king came with Haman to drink with Esther the queen.
So the king and Haman went to feast with Queen Esther.
From the Latin
So the king and Aman went in, to drink with the queen.
Simplified
The king and Haman went to Queen Esther's dinner.
So the king and Haman came to take wine with Esther the queen.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint show agreement in the core elements of the verse, with the majority of words matching in both texts. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the essential meaning remains intact.
וַיָּבֹ֤א הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְהָמָ֔ן לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת עִם־ אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּֽה׃
4 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Esther 7:1
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.
בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go
Qal
come in
come (approach, arrive)
go, i.e. walk, associate with
go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
Hiph.
cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
Hoph.
be brought in (of pers. and things)
be brought
be introduced, put
base
H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in
. come (approach, arrive)
. go, i.e. walk, associate with
. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
. . be brought in (of pers. and things)
. be brought
. be introduced, put
935 bow' bo
a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of
applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +
besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X
certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,
upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,
(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be
fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),
grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,
pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken
(in age), X surely, take (in), way.
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.
: come/go_in
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
1a5) to go
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to lead in
1b2) to carry in
1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon
1b4) to bring to pass
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be brought, brought in
1c2) to be introduced, be put
לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).
This name means to go in, enter
Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.
: towards/entrance
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.
מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king
base
H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king
4428 melek meh'-lek
from 4427; a king:--king, royal.
see HEBREW for 04427
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.
1) king
Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)
הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.
'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";
§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.
Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
King
Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (1 Pet. 2:13, 17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:22).
This title is applied to God (1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:15, 16;
"a chief ruler, one invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe or country." --Webster. In the Bible the word does not necessarily imply great power or great extent of country. Many persons are called kings whom we should rather call chiefs or leaders. The word is applied in the Bible to God as the sovereign and ruler of the universe, and to Christ the Son of God as the head and governor of the Church. The Hebrews were ruled by a king during a period of about 500 years previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, B.C. 586. The immediate occasion of the substitution of a regal form of government for that of judges seems to have been the siege of Jabesh-gilead by Nahash king of the Ammonites. (1 Samuel 11:1; 12:12) The conviction seems to have forced itself on the Israelites that they could not resist their formidable neighbor…
הָמָן (Haman) refers to a Persian vizier known for his role as an antagonist in the Book of Esther. He is described as the son of Hammedatha and married to Zeresh, and he plotted against the Jews, ultimately facing execution. The name Haman is derived from a term meaning 'magnificent.'
הָמָן n.pr.m. Haman, favourite of Ahasuerus
base
H2001 הָמָן
2001 Haman haw-mawn'
of foreign derivation; Haman, a Persian vizier:--Haman.
הָמָן (ha.man) — Haman.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.3.1;
son of: Hammedatha (H4099); married to Zeresh (H2238);
father of: Parshandatha (H6577), Dalphon (H1813), Aspatha (H0630), Poratha (H6334), Adalia (H0118), Aridatha (H0743), Parmashta (H6534), Arisai (H0747), Aridai (H0742), Vaizatha (H2055)
§ Haman = "magnificent"
chief minister of Ahasuerus, enemy of Mordecai and the Jews, who plotted to kill the Jews but, being foiled by Esther, was hanged, with his family, on the gallows he had made for Mordecai
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
ha'-man (haman; Haman): A Persian noble and vizier of the empire under Xerxes. He was the enemy of Mordecai, the cousin of Esther. Mordecai, being a Jew, was unable to prostrate himself before the great official and to render to him the adoration which was due to him in accordance with Persian custom. Haman's wrath was so inflamed that one man's life seemed too mean a sacrifice, and he resolved that Mordecai's nation should perish with him. This was the cause of Haman's downfall and death. A ridiculous notion, which, though widely accepted, has no better foundation than a rabbinic suggestion or guess, represents him as a descendant of Agag, the king of Amalek, who was slain by Samuel. But the language of Scripture (1Sa 15:33) indicates that when Agag fell, he was the last of his house. Besides, why should his descendants, if any…
Haman
(of Persian origin), magnificent, the name of the vizier (i.e., the prime minister) of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Esther 3:1, etc.). He is called an “Agagite,” which seems to denote that he was descended from the royal family of the Amalekites, the bitterest enemies of the Jews, as Agag was one of the titles of the Amalekite kings. He or his parents were brought to Persia as captives taken in war. He was hanged on the gallows which he had erected for Mordecai the Jew (Esther 7:10). (See ESTHER.)
(magnificent), the chief minister or vizier of King Ahasuerus. (Esther 3:1) (B.C. 473.) After the failure of his attempt to cut off all the Jews in the Persian empire, he was hanged on the gallows which he had erected for Mordecai. The Targum and Josephus interpret the inscription of him--the Agagite --as signifying that he was of Amalekitish descent. The Jews hiss whenever his name is mentioned on the day of Purim.
A favorite of Ashasuerus, king of Persia. In order to revenge himself upon Mordecai the Jew, he plotted the extermination of all the Jews in the kingdom; but in the providence of God he as thwarted by Esther, fell into disgrace with the king, and wrought his own ruin and the upbuilding of the Jews. He is called an Agaite; and as Agag was a common name of the Amalekite kings, the Jews believe he was of that race. This would help to explain his malice against the Jews. See AMALEKITES. Similar wholesale slaughters are still plotted in Asia, and the whole narrative is confirmed and illustrated by the descriptions of eastern life furnished by modern travellers in the same region. The death of Haman took place about 485 B. C. His eventful history shows that pride goes before destruction; that the providence of God directs all things; that his people are safe in the midst of perils; and that…
שָׁתָה (shathah) means 'to drink' and can refer to both literal drinking and figurative uses, such as feasting or experiencing God's wrath. It is a primitive root that appears in various forms, including Qal and Niphal, indicating actions like drinking and being drunk. The lexicons note its connection to the Aramaic equivalent שְׁתָה (she.tah), but do not present significant disagreements.
שָׁתָה 217 vb. drink
Qal 216
Niph. all which is (may be) drunk
base
H8354 שָׁתָה drink
8354 shathah shaw-thaw'
a primitive root; to imbibe (literally or figuratively):--X
assuredly, banquet, X certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk
(X -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of 8248.)
see HEBREW for 08248
שָׁתָה (sha.tah) — to drink.
1) to drink
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to drink
1a1a) of drinking cup of God's wrath, of slaughter, of wicked deeds (fig)
1a2) to feast
1b) (Niphal) to be drunk
Aramaic equivalent: she.tah (שְׁתָה "to drink" H8355)
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct commonHR/Vqcc
See FOOD; DRINK, STRONG.
Drink
The drinks of the Hebrews were water, wine, “strong drink,” and vinegar. Their drinking vessels were the cup, goblet or “basin,” the “cruse” or pitcher, and the saucer.
To drink water by measure (Ezek. 4:11), and to buy water to drink (Lam. 5:4), denote great scarcity. To drink blood means to be satiated with slaughter.
The Jews carefully strained their drinks through a sieve, through fear of violating the law of Lev. 11:20, 23, 41, 42. (See Matt. 23:24. “Strain at” should be “strain out.”)
→ INTOXICATING
See ABSTINENCE, TOTAL
→ See DRUNKARD
→ See DRUNKENNESS
→ See WINE
עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.
עִם prep. with
of fellowship and companionship
of aid
Of actions done jointly with another
If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against
Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another
Of a common lot together with the wicked
Of equality or resemblance generally aid
Of time, as long as
Of a locality, close to, beside
Of persons, עִם is spec.
in the house or family or service of
In possession of
In the custody or care of
Beside = except
With = friendly with
Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one
Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding
base
מֵעִם 72 from with or beside
base
H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship
. Of a locality, close to, beside
. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of
. In possession of
. In the custody or care of
. Beside = except
. With = friendly with
. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one
. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding
H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside
5973 `im eem
from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction
with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;
often with prepositional prefix (and then usually
unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X
long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from
(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,
with(-al).
see HEBREW for 06004
עִם (im) — with.
1) with
1a) with
1b) against
1c) toward
1d) as long as
מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.
1a) beside, except
1b) in spite of
Prep — PrepositionHR
אֶסְתֵּר (es-ter) refers to Esther, a Jewish heroine and queen of Persia, known for her pivotal role in the Book of Esther. She is described as the daughter of Abihail and the cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai. The name is of Persian origin and means 'star.' Esther is first mentioned in Est. 2.7.
אֶסְתֵּר n.pr.f. Esther—daughter of Abihail, cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, of tribe of Benjamin; made queen in Vashti’s place by Ahasuerus
base
H635 אֶסְתֵּר
635 'Ecter es-tare'
of Persian derivation; Ester, the Jewish heroine:--Esther.
אֶסְתֵּר (es.ter) — Esther.
A woman living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.7;
daughter of: Abihail (H0032K); also called Hadassah at Est.2.7;
Also named: ha.das.sah (הֲדַסָּה "Hadassah" H1919)
§ Esther = "star"
the queen of Persia, heroine of the book of Esther-daughter of Abihail, cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, of the tribe of Benjamin, made queen by king Ahasuerus to replace divorced queen, Vashti.
N-proper — Noun proper feminineHNpf
es'-ter ('ecter, akin to the Zend tstara, the Sanskrit stri, the Greek aster, "a star," Esther):
Esther was a Jewish orphan, who became the queen of Xerxes, in some respects the greatest of the Persian kings. She was brought up at Susa by her cousin Mordecai, who seems to have held a position among the lower officials of the royal palace. Vashti, Xerxes' former queen, was divorced; and the most beautiful virgins from all the provinces of the empire were brought to the palace of Susa that the king might select her successor. The choice fell upon the Jewish maiden. Soon after her accession a great crisis occurred in the history of the Jews. The entire people was threatened with destruction. The name of Esther is forever bound up with the record of their deliverance. By a course of action which gives her a distinguished place among the women of the Bible, the great enemy of the Jews was…
Esther
The queen of Ahasuerus, and heroine of the book that bears her name. She was a Jewess named Hadas’sah (the myrtle), but when she entered the royal harem she received the name by which she henceforth became known (Esther 2:7). It is a Syro-Arabian modification of the Persian word satarah, which means a star. She was the daughter of Abihail, a Benjamite. Her family did not avail themselves of the permission granted by Cyrus to the exiles to return to Jerusalem; and she resided with her cousin Mordecai, who held some office in the household of the Persian king at “Shushan in the palace.” Ahasuerus having divorced Vashti, chose Esther to be his wife. Soon after this he gave Haman the Agagite, his prime minister, power and authority to kill and extirpate all the Jews throughout the Persian empire. By the interposition of Esther this…
(a star), the Persian name of HADASSAH (myrtle), daughter of Abihail, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Esther was a beautiful Jewish maiden. She was an orphan, and had been brought up by her cousin Mordecai, who had an office in the household of Ahasuerus king of Persia --supposed to be the Xerxes of history-- and dwelt at "Shushan the palace." When Vashti was dismissed from being queen, the king chose Esther to the place on account of her beauty, not knowing her race or parentage; and on the representation of Haman the Agagite that the Jews scattered through his empire were pernicious race, he gave him full power and authority to kill them all. The means taken by Esther to avert this great calamity from her people and her kindred are fully related in the book of Esther. The Jews still commemorate this deliverance in the yearly festival Purim, on the 14th and 15th of…
A Persian name given to Hadassah, a daughter of Abihail, of the tribe of Benjamin. The family had not returned to Judea after the permission given by Cyrus, and she was born probably beyond the Tigris, and nearly five hundred years before Christ. Her parents being dead, Mordecai, her father’s brother, took care of her education. After Ahasuerus had discovered Vashti, search was made throughout Persia for the most beautiful women, and Esther was one selected. She found favor in the eyes of the king, and he married her with royal magnificence, bestowing largesses and remissions of tribute on his people. She was thus in a position which enabled her to do a signal favor to her people, then very numerous in Persia. Their deliverance is still celebrated by the Jews in the yearly festival called Purim, which was instituted at that time. The husband of Esther is supposed to have been the Xerxes…
מַלְכָּה (malkah) means 'queen' and is a feminine form of the word for king. It specifically refers to a queen, such as the Queen of Sheba mentioned in 1 Kings 10:1. The term is also noted to have an Aramaic equivalent.
מַלְכָּה 35 n.f. queen
base
H4436 מַלְכָּה
4436 malkah mal-kaw'
feminine of 4428; a queen:--queen.
see HEBREW for 04428
מַלְכָּה (mal.kah) — Queen (of Sheba).
A queen of the country Sheba (H7614J) living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.10.1
Combined with she.va (שְׁבָא " of Sheba" H7614J)
§ queen
מַלְכָּה (mal.kah) — queen.
queen
Aramaic equivalent: mal.kah (מַלְכָּה "queen" H4433)
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
kwen: The Bible applies this term:
(1) To the wife of a king ("queen consort") (malkah). In the Book of Esther it is the title given to Vashti (1:9) and Esther (2:22); compare So 6:8 f. Another Hebrew word for queen consort is gebhirah, literally "mistress" (compare 1Ki 11:19, the wife of Pharaoh; 2Ki 10:13, "the children of the king and the children of the queen"). In Ne 2:6 and Ps 45:9 we find the expression sheghal, which some trace back to shaghal, "to ravish," a rather doubtful derivation. Still another term is sarah, literally, "princess" (Isa 49:23). The…
Queen
No explicit mention of queens is made till we read of the “queen of Sheba.” The wives of the kings of Israel are not so designated. In Ps. 45:9, the Hebrew for “queen” is not malkah, one actually ruling like the Queen of Sheba, but shegal, which simply means the king’s wife. In 1 Kings 11:19, Pharaoh’s wife is called “the queen,” but the Hebrew word so rendered (g’birah) is simply a title of honour, denoting a royal lady, used sometimes for “queen-mother” (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chron. 15:16). In Cant. 6:8, 9, the king’s wives are styled “queens” (Heb. melakhoth).
This title is properly applied to the queen-mother, since in an Oriental household it is not the wife but the mother of the master who exercises the highest authority. Strange as such an arrangement at sight appears, it is one of the inevitable results of polygamy. An illustration of the queen-mother’s influence is given in (1 Kings 2:19) ff. The term is applied to Maachah, (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 16:16) and to Jezetiel, (2 Kings 10:13) and to the mother of Jehoiachin or Jeconiah, (Jeremiah 13:18) compare 2Kin 24:12; Jere 29:2
→ The wife of a king 1Ki 11:19
→ Crowned Es 1:11; 2:17
→ Divorced Es 1:10-22
→ Sits on the throne with the king Ne 2:6
→ Makes feasts for the women of the royal household Es 1:9
→ Exerts an evil influence in public affairs
See JEZEBEL
→ Counsels the king Da 5:10-12
→ Of Sheba, visits Solomon 1Ki 10:1-13
→ Candace, of Ethiopia Ac 8:27
→ The reigning sovereign, Athaliah
→ See ATHALIAH