Vashti

Vash´ti (beauty), the wife of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, whose refusal to present herself unveiled before the compotators of the king led to her degradation, and eventually to the advancement of Esther (Est 1:9-12) [AHASUERUS; ESTHER].

The queen of Persia, divorced by Ahasuerus or Xerxes her husband for refusing to appear unveiled before his reveling company, Exo 1:1- 22.\par

Vash’ti. (beautiful). The "queen" of Ahasuerus, who, for refusing to show herself to the king’s guests at the royal banquet, when sent for by the king, was repudiated and deposed. Est 1:1. (B.C. 483). Many attempts have been made to identify her with historical personages; but it is far more probable that she was only one of the inferior wives, dignified with the title of queen, whose name has utterly disappeared from history.

Queen of Ahasuerus or Xerxes (Esther 1 and Esther 2). Refused to appear at the king’s command, to exhibit her beauty before the king’s guests at a banquet; was therefore deposed and repudiated lest a precedent should be given for insubordination of wives to husbands. Vashti may answer to Amestris the queen consort throughout Xerxes’ reign, and queen mother under his son and successor - Artaxerxes.

But more probably she and Esther were only "secondary wives" with the title "queen." Plutarch (Conjug. Precept. c. 16, in agreement with Herodotus v. 18) says the Persian kings had their legitimate wives to sit at table, but when they chose to drink and revel they sent away their wives and called in the concubines, it was when his "heart was merry with wine" that he sent for Vashti as a concubine; but she, looking on herself as a legitimate wife, would not come. Est 5:4; Est 5:8; Est 5:12, shows that it was no impropriety for wives to be at banquets in front of other men (besides their husbands).

Vashti (văsh’ti), beautiful. The deposed "queen" of Ahasuerus. Est 1:1-22. b.c. 483.

[Vash’ti]

Queen of Ahasuerus, whom he repudiated on account of her refusing to show her beauty before the people and princes at the king’s feast. Est 1:9-19; Est 2:1; Est 2:4; Est 2:17.

By: Emil G. Hirsch, Executive Committee of the Editorial Board., Judah David Eisenstein

—Biblical Data:

The first wife of Ahasuerus; her disobedience and subsequent punishment furnish the theme for the introduction to the story of Esther. The name is held to be that of an Elamite goddess.

Bibliography:

Wildeboer, Esther, p. 173, Freiburg, 1897.

—In Rabbinical Literature:

Among the women who ruled were: Jezebel and Athaliah in Israel; and Shemiramot (Semiramis), wife of Nebuchadnezzar (see Lev. R. xix., end), and Vashti in Gentile kingdoms (Esther R. i. 9). Vashti prepared a feast for women in the "royal house," where she served them with sweetmeats and other delicacies palatable to women; and she selected as the place of the banquet the royal chamber of Ahasuerus, where she might exhibit the artistic paintings which, according to R. Abin, women prefer to see to eating fattened birds (Yalḳ., ii., § 1049). Ahasuerus ordered Vashti to appear nude before him and his guests at the banquet with the queen's crown as her only ornament. R. Abba b. Kahana says Vashti was no more modest than Ahasuerus. R. Papa quotes a popular proverb: "He between the old pumpkins, and she between the young ones"; i.e., a faithless husband makes a faithless wife. According to R. Jose b. Ḥanina, Vashti declined the invitation because she had become a leper (Meg. 12b; Yalḳ., l.c.). Ahasuerus was "very wroth, and his anger burned in him" (Esth. i. 12) as the result of the insulting message which Vashti sent him: "Thou art the son of my father's stableman. My grandfather [Belshazzar] could drink before the thousand [Dan. v. 1]; but that person [Ahasuerus] quickly becomes intoxicated" (Meg. l.c.). Vashti was justly punished for enslaving young Jewish women and compelling them to work nude on the Sabbath (ib.).

VASHTI (Est 1:9; Est 1:11 etc.).—See Esther [Book of], 3.

vash´tı̄ (ושׁתּי, washtı̄; Ἀστίν, Astı́n; Old Persian “beautiful woman”): The former queen of Xerxes, whom he divorced. On the 7th day of a great feast which the king was giving to the assembled nobles of the empire and others, he commanded the seven chamberlains who served in his presence to bring the queen into the assembly. We are told (Est 1:11) that his purpose was “to show the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look on.” The king’s command was met by Vashti with a mortifying refusal to obey. The reason which is sometimes assigned for her disobedience - that no man but the king was permitted to look upon the queen - is without foundation. Esther invites Haman on two occasions to accompany the king to a banquet at which she was present. Nor can it be said that there was any lack of recognition of Vashti’s high dignity; the seven highest officials of the palace were sent to escort her. The refusal had to be visited with a punishment severe enough to reestablish the supremacy which it threatened to overthrow. She was, accordingly, divorced and dethroned.

There is no known reference to Vashti outside of Esther. The suggestion has been made that Vashti was an inferior wife, or one of the royal concubines. There is nothing, however, to support it; and it is, besides, directly opposed to several statements in the narrative. She is always named “queen” (Est 1:9, Est 1:11, Est 1:12, Est 1:15-18). It is only (Est 1:19) when the decree is proposed to repudiate and degrade her that she is called merely “Vashti.” She also (Est 1:9) presides at the banquet for the women. It is evident, therefore, that in the palace of the women there was no higher personage than Vashti.