Esther 1:10-22--Queen Vashti's Refusal

Esther 1:10-22
English Standard Version

Queen Vashti's Refusal
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.

​13 Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, 14 the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom): 15 “According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” 16 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen's behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's behavior will say the same to all the king's officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. 19 If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 20 So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike.” 21 This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. 22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people.

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The party didn't last long before the king's heart was no longer satisfied by the constant flow of alcohol.  He had planned to party with all his officials for 180 days (six months), but after only a week, he summoned the queen to join him, even though she was hosting her own party for her servants and attendants.  Why?  Probably because the drunk king has had his tongue loosened and he's been bragging to his officials about how he has the most beautiful wife.  Those would be the best reasons and what makes sense because the request is to have all the eunuchs find her and bring her in her royal robes and with her crown upon her head.  She was being summoned to a state function primarily to be eye-candy for the drunk king and his drunk officials.  In case you think I'm assigning motives to the king that aren't in the text, take a look at verse 11 which gives the reason the queen was being summoned, "...in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at."  She has enough sense and dignity to refuse his "request," though it really wasn't a request.  In his drunken state, he is so enraged by the embarrassment of her refusing him that his anger burns hot within him.

The king consults with his wise men in what to do.  Certainly, he feels the need to punish the queen, and he asks his seven closest advisors what is written in the Law about such an event.  It would seem there was nothing written about the queen refusing the king's request (now he calls it a command, though it was simply an invitation at first), and the officials try to come up with logic that is consistent with what they think the king wants to hear.  They urge him (foolishly, in my opinion, but it was the work of the LORD to use this for His purposes) to write a law that could not be altered that Vashti was never again to appear in his presence and that her position as queen would be given to another.  It was essentially a divorce without any legal divorce proceedings.  She was dead to him at that point.

​The decree was made, and the order was given for all women to give honor to their husbands, for the king and the officials feared that Vashti's actions would bring about a rebellion among the women to not honor and obey their husbands (especially the other government officials).  The order was for all women of high and low status in the kingdom.  It didn't matter if they were the wife of a government official, the wife of a freeman or the wife of a slave.  Women were ordered to obey the voice of their husbands as a slave orders the voice of his or her master.  The letter with the order was sent to every province in the language of that province so there would be no confusion.  While we see the foolishness that came out of the king's hedonistic worldview and what happens when women are seen only as objects to try to make their husbands happy and as eye-candy for them and their friends, this event is the first Act in a play that the LORD has written and directed.  He's orchestrating events so that He can place key characters in key roles at exactly the right time so that as events that are unexpected to us unfold, He has already made preparations and prepared the answers before the questions are even asked.