Esther 1:13-20 · Bible study
Esther 1:13-20 Commentary: Who Were the King’s Wise Men?
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
This passage recounts King Ahasuerus’s consultation of advisors after Vashti’s refusal, revealing a court driven by fear and pride.
Research Summary
- Meaning: King Ahasuerus, enraged by Vashti’s refusal, consults his wise men, who recommend an irreversible decree deposing her and asserting male authority.
- Key words: Wise men (חָכָם), times (עֵת), law (דָּת), honor (יְקָר), decree (פִּתְגָּם).
- Main debate: Whether the “wise men who knew the times” were astrologers and magi or legal experts knowledgeable in history and precedent.
- Theological theme: God’s hidden providence works through the pride, fear, and flawed decisions of human rulers to accomplish His purposes.
- Best use: A cautionary tale about the misuse of authority, the power of fear-based reasoning, and the beginnings of the story that leads to Esther’s heroism.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
13Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times, for it was customary for him to confer with the experts in law and justice.
14His closest advisors were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom.
15“According to law,” he asked, “what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey the command of King Xerxes delivered by the eunuchs?”
16And in the presence of the king and his princes, Memucan replied, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the princes and the peoples in all the provinces of King Xerxes.
17For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’
18This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in much contempt and wrath.
19So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she.
20The edict the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom—and so all women, from the least to the greatest, will honor their husbands.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
13Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times (for it was the king’s custom to consult those who knew law and judgment;
14and next to him were 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“What shall we do to Queen Vashti according to law, because she has not done the bidding of the King Ahasuerus by the eunuchs?”
16Memucan answered before the king and the princes, “Vashti the queen has not done wrong to just the king, but also to all the princes, and to all the people who are in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus.
17For this deed of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to show contempt for their husbands when it is reported, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she didn’t come.’
18Today, the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s deed will tell all the king’s princes. This will cause much contempt and wrath.
19“If it pleases the king, let a royal commandment go from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be altered, that Vashti may never again come before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another who is better than she.
20When the king’s decree which he shall make is published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give their husbands honor, both great and small.”
KJV King James Version 1769
13Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment:
14And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)
15What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
16And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
17For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
18Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king’s princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.
19If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
20And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
13Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment;
14and the next unto him were 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),
15What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not done the bidding of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
16And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
17For this deed of the queen will come abroad unto all women, to make their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
18And this day will the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen say the like unto all the king’s princes. So will there arise much contempt and wrath.
19If it please the king, let there go forth a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, that Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
20And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
13And the king saith to wise men, knowing the times--for so is the word of the king before all knowing law and judgment,
14and he who is near unto him is Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, seven heads of Persia and Media seeing the face of the king, who are sitting first in the kingdom--
15`According to law, what--to do with queen Vashti, because that she hath not done the saying of the king Ahasuerus by the hand of the eunuchs?'
16And Memucan saith before the king and the heads, `Not against the king by himself hath Vashti the queen done perversely, but against all the heads, and against all the peoples that are in all provinces of the king Ahasuerus;
17for go forth doth the word of the queen unto all the women, to render their husbands contemptible in their eyes, in their saying, The king Ahasuerus said to bring in Vashti the queen before him, and she did not come;
18yea, this day do princesses of Persia and Media, who have heard the word of the queen, say so to all heads of the king, even according to the sufficiency of contempt and wrath.
19`If to the king it be good, there goeth forth a royal word from before him, and it is written with the laws of Persia and Media, and doth not pass away, that Vashti doth not come in before the king Ahasuerus, and her royalty doth the king give to her companion who is better than she;
20and the sentence of the king that he maketh hath been heard in all his kingdom--for it is great--and all the wives give honour to their husbands, from great even unto small.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
13And the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for so was the king's business [conducted] before all that knew law and judgment;
14and the next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, [and] Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and who sat first in the kingdom),
15What shall be done to the queen Vashti according to law, because she has not performed the word of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
16Then said Memucan before the king and the princes, The queen Vashti has not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
17For the act of the queen will come abroad to all women, so as to render their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when they shall say, The king Ahasuerus commanded the queen Vashti to be brought in before him, and she came not!
18And the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's act, will say it this day to all the king's princes, and there will be contempt and anger enough.
19If it please the king, let a royal order go forth from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it may not pass, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another that is better than she;
20and when the king's edict which he shall make shall be heard throughout his realm — for it is great — all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, from the greatest to the least.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
13Asked the wise men, who according to the custom of the kings, were always near his person, and all he did was by their counsel, who knew the laws, and judgments of their forefathers:
14(Now the chief and nearest him were, Charsena, and Sethar, and Admatha, and Tharsis, and Mares, and Marsana, and Mamuchan, seven princes of the Persians and of the Medes, who saw the face of the king, and were used to sit first after him:)
15What sentence ought to pass upon Vasthi the queen, who had refused to obey the commandment of king Assuerus, which he had sent to her by the eunuchs?
16And Mamuchan answered, in the hearing of the king and the princes: Queen Vasthi hath not only injured the king, but also all the people and princes that are in all the provinces of king Assuerus.
17For this deed of the queen will go abroad to all women, so that they will despise their husbands, and will say: King Assuerus commanded that queen Vasthi should come in to him, and she would not.
18And by this example all the wives of the princes of the Persians and the Medes will slight the commandments of their husbands: wherefore the king's indignation is just.
19If it please thee, let an edict go out from thy presence, and let it be written according to the law of the Persians and of the Medes, which must not be altered, that Vasthi come in no more to the king, but another, that is better than her, be made queen in her place.
20And let this be published through all the provinces of thy empire, (which is very wide,) and let all wives, as well of the greater as of the lesser, give honour to their husbands.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Esther 1:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree on the essential narrative: King Ahasuerus consulted a class of advisors after Vashti’s refusal, and Memucan spoke for the group, urging a firm response. The seven princes listed in verse 14, who “saw the king’s face,” were a high-ranking inner circle. But the identity of “the wise men who knew the times” is genuinely debated. Barnes argued they were not astrologers but men of practical wisdom familiar with legal customs and precedent. The Cambridge Bible takes the phrase more broadly, including both astronomers and astrologers as well as students of law and custom. Gill and Keil & Delitzsch read the expression as a reference to magi and astrologers. Adam Clarke, focused on Memucan’s rhetoric, calls his reasoning “inconsequent and false,” suggesting the crisis was manufactured. Despite these differences, all see this scene as a critical turning point that removes Vashti and prepares for Esther’s rise.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Astrologers/Magi: Gill, Keil & Delitzsch, and Cambridge Bible read 'knew the times' as astrological knowledge, supported by parallels in Daniel.
- Legal Historians: Barnes argues they were men of practical wisdom familiar with law and precedent, not astrologers.
What is clear: The king sought legal or customary advice after Vashti's refusal, and this counsel resulted in an irreversible decree that deposed her.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the wise men | They were a recognized class of royal advisors. | Barnes argues they were legal historians; Gill, Keil, and Delitzsch identify them as astrologers and magi; the Cambridge Bible includes both groups. |
| Vashti's guilt and motive | She openly refused a direct command from the king delivered by eunuchs. | Some see her as defending her dignity (refusing to be objectified); others see a breach of decorum. The text does not state her reasons. |
| Motive of Memucan | He presented the case as a threat to all men's authority. | Clarke calls his reasoning 'inconsequent and false,' suggesting he manipulated the situation; others accept his stated concern as sincere though exaggerated. |
| Irreversibility of the decree | Persian law was understood to be unalterable once written (v.19). | Some scholars note the theory was absolute; others, like Barnes, point out the king could practically dispense with it if he wished. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This passage is set during a week-long feast in Susa. The king, already drunk on wine (Esther 1:10), had ordered Vashti to appear before the company. Her refusal was a stunning breach of protocol in a culture where the king’s word was absolute. The “wise men who knew the times” (יֹדְעֵי הָעִתִּים) likely belonged to a class of advisors skilled in interpreting celestial signs and legal tradition. Similar reliance on magi and astrologers appears in the court of Babylon (Daniel 2:2, 4:6, 7). The seven princes named in verse 14 enjoyed unique privilege, they were permitted to see the king’s face, a mark of highest favor in a monarchy that kept the ruler largely hidden. Memucan, last on the list, is the spokesman, perhaps because the least senior spoke first.
The legal concept of an irrevocable decree appears here: once written “among the laws of the Persians and the Medes,” it could not be altered (verse 19). As Adam Clarke notes, the Persians prized the notion that their laws were too wise to need amendment, though a king could still override them. Memucan’s argument that Vashti’s act would cause all women to “despise their husbands” (verse 17) is a dramatic overstatement, but it played on deep anxieties. The scene shows how quickly personal drama can be spun into national policy when those in power act out of fear.
Textual Notes
Reception History
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Pride exposed. The king’s wounded honour leads him to seek legal cover for his rage.
- Fear weaponized. Memucan frames an individual refusal as a threat to every man’s household, driving a harsh decree.
- God’s hidden hand. Though God is not named, Vashti’s removal creates the vacancy Esther will fill, a reminder that God works through flawed human decisions.
Five-point outline
- Crisis: The king is drunk, humiliated, and furious (v.12).
- Consultation: He turns to those “who knew the times” (v.13).
- Escalation: Memucan turns a personal slight into a national emergency (vv.16, 18).
- Decree: Vashti is deposed by an irreversible law (v.19).
- Irony: The decree aims to enforce honour but opens the door for Esther.
Illustration hooks
- Overreaction at work: A manager, embarrassed in a meeting, institutes a new policy that punishes everyone for one employee’s mistake.
- Wildfire gossip: A private refusal becomes a public scandal as each person adds their own fear to the story.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was Vashti right to refuse the king’s summons? What reasons might she have had?
- Why does the book of Esther never mention God, and how does that affect how we read this scene?
- How can we recognize when fear, not wisdom, is driving a decision in our lives or communities?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows how quickly an individual act can be interpreted as a national crisis. The advisors, perhaps influenced by the atmosphere of the feast, make a decision that shapes the rest of the story. Notice how fear and pride drive the conversation more than justice.
Discussion questions
- What do the details in verses 13, 14 tell you about power and access in the Persian court?
- How does Memucan transform Vashti’s refusal from a personal matter into a threat to all husbands (vv.16, 18)?
- What assumptions about men, women, and marriage does Memucan’s speech reveal?
- Was Vashti’s disobedience honorable or reckless? What factors support each view?
- The decree is described as unalterable (v.19). What does this say about the Persian view of law? Is that a strength or a weakness?
- What signs of God’s activity do you see in this passage, even though God is not named?
- How does this decision set up the rest of the story of Esther?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Chronicles 12:32 | Of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their heads were two hundred; and all their brothers were at their command. |
| Jeremiah 10:7 | Who shouldn’t fear you, King of the nations? For it belongs to you. Because among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royal estate, there is no one like you. |
| Daniel 2:2 | Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be called to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. |
| Daniel 2:12 | Because of this, the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. |
| Daniel 2:27 | Daniel answered before the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded can’t be shown to the king by wise men, enchanters, magicians, or soothsayers; |
| Daniel 4:6 | Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. |
| Daniel 4:7 | Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in; and I told them the dream, but they didn’t make known to me its interpretation. |
| Daniel 5:7 | The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Memucan falsely claims Vashti’s single mistake proves all Persian women are untrustworthy. He also says the decree should become a permanent law that can never be changed.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that the wise men were not astrologers but people with practical knowledge of history and custom. He also notes that the seven princes belonged to the highest Persian families allowed to approach the king.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the king consulted wise men and seven high officials before deciding Vashti’s fate. He also made the decision an unchangeable law so he could protect himself from her revenge.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes notes that the seven royal counselors consider Vashti’s refusal to appear before the king to be harmful not only to the king himself but also to all other princes and people in the kingdom. They suggest the king issue a decree ordering her to never appear again and giving her position to someone better.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that these seven advisors served as the king’s judges to give legal advice in difficult situations. He also explains that Memucan argued Vashti’s disobedience would cause widespread disrespect among women toward their husbands. You may find hope in Christ and the resurrection.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
The counselors all agreed that Vashti should lose her royal status as punishment for refusing the king. They decided this action served the kingdom’s interests.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Ke
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads Vashti's refusal as the moment the king's display of power crumbles from within. Ahasuerus, who rules from India to Ethiopia, cannot command his own wife, and his counselors respond by inflating a personal snub into a national crisis. Their supposed wisdom only deepens the folly.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that the queen’s refusal caused shame for all women by showing they could ignore a king’s order. He believes the best solution is to remove her from power and give that position to someone more worthy.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that some read Esther as a literal historical account of past events. Others understand it as pointing to deeper spiritual realities. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.