Another important feature in the life of esther was that she is respectful, she had respect respect for her husband esther 4. Although neither had tackled a jewish subject before, both ms. In the book of esther it is the title given to vashti 1. Jan 02, 2020 queen vashtis removal from the throne opened a vacancy in the persian kingdom. The feast was for all the important men who had authority in the kingdom. At the conclusion of seven days of feasting, the king called queen vashti to appear before him. The bibles queen esther has had a recent surge in popularity, even outside of purim. As the book of esther of begins, queen vashti, one of the most beautiful women in the land, is secure in her position. It was her dethronement that paved the way for esther to become queen. Apr 22, 20 when, several years later, nehemiah asked the persian king for permission to return to zion and rebuild jerusalem, the queen is seating by him nehemia 2. Vashtis way of disobeying led to more restrictions and control over women in the empireesthers way of disobeying saved the lives of all the jews in the empire and elevated their status in the eyes of the king. We are told this was in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was. This sacred text takes place in 486 bc, when king xerxes i ruled persia. The kings chief adviser, haman, is offended by esthers cousin and guardian, mordecai, and gets permission from the king to have all the jews in the kingdom killed.
Apr 09, 2015 another important feature in the life of esther was that she is respectful, she had respect respect for her husband esther 4. Vashtis disobedience resulted in her banishment esthers disobedience resulted in giving her more freedom and more power as a queen. Although vashti and esther never meet, the relationship between them is integral to understanding the events of the book of esther. I began with chapter 1, and as i read, i found myself intrigued by queen vashti, ahasuerus queen before esther comes onto the scene. Why did queen vashti refuse to appear at the banquet. The book of esther chapter 1 the kings banquets and queen. In the biblical book of esther, vashti is the wife of king ahasuerus, the ruler of persia. Many attempts have been made to identify her with historical personages. Let all the halfdrunken guests see his most lovely possession, queen vashti. Chapter 1 thus sets the stage for the introduction of esther, an unlikely candidate for queen, since she was an orphaned jewess raised by a cousin. So far as the author knows, the message of the book of esther, as a whole, has been overlooked, as though it were merely meant to account for the origin of the jewish feast of purim. The book of esther begins with a description of king xerxes or ahasuerus of persia celebrating with the leading men of his kingdom.
Queen vashti was queen of persia and the first wife of persian king xerxes in the book of esther, a book included in the tanakh and read on the jewish holiday of purim. Oct 18, 2009 according to esther 1, queen vashti was the wife of king xerxes and therefore queen of persia in about 480bc. Esther 1, new living translation nlt the bible app. Vashti s disobedience resulted in her banishment esther s disobedience resulted in giving her more freedom and more power as a queen. As a supposed descendant of the destroyer nebuchadnezzar ii of the first temple. Vashti is the queen who refused to dance naked before the king and his guests. Esther 1 new international version niv queen vashti deposed. In game of queens, however, vashti and ahasuerus are not looked at in a simple narrative in the least. Who was queen vashti and is she found anywhere else besides. King ahasuerus, in the midst of a drinking banquet with his noblemen. Jan 02, 2020 the book of esther is the only book in the bible that does not mention god at all. But queen vashti refused to come at the kings command therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him esther 1. Vashti was a queen of persia and the first wife of persian king ahasuerus in the book of esther, a book included in the.
Feb 28, 20 this is a movie trailer about vashti found in the book of esther. Every aspect of the story of esther, from queen vashti s disobedience to hamans wicked motives to esther s beauty to mordecais wisdom, work together to save the jewish people. Vashti appears in the opening chapter of the book of esther just to be deposed as queen, paving the way for esther, the heroine of the book. However, when king ahazuerus calls for the queen, and she fails to come, her reign becomes shortlived. How many children did queen esther and king xerxes have. This is a movie trailer about vashti found in the book of esther. When, several years later, nehemiah asked the persian king for permission to return to zion and rebuild jerusalem, the queen is seating by him nehemia 2. Even though the book of esther is only ten chapters, it contains many rich themes. In the story of esther, youll meet a beautiful, young queen who risked her life to serve god and save her people. Esther 1 niv queen vashti deposed this is what bible gateway. Queen vashti deposed this is what happened during the time of xerxes, the xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from india to cush. Esther is described in the book of esther as a jewish queen of the persian king ahasuerus. During a weeklong feast in his palace in susa and while he was affected by alcohol, xerxes commanded vashti to come and display her beauty esther 1. Mar 23, 2016 esther, who carries the weight of the story, continues to evolve just as feminism doeslast year, one writer called her the beyonce of the megillah book of estherbut its vashti.
The feminist history of the jewish holiday of purim time. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of vashti. People love a jewish peasant girl rising to the rank of queen and eventually saving her entire people. Esther 1 queen vashti deposed 1 this is what happened during the time of xerxes, a the xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from india to cush b. The book of esther is not explicit regarding vashtis fate. Or that the king had banished his first wife, queen vashti, for refusing to publicly flaunt her body before his drunken friends.
Queen esther kids bible story the book of esther sunday school lesson for kids hd sharefaith duration. While the book of esther holds a high place in the sacred literature of the jews. Astin was a queen of persia and the first wife of persian king ahasuerus in the book of esther, a book included in the tanakh hebrew bible and the old testament christian bible and read on the jewish holiday of purim. Vashti beautiful, the queen of ahasuerus, who, for refusing to show herself to the kings guests at the royal banquet, when sent for by the king, was repudiated and deposed. The book of esther says that vashti was the wife of king xerxes when he first became king of persia, followed three years later by queen esther. According to esther 1, queen vashti was the wife of king xerxes and therefore queen of persia in about 480bc.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading game of queens. In the narrative, ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, vashti, refuses to obey him, and esther is chosen for her beauty. In the panorama of the book, she plays a rather minor character. To be considered for the position of queen, vashti circa 475 b.
She was probably designated from birth as being a suitable wife for the emperor ahasuerus, so she grew up very sure of her own status and was trained as a possible future queen. The relationship between the two persian queens is integral to understanding the purim story. Namely, she puts up with him, humbling herself before him in order to try to ultimately sway him into thinking in her direction. A novel of vashti and esther kindle edition by edghill, india. Vashti disappears by the end of the first chapter, but she casts a long shadow. But he is there nonetheless, evident in his divine providence. Aug 21, 2018 queen vashti refuses the kings request.
Every aspect of the story of esther, from queen vashtis disobedience to hamans wicked motives to esthers beauty to mordecais wisdom, work together to save the jewish people. According to the book of esther, the relationship is simply that of predecessor and successor. The story megillat esther does not tell you how the rabbis came to imagine ahasuerus as a usurper who halted the rebuilding of the temple and his wife vashti as a wicked and grotesque babylonian princess, who lived as a libertine and persecuted jews. The jewish people are rescued and delivered esther 8. The story of queen vashti is found in the first chapter of the book of esther in the bible. Esther understands very well her role as ahasueruss queen. She was banished for her refusal to appear at the kings banquet to show her beauty as the king wished, and esther was chosen to succeed her as queen. As of my writing this article, i am currently reading through the book of esther, one chapter per night. In the narrative, ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, vashti. Now he needs to pick a new queen and eventually manages to select esthera comely, young secretly jewish woman who is a part of his harem. Vashti s way of disobeying led to more restrictions and control over women in the empire esther s way of disobeying saved the lives of all the jews in the empire and elevated their status in the eyes of the king. Esther 1, new international version niv the bible app. I never learned in sunday school that esther, whose jewish name was hadassah, was forced, along with perhaps thousands of virgin girls from susa, into king xerxes harem. Queen vashti, bible woman married to a dangerous fool.
Vashti was deposed when she refused to display her charms at a drunken celebration that the bible tells us had been going on for a week. Nothing in this record gives a clear reason for queen vashtis refusal to obey the kings command. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In the midrash, vashti is described as wicked and vain. This story is an historical interpretation of the life of queen esther along with the lives of the jewish people. Esther 110 queen vashti deposed this is what bible. The first wife of ahasuerus xerxes i, reigned 485465 b. Although vashti and esther never meet, the relationship between them is.
Consent and agency in the book of esther personal agency and consentgranted or withheldpervade the book of esther, and are inextricably related to preexisting power structures such as gender and social status. Queen vashti devotional reflections from the bible. Why did queen vashti refuse to appear before xerxes. I began my rereading excitedly, as esther is one of my alltime favorite books of the bible. The book of esther is in the canon of the sacred scriptures to teach us the inviolability of the human conscience. Jun 18, 2019 the book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. Dancers perfrom as vashti and her group of women in a scene from the book of esther. The book of esther begins with the queen of king ahasuerusvashtisnubbing the kings request to meet with her. Apr 12, 2017 queen esther kids bible story the book of esther sunday school lesson for kids hd sharefaith duration. The book of esther is the only book in the bible that does not mention god at all.
Some time afterward, when the anger of king ahasuerus subsided, he thought of vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her, but without specifying what had befallen her. For the queens behavior will make all wives despise their husbands, as they reflect that king ahasuerus himself ordered queen vashti to be. The bible tells and advice the women to reference their husband according to the book of 1peter 3. Naturally, being a rather unstable fellow, ahasuerus firesslashdivorces her. Vashti is replaced by esther who takes a different approach to the king. Jun 12, 2017 as of my writing this article, i am currently reading through the book of esther, one chapter per night. Who was queen vashti and is she found anywhere else. Its sort of a subtler tactic than the earlier queens refusal to humor the kingbut vashti, nevertheless, remains a quite admirable figure in. Esther 110 new international version niv queen vashti deposed. Esther 110 queen vashti deposed this is what bible gateway. The queen described in the book of nehemiah is queen esther. Vashti disappears by the end of the first chapter, but she casts a long shadow over the rest of the book. What exactly is the relationship between vashti and esther.