And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (that is, the Ahasuerus that reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces),
Esther opens in a Persian throne room, not in Jerusalem. The verse names a king and the huge empire he ruled — and the book that follows never once names God.
The name is more a title than a personal name. That is why the man behind it is hard to identify.
Remember that Ahasuerus was a general title, just as Pharaoh was the general title in Egypt, and Abimelech among the Philistines. There were many Pharaohs and many Abimelechs. So also among the Persians there were several that bore the name of Ahasuerus. Which Ahasuerus is meant is a question, but it is a matter of no importance; if it were, God would have told us. I take it, though, that he was Xerxes. One reason is the character of the man: huge resources, endless wealth, great luxury and vanity, and a habit of ruling by whim and doing whatever he pleased.
The title itself carried a boast, one the king's own monuments repeat.
The name Ahasuerus is a title. It means the chief king, or the king of all kings. Xerxes, the son of Darius Hystaspes, bore this title, king of kings. The old carved inscriptions give him the same title. One of them reads: "I, the mighty king, king of kings, king of countries full of people, king of this great and mighty earth, far and near."
India and Ethiopia mark the two ends of the map.
India was the eastern boundary of the Persian empire of Ahasuerus, as Ethiopia was its western boundary (Esther 1:1; Esther 8:9). India is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture. But Solomon's ships may have visited it on their three-year voyages for sandalwood, apes, peacocks and the like (1 Kings 10:22).
The number of provinces had grown since Darius the Mede's reign, though the conquests had stopped.
When Darius the Mede received the kingdom there were 120 satrapies, or provinces. Now seven more had been added, though the day of great conquest was over. The man on the throne was bent on a lavish show of riches from secret places, treasures hidden in the dark, and a life of luxury.
The great world events of this reign get no space in the book. There is a reason for that.
The events that fill world history with their noise count for almost nothing in the inspired book. God mentions them only when they touch the history of His people in some way, or when they point ahead to prophetic events, or to conflicts between nations that will have Israel as their target.
The chapter dazzles with wealth, and that is all it offers.
It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Nebuchadnezzar brought in religion of a base sort, and sought to compel it on all. Xerxes, for he it seems to be who now possessed the general title here used, showed himself, as Daniel said long previously, "far richer than all before him," thought of no one higher, and gave himself up to ostentatious indulgence.
God's name never appears in the book. The throne named in this verse is where He is at work.
It has often been noted that the name of God is not found in the Book of Esther. This is characteristic. God does not show Himself. The government of the world had fallen to that throne, with all its power and all its mistakes. But behind it God holds the reins by His providence. He watches over the carrying out of His purposes, and over everything needed to fulfil them. And He cares for His people, whatever their condition and whatever the power of their enemies.
Many Jews were still living in Persia by their own choice.
There were still many Jews who chose to remain in Persia. If they had faith, it was so weak that there was no energy to get back to God's appointed place for them. The book of Esther then shows how God dealt with these Jews despite their lack of faith. Why is God's name never mentioned in the book? Because Israel had not submitted to God's authority. They were in such a state that God would not openly own them as His people, in keeping with what He had said in Hosea 1:9 — "not My people."
Kelly measures how far the people had fallen, and what still held.
The book of Esther assumes the servitude to Gentile masters into which their own turning from God had brought His people. Yet even in that servitude at its worst — outside the land, the temple, the sacrifices, and the priesthood — the book shows the surest working of God's providence on their behalf against their enemies, however deadly and powerful.
- Hidden God. God's name never appears in the book. He would not openly own a people who had not submitted to Him — yet He still held the reins behind the Persian throne.
- Hidden king. "Ahasuerus" is a title, like Pharaoh. It was most likely worn here by Xerxes — rich, ruling by whim, calling himself king of kings.
- Hidden reach. India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces — seven more than Darius the Mede ruled, in an empire that had stopped conquering and started spending.
- Hidden people. These Jews had stayed in Persia when the way home was open. Weak faith did not cancel God's care.
- Hidden lesson. World events enter Scripture only where they touch God's people. That is why the noise of empires fills history books and not this one.
in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the fortress,
The verse fixes the story in one place and one moment: a Persian king seated on his throne in the stronghold of Susa. Everything that follows turns on this fortress. God's people had no throne of their own at the time.
Susa — spelled Shushan in some translations — was more than a royal home. Commentators note that it was a defended site as well as a luxurious one.
Ahasuerus was a name given to the chief king of Persia. History knows the Ahasuerus of verse 1 as Xerxes I. His empire extended over a very large area, including 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. The capital of his empire was Shushan, a beautiful city surrounded by mountains and rich in vegetation. It is here called a citadel, for it was a fortress, a castle built not only for residence, but for military defence (v. 2).
Commentators differ over which king is meant. One writer says the question matters less than readers assume.
The title of Ahasuerus was a general one, just as Pharaoh was the general one in Egypt, and Abimelech among the Philistines. There were many Pharaohs and many Abimelechs, and among the Persians several kings bore the name Ahasuerus. Which Ahasuerus is meant is a question, but it is a matter of no importance; if it were, God would have told us. I presume, however, that it was really Xerxes. One reason is the character of the man — a man of enormous resources, unbounded wealth, immense luxury and vanity, and of the most arbitrary and unpredictable character.
The throne in this verse belongs to a foreign king. The way home was already open, and most Jews had not taken it.
What could you expect from people who seemed happy to stay on among the nations? The highest earthly authority had given them leave, and even encouragement, to return to the land of promise. A remnant of the scattered Jews had gone back with the heir to David's throne, and with the high priest, to rebuild the temple and the city.
The same writer describes how strange this opening scene was for a Jewish reader.
For a Jew the circumstances under the great king were most unusual. The opening scene is as if Israel were, like the name of God Himself, not even whispered.
The dating of this scene lines up with a moment already announced in prophecy, and with a military plan brewing behind the celebrations.
The prophet Daniel had predicted this display, saying: "Behold… the fourth (king of Persia) shall enrich himself with great riches more than all; and when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all the realm of Greece." (Dan. 11:2) "The third year of his reign" corresponds, according to history, to the year in which his formidable expedition against Greece... was decreed. We have no doubt that all this show of luxury and power was intended to prepare this expedition.
Set beside an earlier world ruler, this court stands out for what is missing.
It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Nebuchadnezzar brought in religion of a base sort, and sought to force it on all. Xerxes... showed himself "far richer than all before him," as Daniel had said long before. He thought of no one higher. He gave himself up to showy indulgence, all the more after his invasion of Greece failed completely.
God's name never appears in this book. Writers treat that silence as deliberate, and they draw from it a lesson for daily life.
Perhaps no book in the Bible shows the great truth of God's providence more remarkably. Notice one striking feature: the name of God never appears in it. Ignorant men have supposed this to be a defect. In truth, naming God openly all through it would badly spoil the book. The prime object is to show His hand secretly working where His name could not rightly be proclaimed. Far from being a fault, this is one of the most strengthening thoughts we can have. We deal with a similar secret providence every day.
One writer reads the throne itself as a picture, even though the king who sat on it did evil.
Ahasuerus represents power, royal authority, in the earth. He then filled the throne that was supreme among the nations... Still, he represents power, royal authority in the earth. Just like Solomon in Jerusalem, he himself did evil... Still, as a general picture he stood for power. He was a shadow of Christ on the throne of glory — the throne that will rule the world in righteousness.
- Hidden place. Susa is a fortress as well as a palace — the strongest place in the empire, and the stage for everything that follows.
- Hidden people. The throne is Persian because Israel's own throne is gone. Most Jews had stayed among the nations, even though the way home was open.
- Hidden God. A court blazing with wealth has no thought of God, true or false — and God, in turn, leaves His name out of the whole book.
- Hidden hand. That silence is the point. He works unseen here, as He does in your life every day. The throne He controls in secret is a shadow of Christ's throne.