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.
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast to all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of the provinces being before him;
Ahasuerus marks his third year with a feast for the whole machinery of his empire — officials, army commanders, and the nobles of Persia and Media. It is a display of wealth with no thought of God in it, and it raises the question this chapter really asks: whose glory is this?
The name Ahasuerus tells us less than we might expect. One writer looks at the man's character for a better clue to who he was.
The title of Ahasuerus was a general one, just as Pharaoh was the general title in Egypt, and Abimelech among the Philistines. That is, there were many Pharaohs and many Abimelechs. So among the Persians there were several who bore the name of Ahasuerus. Which Ahasuerus is meant is a question, but it is of no importance; if it were, God would have told us. I take it, 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 a man of the most arbitrary and unpredictable character.
Where the ESV says "the army of Persia and Media," older translations say "the power." One writer explains what that word means, and why the king's generals came to a banquet.
History tells us that "the third year of his reign" is the year the king ordered his great expedition against Greece, which had already beaten back his father Darius. We have no doubt that all this show of luxury and power was meant to prepare that expedition, planned together with the princes, nobles and chief men of the 127 provinces of this immense empire. One word used of some of them seems to point to this purpose. The verse speaks of the power (v. 3), listed right after the princes of the kingdom. Strictly, the word "power" means the army — that is, the leaders or generals of the army.
Commentators differ on where this feast falls in Xerxes' story. Another writer places the display after the Greek campaign failed, and finds shame beneath it.
It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Xerxes gave himself up to ostentatious indulgence, all the more after the utter failure of his invasion of Greece. Underneath such unmatched worldly grandeur you can see shame and fear.
One writer sets this king beside Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled Babylon before him, and finds the same pride in Persian dress.
All the haughtiness that declared itself in Nebuchadnezzar reappears in Ahasuerus. No spirit or fruit of repentance — no learning of himself, or of what suits him as a creature — is seen in this man of the earth. The lie of the serpent, which shaped man at the beginning, is working as earnestly as ever. The old desire to be as God speaks out in the Persian now, as it had before in the Chaldean.
The wars that made Xerxes famous get no coverage here, and that silence is deliberate.
The events that fill the history of the world with their noise count for almost nothing in the inspired book. God mentions them only when they touch the history of His people in one way or another, or when they foreshadow events that prophecy speaks of. This truth has great importance for us. The conflicts among nations in our own day often preoccupy us so much that our souls lose communion with the Lord. Let us take the Word to measure the value of these conflicts, and weigh the facts in the scales of the sanctuary. How small they will seem in the light of our God's eternal purposes!
One writer sets this feast beside the feast God spreads, point for point.
The Persian king claimed the title King of Kings, which belongs only to the Lord Himself. Ahasuerus held his feast in the third year of his reign, to show the riches of his kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty. God invites us to a gospel feast, prepared in His Son, who died and rose again on the third day. This feast shows the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness towards us. Ahasuerus invited all to come to his feast, with no condition but to come. In the same way, God wants all men to be saved, and He offers the riches of His grace without money and without price. While the Persian king displayed the glories of his great kingdom, God displays the glory of His grace.
- Riches displayed. The feast had one purpose: to show off the king's wealth and majesty. Even the army commanders came as part of the display.
- Riches borrowed. Behind the show stood a vain and unpredictable king. Some writers read the display as war planning; others place it after defeat abroad, with shame underneath.
- Riches repeated. The ambition on show is not new: the old wish to be as God, seen in Nebuchadnezzar, speaks again through Persia.
- Riches ignored. Scripture skips the wars that made this king famous. It mentions world events only where they touch God's people — a useful scale for today's headlines.
- Riches answered. One king showed off his own glory. Another King spreads a feast in His Son and offers the riches of His grace to all who come.
when he shewed the glorious wealth of his kingdom and the splendid magnificence of his grandeur many days, a hundred and eighty days.
A king spends half a year putting his wealth on public view. The Bible records it in a single verse. Commentators ask what he was after, and what it says about a man who needs the world to look at him for six months.
All this wealth was put on show for an audience.
It was in the third year of his reign that he gave a great feast lasting 180 days (v. 4). He entertained all of his officials and servants, including representatives of the many provinces. What was his object? He wanted to impress them with the splendour of his own glory! The wealth spent on this celebration must have been enormous. No doubt he had many things to show these visitors to make them marvel that he had grown so rich.
Rossier links the date to Persian history and to a prophecy Daniel spoke long before.
The prophet Daniel had predicted this ostentation, saying: "Behold… a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece" (Dan. 11:2). History places "the third year of his reign" in the year when he decided on his mighty expedition against Greece. Greece had already resisted Darius, his father, and won. We have no doubt that all this display of luxury and power was meant to prepare that expedition. He planned it together with the princes, nobles and chief men of the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of this immense empire.
What is missing from the verse is as telling as what is in it. Not one word of the scene reaches above the king himself.
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 everyone. Xerxes seems to be the man holding the general title used here. As Daniel said long before, he showed himself "far richer than all before him." He thought of no one higher, and gave himself up to showy indulgence — all the more after his invasion of Greece failed completely. Under worldly grandeur, in efforts so unmatched, you can detect shame and fear. You can also see his wish to please the peoples of his vast lands, and to wipe out the memory of a foreign disgrace that might ruin him.
Commentators differ on the timing. Rossier places the feast before the Greek campaign; Kelly reads the display as coming after it failed.
The empire has changed hands, but the heart on the throne has not. Bellett hears Babylon's old boast in this new king.
All the haughtiness that showed itself in Nebuchadnezzar reappears in Ahasuerus. This man of the earth shows no spirit or fruit of repentance. He learns nothing about himself, or about what suits him as a creature. The lie of the serpent, which shaped man at the beginning, is at work as earnestly as ever. The old desire to be as God speaks out in the Persian now, as it had before in the Chaldean. The one had built his royal city. He looked at it in pride and said, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" The other now makes a feast. For a hundred and eighty days he shows the princes and nobles the whole power of his realm.
The man grasping at divine honours is made, without knowing it, to picture the real thing.
God uses this monarch to picture for us divine authority and power at work as sovereign. His purpose is to show grace to His people and to hand administrative power to the man of His choice. Yet this king's limitless ambition seeks only to make himself equal to God, while he satisfies his passions. Only the Sovereign has the right to show grace; and this truth, hidden in the shadows, brought some comfort to this afflicted, miserable people.
God spreads a feast of His own, and the contrast is the point.
Ahasuerus held his feast in the third year of his reign. It was to show the riches of his kingdom and the splendour of his greatness. God invites us to a gospel feast, prepared in His Son, who died and rose again on the third day. This feast displays the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us... While the Persian king displayed the glories of his great kingdom, God displays the glory of His grace.
- Display. Six months of feasting had one aim — to make watching men marvel at the king's own splendour.
- Motive. Beneath the grandeur, commentators detect shame and fear, and the wish to erase a foreign disgrace.
- Repetition. Babylon's boast reappears in Persia's: the ancient wish to be as God, with no repentance and no self-knowledge.
- Reversal. The king who grabs at God's place pictures, without knowing it, the authority that truly shows grace and hands out power.
- Contrast. Ahasuerus showed the riches of his kingdom; God shows the riches of His grace, and invites all to come.