SaintJamesAMEChurch
588Dr.M.L.King,Jr.Blvd.
Newark,NJ07102
www.stjamesame.org
Rev.RonaldL.Slaughter,SeniorPastor
Women’sBibleStudyOutline
6:30PM
January5,2016
Sis.JanelleY.Greene,Facilitator
Subject:TheBookofEsther–TheStoryofQueenVashti
Scripture:Esther1(NIV)
QueenVashtiDeposed
1ThisiswhathappenedduringthetimeofXerxes,[a]
theXerxeswhoruledover127provincesstretching
fromIndiatoCush[b]:2AtthattimeKingXerxes
reignedfromhisroyalthroneinthecitadelofSusa,
3
andinthethirdyearofhisreignhegaveabanquet
forallhisnoblesandofficials.Themilitaryleaders
ofPersiaandMedia,theprinces,andthenoblesof
theprovinceswerepresent.
4
Forafull180dayshedisplayedthevastwealthof
hiskingdomandthesplendorandgloryofhis
majesty.5Whenthesedayswereover,theking
gaveabanquet,lastingsevendays,intheenclosed
gardenoftheking’spalace,forallthepeoplefrom
theleasttothegreatestwhowereinthecitadelof
Susa.6Thegardenhadhangingsofwhiteandblue
linen,fastenedwithcordsofwhitelinenandpurple
materialtosilverringsonmarblepillars.Therewere
couchesofgoldandsilveronamosaicpavementof
porphyry,marble,mother-of-pearlandothercostly
stones.7Winewasservedingobletsofgold,each
onedifferentfromtheother,andtheroyalwine
wasabundant,inkeepingwiththeking’sliberality.
8
Bytheking’scommandeachguestwasallowedto
drinkwithnorestrictions,forthekinginstructedall
thewinestewardstoserveeachmanwhathe
wished.
Women’sBibleStudy:January5,2016
9
QueenVashtialsogaveabanquetforthewomen
intheroyalpalaceofKingXerxes.
10
Ontheseventhday,whenKingXerxeswasinhigh
spiritsfromwine,hecommandedtheseven
eunuchswhoservedhim—Mehuman,Biztha,
Harbona,Bigtha,Abagtha,ZetharandKarkas—11to
bringbeforehimQueenVashti,wearingherroyal
crown,inordertodisplayherbeautytothepeople
andnobles,forshewaslovelytolookat.12But
whentheattendantsdeliveredtheking’scommand,
QueenVashtirefusedtocome.Thentheking
becamefuriousandburnedwithanger.
13
Sinceitwascustomaryforthekingtoconsult
expertsinmattersoflawandjustice,hespokewith
thewisemenwhounderstoodthetimes14and
wereclosesttotheking—Karshena,Shethar,
Admatha,Tarshish,Meres,MarsenaandMemukan,
thesevennoblesofPersiaandMediawhohad
specialaccesstothekingandwerehighestinthe
kingdom.
15
“Accordingtolaw,whatmustbedonetoQueen
Vashti?”heasked.“Shehasnotobeyedthe
commandofKingXerxesthattheeunuchshave
takentoher.”
Sis.JanelleY.Greene,MinistertoWomen
16
ThenMemukanrepliedinthepresenceofthe
kingandthenobles,“QueenVashtihasdone
wrong,notonlyagainstthekingbutalsoagainstall
thenoblesandthepeoplesofalltheprovincesof
KingXerxes.17Forthequeen’sconductwillbecome
knowntoallthewomen,andsotheywilldespise
theirhusbandsandsay,‘KingXerxescommanded
QueenVashtitobebroughtbeforehim,butshe
wouldnotcome.’18ThisverydaythePersianand
Medianwomenofthenobilitywhohaveheard
aboutthequeen’sconductwillrespondtoallthe
king’snoblesinthesameway.Therewillbenoend
ofdisrespectanddiscord.
Xerxes.Alsoletthekinggiveherroyalpositionto
someoneelsewhoisbetterthanshe.20Thenwhen
theking’sedictisproclaimedthroughoutallhisvast
realm,allthewomenwillrespecttheirhusbands,
fromtheleasttothegreatest.”
19
Footnotes:
21
Thekingandhisnobleswerepleasedwiththis
advice,sothekingdidasMemukanproposed.22He
sentdispatchestoallpartsofthekingdom,toeach
provinceinitsownscriptandtoeachpeoplein
theirownlanguage,proclaimingthateveryman
shouldberuleroverhisownhousehold,usinghis
nativetongue.
“Therefore,ifitpleasestheking,lethimissuea
royaldecreeandletitbewritteninthelawsof
PersiaandMedia,whichcannotberepealed,that
VashtiisneveragaintoenterthepresenceofKing
a.
b.
Esther1:1HebrewAhasuerus;hereandthroughout
Esther
Esther1:1Thatis,theupperNileregion
Summary:
TheBookofEstherispartoftheHebrewBiblewhichisknownastheWritings.Itisoneoftwobooksthattakes
itsnamefromitsleadingfemalepersonality.Thereisnoclaimforitsauthorship;butassumeditwasaJewish
authorwholivedoutsideoftheHolyLandandwasfamiliarwithSusa(modernIran)andthePersianpalace.King
Xerxes(alsoreferredtoasAhasuerus)ruledin486-465BC.Heishistoricallyrememberedbyancienthistorians
asapowerfulyetruthlessking.VashtiwasthewifeofKingXerxesandconsideredtobebeautifulandlovelyto
gazeupon.QueenVashtiapparentlyrefusedtoindulgetherequestofKingXerxestobepresentandondisplay
amidstthedrunkenrevelry.TheKing’sangerwaskindledbecauseofherrefusal;whichspurredlegalaction
towardsQueenVashtibecauseofherviolationanddisobedience.EventhoughQueenVashtiwasKingXerxes’
wifeshewasalsoinastatepositionasaQueenwhomdefiedanorderoftheEmpire.Herstorystimulatesmany
impressionsaroundretributivejustice,respectforprotocolandtheinfluenceofwomen.
QuestionstoConsider:
1. Whatisgoingoninthepassage–(5WS)?DescribeKingXerxes’celebration.(v.2-8)
2. ForwhomdidKingXerxeshostsuchanelaboratefeast?Whatwasthepurpose?Howlongdidtheparty
last?
3. WhatwasQueenVashtidoing?
4. WhatrequestdidtheKingXerxesmakeofQueenVashti?WhydoestheKingaskQueenVashtitocome
tohim?(v.10-11)
5. Why did the men see Queen Vashti's refusal to be so dangerous to the kingdom (vv. 16-20)? 6. The theme of respect is mentioned a number of times in this passage. How was respect gained and
maintained from the men’s perspective?
7. As women how do we consider issues of justice, order/politics and respect today in our lives and
dealings? What about Vashti’s “rights”? Women’sBibleStudy:January5,2016
Sis.JanelleY.Greene,MinistertoWomen