The Book of Esther is one of the books of the Old Testament, completes the cycle of historical books in the classical translation, follows the book of Nehemiah.
The book of Esther is written in Hebrew, but there are Aramaic and Persian phrases in it. Historians, theologians, and biblical scholars argue over whether the Book of Esther is historically true or fictional. Some view the book of Esther as a pseudo-historical story - a parable. However, this opinion is most likely incorrect, since the text contains many detailed descriptions and a host of genuine Persian names.
Read the book of Esther.
The Book of Esther consists of 10 chapters.
The authorship is also controversial. Many consider Esther to be Mordecai, Esther's cousin and guardian, as the author of the book, but a group of researchers question not only Mordecai's authorship, but also the very existence of such a person in real history. The figure of Mordecai is one of the central figures in the book of Esther. Mordecai was in the service of the king of Persia.
King Ahasuerus (Artaxerxes / Xerxes) gathers the beauties of his empire to find a replacement for his queen Vashti, whom he himself stripped of the title. Esther is among the beauties. Mordecai advises Esther not to reveal her Jewish origins. Esther becomes the queen of Persia.
Mordecai learns of a conspiracy against King Ahasuerus and warns him through Esther of the danger.
Shortly after these events, the king appoints the Amalekite Haman as the supreme dignitary and orders everyone to prostrate themselves before Haman. Mordecai refuses to bow down. By this refusal, the Jew Mordecai does not show disrespect to the dignitary. Mordecai remains obedient to his God who commanded
"To fight the Amalekites from generation to generation."
Refusing to bow to the Amalekite was a matter of loyalty to God. This fact infuriated the dignitary. Upon learning that Mordecai was a Jew, the dignitary became doubly angry. Haman decided to physically destroy not only Mordecai, but also all the Jews in the Persian empire. On the instructions of the dignitary, King Ahashverosh issued a decree on the extermination of the Jews.
After the issuance of the royal decree, Mordecai turned to Queen Esther and insisted that she was chosen by God to save the Jewish people. Esther agreed to speak with the king, although this conversation could become a direct threat to her life.
One night, King Ahasuerus could not sleep and ordered to bring a book of chronicles, which described the case of how Mordecai warned the king about a conspiracy. It turned out that Mordecai still hadn't been thanked. The king decided to thank Mordecai and ordered the dignitary Haman to hold a ceremony honoring Mordecai.
Esther managed to expose the dignitary in the eyes of the king in his slander against the Jews. The king ordered Haman to be hanged on a pillar, which the dignitary had prepared for the execution of Mordecai. After the execution of the high dignitary, Mordecai took his post and received his house. Mordecai passed a decree on the right of the Jews to defend themselves and their property on the day of the intended extermination. On this day, the Jews managed to exterminate more than 75 thousand of their enemies. After these events, many Persians began to assimilate the Jewish faith.
Interpretation of the book of Esther.
The center of the story of the book of Esther is Mordecai's strong faith in God and devotion to the Jewish people. The main idea of \u200b\u200bthe Old Testament historical books can also be traced here: the history of the people is a reflection of their relationship with God - God punishes for disobedience, and encourages for true faith. Whether God's chosen people live in godliness or in sin, God does not back down from his promises.
The Book of Esther is a unique description of the life of the Jewish people during the Persian period. The events described in the book took place 539-331. BC e. After the end of the Babylonian captivity, many Jews decided not to return to their homeland against the will of God, who, according to the prophet Jeremiah, will again support his people in the promised land according to the covenant.
Esther and Mordecai were among the Jews who did not return to their homeland. The king of Persia, Ahasuerus (other variants of the name Artaxerxes, Agasver, Xerxes), who ruled at that time, was a strong ruler. The events of the book of Esther begin in the 3rd year of the reign of Xerxes and end in the 12th year (483 - 473 BC).
The book of Esther is the only one of the Old Testament books where there is no mention of either the name of God or the law of Moses. There is not a single quotation from the book of Esther in the New Testament. All this once again emphasizes the fact of the apostasy of the Jews, who remained the field of captivity in the Persian Empire, from the covenants of their God.
There are no prayers in the book of Esther, even Mordecai and Esther do not turn to God, although they are convinced that it is God who protects and leads them. There are no descriptions of sacrifices in the book. All this is proof that the Jews, who did not return to their homeland after the captivity, were already ignorant of spiritual matters and began to forget their faith.
According to most theologians, the book of Esther was written in Persia and delivered to Palestine, or was originally written in Palestine. In any case, the addressees of the book were repatriates from Babylonian captivity. The purpose of the book of Esther is to encourage the Israelites, a reminder that God does not leave his people, even those who refused to return to their homeland.
The Book of Esther was a source of encouragement to the nation. She inspired the idea of \u200b\u200bthe need to worship your Bock in any situation.
Christianity, and especially Orthodoxy, is often called a "male religion": men rule everything, and a woman's job is to cook cabbage soup in the kitchen and feed her husband and children. Well, just like in the Old Testament ... Was it exactly like that in the Old Testament? There are several books in it bearing female names, but the book of Esther (or Esther, as this name is spelled in the old spelling) is most suitable for us in search of an answer to this question.
The action takes place in Persian Empire during the reign of a king named Artaxerxes - apparently, we are talking about Artaxerxes I. His long reign fell on the middle of the 5th century. BC, it was the heyday of the Persian state - on the borders of a huge empire (from the Aegean Sea to India, from Central Asia Before Egypt) there were wars, but the one who could throw a serious challenge to the Persians was not yet born. So the king could indulge in luxuries and pleasures in his palace, located in the city of Susa - one of his residences. The Jews at that time lived in many cities and regions of the empire - only a part of them returned from Babylonian captivity to their homeland, many went to other lands in search of a better life.
So, Artaxerxes “arranged a feast for all the nobles and those close to him in the third year of his reign. The Persian and Median military leaders, the nobility and the rulers of the regions appeared before the king, and he showed them the wealth and glory of his kingdom, the splendor and splendor of his greatness. It lasted a whole hundred and eighty days. And after these days, the king arranged for all the people, which was in the stronghold of the city of Susa, and noble and simple, a feast for seven days in the garden of the royal palace ... the king ordered all the rulers of his palace: let people drink as much as they like.
You can imagine this picture! It is not surprising that the queen eventually got tired of endless celebrations and refused to appear at the feast at the call of her master. What a grave insult it was! Now the wife of the very last of the royal subjects could refuse, following the example of the queen, to fulfill the orders of her husband. It was impossible to endure this in any way, and the tsar drove out his wife, sending a decree throughout the kingdom in all the languages \u200b\u200bof his empire, which read: "Let the man be the master in his house" - along with the decree and an announcement that a vacancy for the queen was opened at court.
Among the other beauties gathered at the court was Esther, a young Jewish woman who was raised by her close relative, Mordecai. He also served at court and even once did the king an important service, warning him about the conspiracy. The beauty contest then took place slowly: for a whole year, the beauties rubbed themselves and anointed themselves with all kinds of oils and incense, and then they were sent to the king for one night. After that, the girls went to special chambers - but most of them never saw the king, unless he himself wanted to meet them again. And who said that being a concubine of a great king is sheer pleasure?
Esther, however, won this competition and remained at court in the rank of queen. It would seem, well, what is it in this story to include it in the Holy Scriptures? But the main thing was still ahead ...
The first ever attempt at the universal extermination of the Jews, as the Bible says, was conceived at the court of Artaxerxes. Even egyptian pharaoh at one time he did not want to destroy the Jews at all, he was only going to limit their birth rate. Now a certain Haman appeared at the court, who proposed the following project to the king: “There is one people scattered throughout all areas of your kingdom among other nations, but alien to them. The laws of these people are not at all the same as those of other peoples, and they do not observe the laws of the king. It is not proper for a king to put up with this. If it pleases the king, let him issue a decree to destroy them, and then the treasurers will receive from me ten thousand talents of silver for the royal treasury. "
It must be assumed that Aman was not at all going to be the "sponsor" of these pogroms: he, on the contrary, wanted to profit from the property of those who could be killed - and promised to give part of the booty to the king in advance. Actually, about everything happened that happened in the story with Daniel, only on a different scale: a people who has a King above all earthly kings is potentially dangerous for any ruler. Artaxerxes agreed, the decision on the extermination of the Jews was made, the date was chosen by lot, and instructions were sent throughout the kingdom to the governors and chiefs how exactly this measure should be carried out.
Mordecai, being close to the king, could not help but learn about this order. What to do now? On the one hand, his pupil became a queen ... On the other, what did she decide? She could not even enter the king without his special invitation. And Mordecai, accordingly, was not allowed to see her. The courtier had to resort to the help of the servants in order to convey to the queen the news that they themselves would be killed in the near future. Eastern courtyards may be luxurious and glorious, but life in these courtyards is still not as attractive as it seems at first glance.
And then this young woman, on whom nothing depended, who was just a very beautiful and valuable toy of the most powerful person in the world, decided to act on her own. To begin with, she asked all Jews in the royal city of Susa to declare a strict three-day fast. By abstaining from food, or, in the biblical language, “humbling themselves”, people showed God their complete dependence on Him, their readiness to accept His will. They no longer had any hope for their own strength.
The narrator, meanwhile, skillfully builds up tension - and at the same time shows how unreliable Haman's calculations are, how his plans collapse one after another. Firstly, he so wanted to deal with the hated Mordecai that he was not even ready to wait for the day appointed for the extermination of all Jews. He prepared a high post on which he was going to hang his enemy.
But it didn't work out that way. The king could not sleep the next night, he ordered to bring and read the palace chronicles - and so he was reminded of the past merits of Mordecai. And it turned out that the faithful minister was not rewarded in any way! The king hastened to correct this injustice and first consulted with Haman: how to reward the most faithful servant? Haman replied: “Let them bring the royal robe in which the king is clothed, and bring a horse crowned with the royal robe, on which the king rides. Let this garment and horse be handed over to one of the most noble royal nobles, and he will clothe the person to whom the king wants to honor, put him on a horse and lead the horse by the bridle through the city square. " Haman was sure that all these honors were intended for him ... but they went to his bitter enemy Mordecai, while Haman had to lead his horse by the bridle.
It would seem that it was possible to give up, to understand that his plans were not destined to come true. But Haman insisted on his own - and so he went to his own death, as before him and after him did too many who were blinded by hatred and their own high rank.
And what about Queen Esther? After the fast, she made a sumptuous feast and invited the husband-king and ill-wisher Haman to it. When the king at the feast came in a good mood, he, as usual with kings, promised to fulfill any request of Esther. She replied: “If I have won your mercy, O king, if the king pleases, let them save my life - that is what I ask! May my people be preserved - that is what I pray! Because we are sold - both I and my people - are betrayed to extermination, to beating, to destruction! " And the stunned king listened to the story of a terrible enemy who wanted to destroy both her and Mordecai, who was loyal to the king. The verdict was passed on the spot: Haman was hanged on the very pillar that he had prepared for Mordecai.
However, the story did not end there: after all, the order for the extermination of the Jews had already been sent throughout the vast Persian Empire, and it was not accepted to cancel the orders once given from the Persian rulers. Then another decree was issued on behalf of the tsar: now the Jews were allowed and even directly ordered to stand up for themselves, take revenge on all their enemies and kill them. The book of Esther adds: “And in whatever region, in whatever city this decree came with the order of the king, everywhere began for the Jews joy and merriment, a feast and a feast. And many people from the peoples of this country converted to Judaism, because they were seized by fear of the Jews. "
The Jews did not fail to take advantage of this opportunity and really destroyed all their enemies - five hundred of them were found in Susa alone, including the hanged ten sons of Haman. It was decided to mark this day as a holiday, and to this day it is kept in the calendar of Jewish holidays under the name Purim - this word is translated as "lots". Once enemies jewish people they cast lots, determining the day when the Jews should be killed, but as a result they themselves died. Such was their lot.
And yet, Christians often fail to treat this book calmly, sometimes it was even suggested to exclude it from the Bible. What does this come out of? The Chosen People not only got rid of death, but also repaid the enemies with the same coin? Couldn't it have been otherwise? Did they not understand that God's people should not become like their persecutors?
It is difficult to say whether it was possible in that era to protect enemies without causing them the slightest harm. Take their weapons away? Arrest? And if they refuse (and they certainly won't agree), then what?
But the most important thing is that the words of love for those who hate in that world have not yet sounded. As in the cases of the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan, there was only one question: "who will win." And woe to the vanquished! Looking at the world depicted in the book of Esther, where the murder of one person or an entire people is as common a thing as a royal feast, we better understand that New Testament became really new, revolutionary for its time.
But Christians also have one more reason to treat this book with caution ... God is never mentioned in its Hebrew text. If it were not part of the Bible, we would have little reason to think that it has anything to do with matters of faith at all. This is a gripping story from the life of the Persian court, with conflicts, intrigues, intense action and unexpected outcome. But people and only people act in it in all cases.
It is for this reason that entire paragraphs were added to the Greek version of this book, setting out a theological view of the same story. Here, for example, is how Mordecai prays after learning about the danger: “And now, O Lord God, King, God of Abraham, spare your people; for they are plotting our destruction and want to destroy Thy original inheritance; do not despise Thy wealth, which Thou hast redeemed for Thyself out of the land of Egypt; hear my prayer and have mercy on your inheritance and turn our mourning into gladness, so that while we live, we may sing your name, Lord. " And the narrator adds that not only he prayed fervently, but all the Jews. But these lines were clearly added to the text later, just in order to make it more edifying for believers.
But even if we abandon them, the story does not lose its meaning. In any case, God acts in history, but not always in the form of a pillar of fire and cloud, as in the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. His will can be done by the hands of people - even if they do not speak about Him in front of other people.
As for the role of a woman in the religion of the Old Testament and in Christianity, she is not at all identical with the role of a man - but she is in no way inferior to her. It is simply different, as this Bible book shows us.
1 In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the great, on the first day of the month of Nisan, Mordecai, the son of Jairus, Semeyev, Kiseev, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew who lived in the city of Susa, a great man who served at the royal palace, had a dream. He was one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took captive from Jerusalem with Jechonias, king of Judah. His dream is this: there is a terrible noise, thunder and earthquake and confusion on the ground; and behold, two great serpents came out, ready to fight each other; And their howl was great, and after their howl all the peoples prepared for war, to smite the people of the righteous; and now - a day of darkness and gloom, sorrow and oppression, suffering and great confusion on earth; and all the people of the righteous were confused, fearing their own troubles, and they prepared to perish and began to cry out to the Lord; from their cry came, as it were from a small spring, a great river with abundant water; and the light and the sun shone, and the humble ascended and destroyed the vain. - Mordecai, awakening after this dream, depicting what God wanted to do, he kept this dream in his heart and wanted to understand it in all parts of it, until the night. And Mordecai dwelt in the palace together with Ghaaf and Farroah, two royal eunuchs who guarded the palace, and he heard their conversations and scouted their plans and learned that they were preparing to lay hands on the king Artaxerxes, and reported them to the king; and the king tortured these two eunuchs, and when they confessed they were executed. The king recorded this event in memory, and Mordecai recorded this event. And the king ordered Mordecai to serve in the palace and gave him gifts for this. When the king was then Noble is Haman, the son of Amadaphs, the Bugean, and he tried to harm Mordecai and his people for the two king's eunuchs. | And it came to pass in the days of Artaxerxes, - this Artaxerxes reigned over one hundred twenty-seven regions from India to Ethiopia, -
2 while Artaxerxes the king sat on his king's throne, which is in Susa, the throne city,
3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and for those who served with him, for the chief leaders of the army of Persia and Media, and for the rulers of his regions,
4 showing the great wealth of his kingdom and the excellent splendor of his greatness during many days, one hundred and eighty days.
5 At the end of these days, the king made for his people, who were in the throne city of Susa, from large to small, a seven-day feast in the garden courtyard of the king's house.
6 White, paper and yacht-colored woolen fabrics, attached with fine linen and purple cords, hung on silver rings and marble pillars.
7 Gold and silver boxes were on a platform covered with green stones and marble and mother-of-pearl and black stones.
8 Drinks served were in vessels of gold and various vessels, at a cost of thirty thousand talents; and the king's wine was in abundance, according to the king's wealth. Drink was going decorously, no one compelled, because the king gave such an order to all the administrators in his house that they would do according to the will of everyone.
9 And Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal house of King Artaxerxes.
10 On the seventh day, when the king's heart rejoiced with wine, he said to Meguman, Bizfa, Harbon, Bigfa and Avagfa, Zefar and Karkas - seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Artaxerxes,
11 that they should bring the queen Vashti before the king, wearing the king's crown, in order to show the nations and princes her beauty; because she was very beautiful.
12 But Queen Vashti did not want to come at the order of the king, announced through eunuchs.
13 And the king was very angry, and his fury was kindled in him. And the king said to the wise men who know former times - for the deeds of the king were made before all who know the law and rights, -
14 close to him then there were: Karshena, Shefar, Admafa, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memuhan - seven princes of Persia and Media who could see the king's face and sat first in the kingdom:
15 How to act according to the law with the queen Vashti, because she did not do according to the word of King Artaxerxes, announced through eunuchs?
16 And Memuchan said before the king and the princes, Queen Vashti is not guilty before the king alone, but before all the princes and before all the nations that are in all the regions of King Artaxerxes.
17 For the deed of the queen will reach all the wives, and they will despise their husbands and say: King Artaxerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before his face, but she did not go.
18 Now the princesses of Persia and Media, who hear of the queen's deed, will also speak to all the princes of the king; and neglect and grief will be enough.
19 If it pleases the king, let the royal decree come out from him and fit into the laws of Persia and Media and not be canceled, that Vashti will not enter in front of the king Artaxerxes, and the king will transfer her royal dignity to another, which is better than her.
20 When they hear of this decree of the king, which will spread throughout all his kingdom, no matter how great, then all wives will honor their husbands, from great to small.
The author of the Book of Esther is unknown, but the description of the history of the establishment of the Purim holiday, the details of the life of the Persian court, folk customs, knowledge of the geography of the kingdom prompts us to assume in him the Persian Jew Mordecai, who lived in Susa, an ardent patriot with a literary talent.
Period covered: about V century. BC Currently, many scholars are inclined to date the book to the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 4th century. BC This date, in their opinion, is confirmed by the peculiarities of the author's language, his favor to the Persian king and pagans.
According to some researchers, this is a story about persian king Artaxerxes, also known as Xerxes (485 / 6-465 BC, Ezra 4:14).
Artaxerxes was a Persian king famous for uniting the empire of his father Darius, erecting several successful buildings and waging wars with the Greeks in 480-470. BC
The Book of Esther explains to subsequent generations of Israel the circumstances of the establishment of the holiday Purim, which is celebrated by Jews today.
1:1- 4
And it was in the days of Artaxerxes - this Artaxerxes reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven regions from India to Ethiopia -
2 while King Artaxerxes sat on his royal throne, which is in Susa, the throne city,
3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and for those who served with him, for the chief commanders of the Persian and Median army, and for the rulers of his provinces,
4 showing the great riches of his kingdom and the excellent brilliance of his majesty [during] many days - one hundred and eighty days.
Yes, bragging about his wealth for 180 days - not every king, we think, can do. It turns out that Artaxerxes had a lot of curiosities from real estate, if for so long he managed to entertain the public with “excellent brilliance of his wealth,” as it is written.
1:5-9
At the end of these days, the king made for his people, who were in the throne city of Susa, from large to small, a seven-day feast in the garden courtyard of the king's house.
6 White paper and yacht-colored woolen fabrics, attached with fine linen and purple cords, [hung] from silver rings and marble pillars.
7 Gold and silver boxes [were] on a platform covered with green stones, and marble, and mother-of-pearl, and black stones.
8 Drinks were served [were] in vessels of gold and vessels of all kinds, at a cost of thirty thousand talents; and the king's wine was in abundance, according to the king's wealth. Drinking [went] decorously, no one forced, because the king gave such an order to all the administrators in his house that they would do it according to the will of everyone.
But even this did not seem enough to the king: for another 7 days, the king decided to throw a feast for his own in the capital. But they did not misbehave: they drank decorously and decently, no one forced anyone to drink, they drank of their own free will. I wonder if there really are those in the world who make them drink a green snake - their household?
1:9-12
And Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal house of King Artaxerxes.
1
0 On the seventh day, when the king's heart rejoiced from wine, he told Meguman, Bizfa, Harbon, Bigfa and Avagfa, Zefar and Karkas - seven eunuchs who served in the face of King Artaxerxes,
11 that they should bring the queen Vashti before the face of the king in the royal crown, in order to show the nations and princes her beauty; because she was very beautiful.
12 But Queen Vashti did not want to come by the order of the king, [announced] through the eunuchs.
The tsar and the tsarina entertained themselves with separate companies: he with their husbands, she with the ladies. The time has come for the king to boast of his movable property: a beauty queen, which all these princes have never seen. He ordered her to appear in their company and demonstrate her beauty. And in vain. Boasting, as you know, does not lead to anything good: such a queen refused him the courtesy, not a thing and not real estate - a queen, so that she could be shown to drunken princes and bosses as in a circus for entertainment. Although, perhaps, the queen did not obey the order,
transmitted through the Eunuchs, for she expected that the king, in his own person, would deign to invite her to the bride.
However, be that as it may, and it came out sadly for the king, the word king did not mean anything in the eyes of the queen.
1:13-15
And the king was very angry, and his fury kindled in him. And the king said to the wise men who know [the old] times, for the king's deeds were [done] in the presence of all who knew the law and rights,
14 those close to him [then were]: Karshena, Shefar, Admafa, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memuhan - seven princes of Persia and Medes, who could see the face of the king [and] sat first in the kingdom:
15 "What to do according to the law with Queen Vashti, because she did not do according to the word of King Artaxerxes, [announced] through the eunuchs?"
H the wife's obedience, and even public - in the presence of all the princes and witnesses, eunuchs, plunged the king into a rage. Still, he was publicly disgraced. But, we must pay tribute to him, anger did not cloud his mind and the sun did not set in his anger, he did not let his mind be darkened: having mastered himself and collecting his thoughts, he turned to the wise men who knew the laws of the state from ancient times, because he did not want to act according to your own will. The king was wise:he put interests and laws of the kingdom above his own, mercantile.The king is not a crown or a throne, however, but a royal BEHAVIOR.
1:16-18
And Memuchan said in the presence of the king and the princes: “Queen Vashti is not guilty before the king alone, but before all the princes and before all the nations that are in all the regions of King Artaxerxes;
17 because the deed of the queen will reach all the wives, and they will despise their husbands and say: "King Artaxerxes ordered the queen Vashti to be brought before his face, but she did not go."
18 Now the princesses of Persia and Media, who hear of the queen's deed, will [the same] speak to all the princes of the king; and neglect and grief will be enough.
The sages described to him the accusation to the queen: she was guilty not only before the king, but also hit the princes with a ricochet, for a bad example is contagious and the wives of all princes can adopt it. And if the wife is disobedient to her husband and rules over them, then the grief for the whole country is considerable. Such punishment is inevitable.
Yes, the beauty queen went too far in her whims, there is nothing to say, she hoped that her beauty - the king's mind would eclipse and he would not go anywhere from her. But it turned out differently.
We thought: at least one can understand the queen, she had something to manipulate in front of the king, trying to get the upper hand: the beauty was indescribable, and the male sex was still greedy for beauty.
And we have seen such vanity: neither beauty, nor intelligence, but some wives hold on to queens and strive to rule over their husbands. And what do they only hope for? We think we know for what: the fact that the husband is not a royal family-tribe will not be punished, because he is in great need of a wife.
1:19
If it is pleasing to the king, let the royal decree come out from him, and fit into the laws of Persian and Median, and it is not canceled that Vashti will not enter in the face of the king Artaxerxes, and the king will transfer her royal dignity to another, which is better than her.
The king was offered a solution so that it would be possible to get out of this situation without losing the royal greatness and dignity. And the solution is simple: you have to drive away such restive wives from yourself, and replace them with others, better ones, because a disobedient wife is not an assistant to husbands.
The queen played out, she wanted a great one: a husband on errands, well, now sit at a broken trough,
let not all "queens" now think that there are no irreplaceable ones.
1:20
When they hear about this decree of the king, which will spread throughout his whole kingdom, no matter how great, then all the wives will honor their husbands, from great to small. "
In order to prevent the development of the situation to a mass "woman's" revolt in Medo-Persia, the center of the revolt had to be strangled in the bud and the instigator should be punished somehow. And instead of female pseudo-freedom, it turned out the other way around, through the stupidity of one, albeit a beautiful and great woman, and men in the kingdom strengthened their positions and rights, given to them by God himself from the beginning.
It can be seen that at that time life was hard for the male sex, if a whole decree of the tsar was needed in order to bring all the wives in line.
Hearing such a decision, other wives will also guard their husbands' right to pump: this decree also extended to them. The king allowed all disobedient wives to be driven into the neck and the problem of a wife's disobedience to her husband was easily resolved in the Persian kingdom.
1:21,22
And this word was pleasing in the eyes of the king and princes; and the king did according to the word of Memuchan.
22 And he sent letters into all the provinces of the king, written in every province in its letters, and to every people in their language, that every man should be lord in his house, and that this should be announced to everyone in native language his.
And such a decision was pleasing to the king, and to all the princes, and to all the husbands throughout Media and Persia. Wives, of their husbands' good will, did not want to respect themselves as masters, made them fearful: you won’t give orders when the law allows you to get rid of such “commanders”.
We also saw such a bustle on earth, heavy for our psyche: the wives of witnesses (sisters-commanders) - sometimes not with their beauty and not with their minds - manipulate their husbands, neglecting them and even humiliating them in public. And this is what they beat with the letter of the law: "I do not commit adultery, then you will never get rid of me, you insignificance!" And they do what they want. Horror.
We think that such a decree of Artaxerxes and these "queens" could enlighten and make Christians out of them, respecting their husbands - if not of their own free will, then at least for fear of being replaced by another - for a better one.
1 In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the great, on the first day of the month of Nisan, Mordecai, the son of Jairus, Semeyev, Kiseev, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew who lived in the city of Susa, a great man who served at the royal palace, had a dream. He was one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took captive from Jerusalem with Jechonias, king of Judah. His dream is this: there is a terrible noise, thunder and earthquake and confusion on the ground; and behold, two great serpents came out, ready to fight each other; And their howl was great, and after their howl all the peoples prepared for war, to smite the people of the righteous; and now - a day of darkness and gloom, sorrow and oppression, suffering and great confusion on earth; and all the people of the righteous were confused, fearing their own troubles, and they prepared to perish and began to cry out to the Lord; from their cry came, as it were from a small spring, a great river with abundant water; and the light and the sun shone, and the humble ascended and destroyed the vain. - Mordecai, awakening after this dream, depicting what God wanted to do, he kept this dream in his heart and wanted to understand it in all parts of it, until the night. And Mordecai dwelt in the palace together with Ghaaf and Farroah, two royal eunuchs who guarded the palace, and he heard their conversations and scouted their plans and learned that they were preparing to lay hands on the king Artaxerxes, and reported them to the king; and the king tortured these two eunuchs, and when they confessed they were executed. The king recorded this event in memory, and Mordecai recorded this event. And the king ordered Mordecai to serve in the palace and gave him gifts for this. When the king was then Noble is Haman, the son of Amadaphs, the Bugean, and he tried to harm Mordecai and his people for the two king's eunuchs. | And it came to pass in the days of Artaxerxes, - this Artaxerxes reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven regions from India to Ethiopia, -
2 while the king Artaxerxes sat on his king's throne, which is in Susa, the throne city,
3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and for those who served with him, for the chief commanders of the army of Persia and Media, and for the rulers of his provinces,
4 showing the great wealth of his kingdom and the excellent splendor of his greatness during many days, one hundred and eighty days.
5 At the end of these days, the king made for his people who were in the throne city of Susa, from large to small, a seven-day feast in the garden courtyard of the king's house.
6 White, paper and yacht-colored woolen fabrics, attached with fine linen and purple cords, hung on silver rings and marble pillars.
7 Gold and silver boxes were on a platform covered with green stones and marble and mother-of-pearl and black stones.
8 Drinks served were in vessels of gold and various vessels, at a cost of thirty thousand talents; and the king's wine was in abundance, according to the king's wealth. Drink was going decorously, no one compelled, because the king gave such an order to all the administrators in his house that they would do according to the will of everyone.
9 And Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal house of King Artaxerxes.
10 On the seventh day, when the king's heart rejoiced with wine, he said to Meguman, Bizfa, Harbon, Bigfa and Avagfa, Zefar and Karkas - seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Artaxerxes,
11 that they should bring the queen Vashti before the king in the king's crown, in order to show the nations and princes her beauty; because she was very beautiful.
12 But Queen Vashti did not want to come at the order of the king, announced through eunuchs.
13 And the king was very angry, and his fury was kindled in him. And the king said to the wise men who know former times - for the deeds of the king were made before all who know the law and rights, -
14 close to him then there were: Karshena, Shefar, Admafa, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memuhan - seven princes of Persia and Media who could see the king's face and sat first in the kingdom:
15 How to act according to the law with the queen Vashti, because she did not do according to the word of King Artaxerxes, announced through eunuchs?
16 And Memuchan said before the king and the princes, Queen Vashti is not guilty before the king alone, but before all the princes and before all the nations that are in all the regions of King Artaxerxes.
17 For the deed of the queen will reach all the wives, and they will despise their husbands and say: King Artaxerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before his face, but she did not go.
18 Now the princesses of Persia and Media, who hear of the queen's deed, will also speak to all the princes of the king; and neglect and grief will be enough.
19 If it pleases the king, let the royal decree come out from him and fit into the laws of Persia and Media and not be canceled, that Vashti will not enter in front of the king Artaxerxes, and the king will transfer her royal dignity to another, which is better than her.
20 When they hear of this decree of the king, which will spread throughout all his kingdom, no matter how great, then all wives will honor their husbands, from great to small.
21 And this word was pleased in the eyes of the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memuchan.
22 And he sent letters to all the provinces of the king, written in every province in its letters, and to every people in their own language, that every man should be lord in his house, and that this might be announced to everyone in his natural language.