Esther 1:10

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Esther 1:10 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
Esther 1:10 — American Standard Version

Context — Esther 1

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
10On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“On the seventh day, etc.] Of the feast, the last day of it, which the Rabbins, as Jarchi observes, say was the sabbath day, and so the Targum: when the heart of the king was merry with wine; when he was intoxicated with it, and knew not well what he said or did; and the discourse at table ran upon the beauty of women, as the latter Targum; when the king asserted there were no women so beautiful as those of Babylon, and, as a proof of it, ordered his queen to be brought in: he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains, that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king; or “eunuchs”, as the word is sometimes rendered; and such persons…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine--As the feast days advanced, the drinking was more freely indulged in, so that the close was usually marked by great excesses of revelry. he commanded . . . the seven chamberlains--These were the eunuchs who had charge of the royal harem. The refusal of Vashti to obey an order which required her to make an indecent exposure of herself before a company of drunken revellers, was becoming both the modesty of her sex and her rank as queen; for, according to Persian customs, the queen, even more than the wives of other men, was secluded from the public gaze. Had not the king's blood been heated with wine, or his reason overpowered…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“1:10 Xerxes was in high spirits: He was probably fairly drunk and apt to do something foolish. • Eunuchs were servants who had been castrated because their roles brought them into frequent contact with the women of the royal harem.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“the heart: Gen 43:34; Jdg 16:25; Sa1 25:36, Sa1 25:37; Sa2 13:28; Pro 20:1; Ecc 7:2-4; Ecc 10:19; Eph 5:18, Eph 5:19 Harbona: Est 7:9, Harbonah chamberlains: or, eunuchs, Dan 1:3-5, Dan 1:18, Dan 1:19 Esther 1:11”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification