Esther 1 · Verse 10

Esther 1:10

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 served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
Esther 1:10, King James Version

Esther 1:10 in other translations

BSBOn the seventh day, when the king’s heart was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—
WEBOn the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcass, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
ASVOn 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,
YLTOn the seventh day, as the heart of the king is glad with wine, he hath said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who are ministering in the presence of the king Ahasuerus,
DARBYOn the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of king Ahasuerus,
BBEOn the seventh day, when the heart of the king was glad with wine, he gave orders to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven unsexed servants who were waiting before Ahasuerus the king,
WebsterOn 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 served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

What does Esther 1:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Esther 1:10-12
10-12. 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 by force of offended pride, he would have perceived that his own honor, as well as hers, was consulted by her dignified conduct.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 He commanded Mehuman - All these are doubtless Persian names; but so disguised by passing through a Hebrew medium, that some of them can scarcely be known. Mehuman signifies a stranger or guest. We shall find other names and words in this book, the Persian etymology of which may be easily traced.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Esther 1:10-22
Ahasuerus's feast ended in heaviness, by his own folly. Seasons of peculiar festivity often end in vexation. Superiors should be careful not to command what may reasonably be disobeyed. But when wine is in, men's reason departs from them. He that had rule over 127 provinces, had no rule over his own spirit. But whether the passion or the policy of the king was served by this decree, God's providence made way for Esther to the crown, and defeated Haman's wicked project, even before it had entered into his heart, and he arrived at his power. Let us rejoice that the Lord reigns, and will overrule the madness or folly of mankind to promote his own glory, and the safety and happiness of his people.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Esther 1:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בַּיּוֹם֙bai.yOmon the dayH3117
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔יha.she.vi.'I<the> seventhH7637
כְּט֥וֹבke.Tovwhen was goodH2895
לֵב\־lev-[the] heart ofH3820
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
בַּיָּ֑יִןbai.Ya.yinby the wineH3196
אָמַ֡ר'a.Marhe saidH559
לִ֠מְהוּמָןLim.hu.monto MehumanH4104
בִּזְּתָ֨אbi.ze.Ta'BizthaH968
חַרְבוֹנָ֜אchar.vo.Na'HarbonaH2726
בִּגְתָ֤אbig.Ta'BigthaH903
וַאֲבַגְתָא֙va.'a.vag.Ta'and AbagthaH5
זֵתַ֣רze.TarZetharH2242
וְכַרְכַּ֔סve.khar.Kasand CarcasH3752
שִׁבְעַת֙shiv.'At[the] sevenH7651
הַסָּ֣רִיסִ֔יםha.Sa.ri.Simthe eunuchsH5631
הַמְשָׁ֣רְתִ֔יםham.Sha.re.Timwho servedH8334
אֶת\־'et-withH854
פְּנֵ֖יpe.Nei[the] face ofH6440
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
אֲחַשְׁוֵרֽוֹשׁ\׃'a.chash.ve.Ro.oshAhasuerusH325

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Esther 1:10

  • Esther 7:9

    And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

  • Judges 16:25

    And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

  • 2 Samuel 13:28

    Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:2-4

    It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

  • Proverbs 20:1

    Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

  • Ephesians 5:18-19

    And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

  • Daniel 1:18-19

    Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

  • Genesis 43:34

    And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

  • Ecclesiastes 10:19

    A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

  • 1 Samuel 25:36-37

    And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

  • Daniel 1:3-5

    And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the heart.
Ge 43:34; Jud 16:25; 1Sa 25:36,37; 2Sa 13:28; Pr 20:1; Ec 7:2-4
Ec 10:19; Eph 5:18,19
Harbona.
7:9
Harbonah. chamberlains. or, eunuchs.
Da 1:3-5,18,19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Esther 1:9

    Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.

  • Esther 1:10

    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 served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

  • Esther 1:11

    To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.

Read all of Esther 1

Esther 1:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
El séptimo día, estando el corazón del rey alegre del vino, mandó á Mehumán, y á Biztha, y á Harbona, y á Bigtha, y á Abagtha, y á Zetar, y á Carcas, siete eunucos que servían delante del rey Assuero,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Au septième jour, comme le cœur du roi était gai par le vin, il dit à Mehuman, à Biztha, à Harbona, à Bigtha, et à Abagtha, à Zéthar, et à Carcas, les sept eunuques qui servaient devant le roi Assuérus,
German
Elberfelder 1871
Am siebten Tage, als das Herz des Königs vom Weine fröhlich war, befahl er Mehuman, Bistha, Harbona, Bigtha und Abagtha, Sethar und Karkas, den sieben Kämmerern, welche vor dem König Ahasveros dienten,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Itaque die septimo, cum rex esset hilarior, et post nimiam potationem incaluisset mero, præcepit Maumam, et Bazatha, et Harbona, et Bagatha, et Abgatha, et Zethar, et Charchas, septem eunuchis qui in conspectu ejus ministrabant,