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Esther 1

Esther 1:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

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1
Now it came to pass in the days
yowm (Hebrew #3117)
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
KJV usage: age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
Pronounce: yome
Origin: from an unused root meaning to be hot
of Ahasuerus
'Achashverowsh (Hebrew #325)
of Persian origin; Achashverosh (i.e. Ahasuerus or Artaxerxes, but in this case Xerxes), the title (rather than name) of a Persian king
KJV usage: Ahasuerus.
Pronounce: akh-ash-vay-rosh'
Origin: or (shortened) pAchashrosh {akh- ash-rosh'} (Esth. 10:1)
c, (this is Ahasuerus
'Achashverowsh (Hebrew #325)
of Persian origin; Achashverosh (i.e. Ahasuerus or Artaxerxes, but in this case Xerxes), the title (rather than name) of a Persian king
KJV usage: Ahasuerus.
Pronounce: akh-ash-vay-rosh'
Origin: or (shortened) pAchashrosh {akh- ash-rosh'} (Esth. 10:1)
which reigned
malak (Hebrew #4427)
to reign; inceptively, to ascend the throne; causatively, to induct into royalty; hence (by implication) to take counsel
KJV usage: consult, X indeed, be (make, set a, set up) king, be (make) queen, (begin to, make to) reign(-ing), rule, X surely.
Pronounce: maw-lak'
Origin: a primitive root
, from India
Hoduw (Hebrew #1912)
Hodu (i.e. Hindu-stan)
KJV usage: India.
Pronounce: ho'-doo
Origin: of foreign origin
even unto Ethiopia
Kuwsh (Hebrew #3568)
Cush (or Ethiopia), the name of a son of Ham, and of his territory; also of an Israelite
KJV usage: Chush, Cush, Ethiopia.
Pronounce: koosh
Origin: probably of foreign origin
, overd an hundred
me'ah (Hebrew #3967)
properly, a primitive numeral; a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction
KJV usage: hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.
Pronounce: may-aw'
Origin: or metyah {may-yaw'}
and seven
sheba` (Hebrew #7651)
from 7650; a primitive cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number
KJV usage: (+ by) seven(-fold),-s, (-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.
Pronounce: sheh'-bah
Origin: or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}
and twenty
`esriym (Hebrew #6242)
twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth
KJV usage: (six-)score, twenty(-ieth).
Pronounce: es-reem'
Origin: from 6235
provinces
mdiynah (Hebrew #4082)
properly, a judgeship, i.e. jurisdiction; by implication, a district (as ruled by a judge); generally, a region
KJV usage: (X every) province.
Pronounce: med-ee-naw'
Origin: from 1777
:)
c
Ezra 4:6• 6And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. (Ezra 4:6)
;
Dan. 9:1• 1In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, (Dan. 9:1)
d
Esther 8:9• 9Then were the king's scribes called at that time, in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors, and the princes of the provinces which are from India even to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language. (Esther 8:9)
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Dan. 6:1• 1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be in all the kingdom; (Dan. 6:1)

More on:

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Ahasuerus,
Ethiopia,
India,
Seven

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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1-9:  Ahasuerus makes royal feasts.
10-12:  Vashti, sent for, refuses to come.
13-22:  Ahasuerus, by the counsel of Memucan, puts away Vashti, and makes the decree of men's sovereignty.
Ahasuerus.Prideaux has shewn satisfactorily that Ahasuerus was the Artaxerxes Longimanus of the Greeks, agreeably to the Septuagint and Josephus.
See note on Ezr 6:14.
Ezra 4:6• 6And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. (Ezra 4:6)
;
Dan. 9:1• 1In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, (Dan. 9:1)
from India.
Esther 8:9• 9Then were the king's scribes called at that time, in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors, and the princes of the provinces which are from India even to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language. (Esther 8:9)
;
Isa. 18:1• 1Ha! land shadowing with wings, which art beyond the rivers of Cush, (Isa. 18:1)
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Isa. 37:9• 9And he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He has come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, (Isa. 37:9)
an hundred.
Dan. 6:1• 1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be in all the kingdom; (Dan. 6:1)
• It has been often remarked that the name of God is not found in the Book of Esther. This is characteristic. God does not show Himself. But, behind the power and the mistakes of that throne to which the government of the world had fallen, God holds the reins by His providence; He watches over the accomplishment of His purposes and over everything necessary to their fulfillment; and He cares for His people, whatever may be their condition or the power of their enemies. (“ESTHER” by J.N. Darby)
• A great many of the Jews — that is to say of the Babylonian captivity — did not profit by the decree of Cyrus. They remained settled, not only at Babylon but dispersed throughout the provinces of the vast Persian empire (Esther 2:5,6; 3:6,8). One cannot but see in their conduct a lack of faith, of energy, of affection for the house of God. Nevertheless, they retain their customs which are different from those of the defiled nations. They stay separated even though in the midst of them. Here, of course, they have neither sacrifice, nor solemn feast days, nor the word of the Lord by means of prophets; nor can they keep the ordinances of the law of Moses in their entirety. They are, after a sort, in a position comparable to the Jews of our day; without king or prince, or sacrifice, or statutes, or ephod, or teraphim (Hos. 3:4). God does not recognize them, but whatever their state — and this is what puts into relief His goodness and faithfulness — His regard is for them; He acts in grace towards them; He protects and spares them, but His actions move in a hidden manner, and for this reason His Name is never mentioned in this book. (“Esther” by H.L. Rossier)
• Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar's grandson, was slain (Jer. 27:7; Dan. 5:28-31). The empire of the Medes and Persians succeeded him, represented by the chest and arms of silver of Nebuchadnezzar's image seen in his dream — less excellent now, for the royal authority was limited and no longer absolute (Dan. 6:7,8) but participating in the same privileges and displaying the same spirit. Cyrus, successor to Darius, and the real head of the Persian empire, recognized that his power came to him from "the Lord God of heaven." Ezra 1:2. This is the empire which in the days of Esther reigned over the earth by its King Ahasuerus. (“Chapter 1: The Gentile Power” by H.L. Rossier)
• Ahasuerus, Haman, Mordecai, and Esther, are only instruments upon the scene, vessels of wrath or vessels of mercy. The great God there conducts all with a wise and powerful hand; all works for His glory, and the accomplishment of His designs. He uses all: Ahasuerus with his despotism and his character without discernment and without firmness, Haman with his vain glory and malicious hatred, Mordecai with his unimpeachable faithfulness to his God, Esther devoted to her people. It is marvelous to see God Himself working as well above it all. (“Chapter 3: Mordecai and Esther” by H.L. Rossier)

J. N. Darby Translation

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1
And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerusb (that is, the Ahasuerus that reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces),

JND Translation Notes

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b
i.e. Xerxes, see Ezra 7.1.