Esther 1:14

And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
next	וְהַקָּרֹ֣ב ve.ha.ka.Ro	H7138	near (in place · conjunction + definite article + adjective, masculine singular absolute
Carshena	כַּרְשְׁנָ֤א kar.she.Na'	H3771	Karshena · proper noun, a man's name
Shethar	שֵׁתָר֙ she.Tar	H8369	Shethar · proper noun, a man's name
Admatha	אַדְמָ֣תָא 'ad.Ma.ta'	H133	Admatha · proper noun, a man's name
Tarshish	תַרְשִׁ֔ישׁ tar.Shish	H8659	Tarshish · proper noun, a place name
Meres	מֶ֥רֶס Me.res	H4825	Meres · proper noun, a man's name
Marsena	מַרְסְנָ֖א mar.se.Na'	H4826	Marsena · proper noun, a man's name
Memucan	מְמוּכָ֑ן me.mu.Khan	H4462	Memucan or Momucan · proper noun, a man's name
seven	שִׁבְעַ֞ת shiv.'At	H7651	seven (as the sacred full one) · cardinal number, both genders singular construct
princes	שָׂרֵ֣י sa.Rei	H8269	a head person (of any rank or class) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Persia	פָּרַ֣ס pa.Ras	H6539	Paras (i.e. Persia) · proper noun, a place name
Media	וּמָדַ֗י u.ma.Dai	H4074	Madai · conjunction + proper noun, a place name
saw	רֹאֵי֙ ro.'Ei	H7200	to see · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural construct
king’s	הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ ha.Me.lekh	H4428	a king · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
face	פְּנֵ֣י pe.Nei	H6440	the face (as the part that turns) · noun, common masculine plural construct
sat	הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥ים hai.yo.she.Vim	H3427	properly · definite article + verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
first	רִאשֹׁנָ֖ה ri.sho.Nah	H7223	first · ordinal number, feminine singular absolute
kingdom	בַּמַּלְכֽוּת ba.mal.Khut	H4438	a rule · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

2 Kings 25:19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were f…
Ezra 7:14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy…
Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Fath…
Revelation 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Esther 1:10–end

We have here a damp to all the mirth of Ahasuerus's feast; it ended in heaviness, not as Job's children's feast by a wind from the wilderness, not as Belshazzar's by a hand-writing on the wall, but by is own folly. An unhappy falling out there was, at the end of the feast, between the king and queen, which broke of the feast abruptly, and sent the guests away silent and ashamed. I. It was certainly the king's weakness to send for Vashti into his presence when he was drunk, and in company with abundance of gentlemen, many of whom, it is likely, were in the same condition. When his heart was merry with wine nothing would serve him but Vashti must come, well dressed as she was, with the crown o…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Esther 1:13

Then the king said to the wise men--These were probably the magi, without whose advice as to the proper time of doing a thing the Persian kings never did take any step whatever; and the persons named in Est 1:14 were the "seven counsellors" (compare Ezr 7:14) who formed the state ministry. The combined wisdom of all, it seems, was enlisted to consult with the king what course should be taken after so unprecedented an occurrence as Vashti's disobedience of the royal summons. It is scarcely possible for us to imagine the astonishment produced by such a refusal in a country and a court where the will of the sovereign was absolute. The assembled grandees were petrified with horror at the daring…

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Adam Clarke on Esther 1:14

And the next unto him - the seven princes - Probably, the privy counsellors of the king. Which saw the king's face - were at all times admitted to the royal presence.

John Gill on Esther 1:14

And the next unto him,.... That sat next to the king, and was the chief in dignity and authority under him: was Carshena; and so everyone in their rank and order, as next mentioned: Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan; who, according to the latter Targum, were of different countries; the first of Africa, the second of India, the third of Idumea, the fourth of Egypt, the fifth of Resen, Genesis 10:12 which is framed out of Marsena, who is dropped, and the last of Jerusalem, said to be Daniel; though the former Targum makes him to be Haman: the seven powers of Persia and Media; which custom of having seven counsellors with the kings of Persia arose from the seven princes…

Dictionary and topics

Admatha — (given by the highest), one of the seven princes of Persia. (Esther 1:14)
Carshena — (illustrious), one of the seven princes of Persia and Media. (Esther 1:14)
Marsena — (worthy), one of the seven of Persia, “wise men which knew the times,” which saw the king’s face and sat first in the kingdom. (Esther 1:14)
Memucan — Dignified, one of the royal counsellors at the court of Ahasuerus, by whose suggestion Vashti was divorced (Esther 1:14, 16, 21).
Meres — (lofty), one of the seven counsellors of Ahasuerus. (Esther 1:14)
Shethar — A star, a prince at the court of Ahasuerus (Esther 1:14).
Shushan — A lily, the Susa of Greek and Roman writers, once the capital of Elam. It lay in the uplands of Susiana, on the east of the Tigris, about 150 miles to the north of the head of the Persian Gulf. It is…
Admatha · A Persian prince — A Persian prince
Carshena · A Persian prince — A Persian prince
Chamberlain · An officer of a king — An officer of a king
Divorce · in the Persian empire — in the Persian empire
Husband · .Ahasuerus — .Ahasuerus
Memucan · divorce Queen Vashti — divorce Queen Vashti
Meres · One of the princes of Persia — One of the princes of Persia

Esther 1:14

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Esther 1:10–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Esther 1:13

Adam Clarke on Esther 1:14

John Gill on Esther 1:14

Dictionary and topics

Esther 1:14

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Esther 1:10–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Esther 1:13

Adam Clarke on Esther 1:14

John Gill on Esther 1:14

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Esther 1:13-15

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Esther 1:13

Rashi on Esther 1:14