Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Esther
Book: Esther
Chapter: 1
Overview:
The royal
Feast of
Ahasuerus.
(1-9) Vashti's refusal to
appear, The
King's decree.
(10-22)
1-9 The pride of
Ahasuerus's
Heart rising with the grandeur of
his kingdom, he made an extravagant
Feast. This was vain
Glory.
Better is a dinner of herbs with quietness, than this
Banquet of
Wine, with all the noise and tumult that must have attended it.
But except
Grace prevails in the
Heart, self-exaltation and
self-indulgence, in one form or another, will be the ruling
principle. Yet none did compel;
So that if any drank to excess,
it was their own fault. This caution of a
Heathen Prince, even
when he would show his generosity, may shame many called
Christians, who, under pretence of sending the health round,
send
Sin round, and
Death with it. There is a woe to them that
do
So; let them read it, and tremble, Hab 2:15,16.
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.