Queen Vishti: The Reason We Know Esther

Most Bible readers know and love the story of Esther, the young Jewish virgin who wins King Ahasuerus’ affections and eventually saves her people from complete genocide. Her courage and selflessness has made her a favorite among Bible readers, though her appearance in the cannon is relatively short.

There is another woman in her story, however, whose decision to disobey her husband brought Esther the opportunity to enter the palace at Shushan as Queen and persuade King Ahasuerus to save the Jews. I am undecided on who I agree with in this story, and I welcome any comments you may have. Here is the story:

Vishti was a beautiful woman, and wife to Ahasuerus, King of Persia and Media. In the third year of his reign as King, Ahasuerus desided to hold a feast to display his wealth and power to all the nobility in his kingdom. “He shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days” (Esther 1:4). After these 180 days were accomplished, he chose to hold another feast for everyone in the palace, great and small. They drank wine from golden goblets and relished the wealth of their King.

While this second feast was being held, Vashti held a similar feast “for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus” (Esther 1:9). On the seventh day of this feast, “when the heart of the king was merry with wine” (Esther 1:10) he commanded his seven chamberlains “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” (Esther 1:11). It seems Vishti was meant to be yet another means by which Ahasuerus could boast to his guests and bring honor to himself.

However, to everyone’s surprise (especially Ahaseurus) “Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him” (Esther 1:12). The princes from the kingdom asked Ahasuerus what would be done to Vishti because she did not perform the commandment of her husband and King. They argued that “Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus” (Esther 1:16). It was decided that, lest she be an example to all the women in the kingdom of disrespect toward their husbands, she should be publically chastened for her disobedience. There went forth a royal proclamation “That Vashti [should] come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she” (Esther 1:19).

My dilemma in this story is, was Vishti justified in her choice? Is it wrong for a husband to be proud of his wife? Was Ahasuerus truly treating Vishti like a possession, or was the summons an honor to her? Is it unreasonable for a husband to be proud of his wife’s beauty? Does it show lack of self-respect for a woman to find pleasure in bringing honor to her husband through her self-presentation?