Valiant Women of the Bible 👑 Day 16: Vashti

Mar 16, 2023 1:01 pm

VASHTI: NONCOMPLIANT QUEEN

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When we first meet Vashti, we learn that she is married to the King of Persia. Her husband, King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes I or Xerxes the Great), is the first king of the Achaemenid Dynasty in the Persian Empire.


👑In other words, Vashti is the Queen of the Persian Empire.

HISTORICAL SETTING

Our story begins in the third year of King Ahasuerus' reign in 482 B.C. at the end of a 180-day royal exhibition at his palace in Susa (Persia’s capital city) during which he has entertained his officials and ministers and armies and nobles and governors showing off "the vast wealth of his kingdom and glory of his majesty" — lots of pomp and circumstance (Esther 1:3-4).


King Ahasuerus hosts his long exhibition in the "Palace of Darius" which was built by his father Darius I.


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Darius Palace - Photo by Babak Shendi ©2009 ICCHTO


Sidenote: Susa (also called "Shushan") was one of four capitals of the Persian Empire during Ahasuerus' reign. Located in modern day Iran, Susa has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. You can view more photos of Ancient Susa and the artifacts discovered there on the UNESCO site.


AND NOW, BACK TO THE PAR-TAY! đŸŸ

After six months of elite-only celebrations, the royal couple is hosting a week-long "wrap-up" banquet and EVERYONE in Susa is invited this time—from the least to the greatest. And the royal wine is flowing freely.


Fast forward to day seven, Vashti is busy hosting a royal banquet for the women of the kingdom inside the palace at the same time her husband is hosting a banquet for the men outside in the palace garden. It was customary for Persian men and women to dine separately when eating in public.

👉 Now, this is a tradition I could get behind. Just saying.😂😂😂


On the last day of the week, the king's last chance to make a big impression on his subjects, in one final show of his great authority, power, and prowess, the king commands seven of his eunuchs to bring him Queen Vashti—wearing her crown—so he could show off her beauty to all in attendance. Remember, EVERYONE is there, from the least to the greatest.


When the queen receives the king's command, she refuses to come.


Just let that sink in for a moment. It's a pretty big deal to refuse the king, no matter who you are.


WHAT DID HE REALLY ASK FOR?

Hebrew scripture is silent regarding Vashti's reasons for rejecting the king's request; however, the Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible (a.k.a. the Targum) informs the reader that the king wished Vashti to appear naked before him, and out of modesty she refused.


In other words, when he asks his eunuchs to bring Vashti wearing her crown, he means ONLY her crown. And Vashti is having none of it. She has zero desire to be humiliated in front of a drunken crowd of their subjects. The Women's League for Conservative Judaism suggests:


"Vashti may be the first recorded woman to 'just say no!' From today's vantage point, we can only guess that she was so empowered because of the presence and support of the other women at her banquet." (WLCJ)


I have a feeling they are right. There's nothing quite like a group of women to strengthen and encourage and empower each other to be brave and do hard things. So Vashti risks it all versus showing it all, and her refusal to appear is perceived to potentially impact couple in Persia. As the authors of the Women's Bible Commentary observe:


“The author here introduces a touch of the burlesque; Vashti’s refusal to comply with the king’s demand is perceived by the men as a grave threat to the dominance of every husband in the kingdom. Ahasuerus and his courtiers appear as hapless buffoons before the calm strength of Vashti, and by implication, of all their wives!” (WBC)


Interestingly, Vashti's refusal to come when the king commanded her to appear before him perfectly sets-up her successor’s decision to break one of the king's rules when she appears before the king without a summons. But that's tomorrow’s story



"NO CROWN FOR YOU!"

As punishment for the queen’s very public insubordination, the king strips her of her title—better than her clothes, right?—and permanently bans her from his presence. This is intended to show wives all over the kingdom what could happen if they disobey their husbands.


I wonder if the wives received the message as the king and their husbands intended?!


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One positive outcome for Vashti is that she got what she wanted: She no longer has to appear before the King upon demand.


You can read Vashti's story in Esther 1.


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Additional Resources:




  • "Susa" on the Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2020).


  • "Susa" on the World Heritage Convention Website. UNESCO.



  • "Vashti: Bible" in the The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women (Online). Jewish Women’s Archive.



Photo Credits:

Photo by Albany Capture on Unsplash.


Disclosure of Material Connection:

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”



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