Esther 1:3
New International Version
and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.

New Living Translation
In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces.

English Standard Version
in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him,

Berean Standard Bible
In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.

King James Bible
In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:

New King James Version
that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants—the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him—

New American Standard Bible
in the third year of his reign he held a banquet for all his officials and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the officials of his provinces, in his presence.

NASB 1995
in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence.

NASB 1977
in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of his provinces being in his presence.

Legacy Standard Bible
in the third year of his reign, he held a feast for all his princes and servants, the military officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence,

Amplified Bible
in the third year of his reign he held a banquet for all his officials and his attendants. The army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the officials of the provinces were there in his presence.

Christian Standard Bible
He held a feast in the third year of his reign for all his officials and staff, the army of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the officials from the provinces.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He held a feast in the third year of his reign for all his officials and staff, the army of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the officials from the provinces.

American Standard Version
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
In year three of his kingdom he made a great feast for all his Princes and his Servants of power, the Persians and Medes and the Parthians and the Nobles of the King before him, and the Nobles of the city

Brenton Septuagint Translation
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast to his friends, and the other nations, and to the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and the chief of the satraps.

Contemporary English Version
During the third year of his rule, Xerxes gave a big dinner for all his officials and officers. The governors and leaders of the provinces were also invited, and even the commanders of the Persian and Median armies came.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now in the third year of his reign he made a great feast for all the princes, and for his servants, for the most mighty of the Persians, and the nobles of the Medes, and the governors of the provinces in his sight,

English Revised Version
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
he held a banquet in the third year of his reign. The banquet was for all his officials and advisers, that is, the military officers of the Persians and Medes, the nobles and officials of the provinces who had access to him.

Good News Translation
In the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his officials and administrators. The armies of Persia and Media were present, as well as the governors and noblemen of the provinces.

International Standard Version
In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers, and the military leaders of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the provincial officials were present.

JPS Tanakh 1917
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him;

Literal Standard Version
in the third year of his reign, he has made a banquet to all his heads and his servants; of the force of Persia and Media, the chiefs and heads of the provinces [are] before him,

Majority Standard Bible
In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.

New American Bible
in the third year of his reign, he gave a feast for all his officials and ministers: the Persian and Median army officers, the nobles, and the governors of the provinces.

NET Bible
in the third year of his reign he provided a banquet for all his officials and his servants. The army of Persia and Media was present, as well as the nobles and the officials of the provinces.

New Revised Standard Version
in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were present,

New Heart English Bible
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his officials and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him.

Webster's Bible Translation
In the third year of his reign, he made a feast to all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:

World English Bible
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and his servants; the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces being before him.

Young's Literal Translation
in the third year of his reign, he hath made a banquet to all his heads and his servants; of the force of Persia and Media, the chiefs and heads of the provinces are before him,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Xerxes' Royal Feast
2In those days King Xerxes sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa. 3In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces. 4And for a full 180 days he displayed the glorious riches of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of his greatness.…

Cross References
Mark 6:21
On Herod's birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

Esther 1:4
And for a full 180 days he displayed the glorious riches of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of his greatness.

Esther 2:18
Then the king held a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king's bounty.

Daniel 5:1
Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.


Treasury of Scripture

In the third year of his reign, he made a feast to all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:

A.

Esther 2:18
Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.

Genesis 40:20
And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

1 Kings 3:15
And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

of Persia.

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;)

Ezra 1:2
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Isaiah 21:2
A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

the nobles.

Daniel 3:2,3
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellers, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up…

Daniel 6:1,6,7
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; …

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Army Attendants Banquet Captains Chiefs Divisions Feast Force Governors Great Heads Kingdom Leaders Media Military Nobles Officers Officials Persia Power Presence Princes Provinces Reign Rule Rulers Servants Third
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Army Attendants Banquet Captains Chiefs Divisions Feast Force Governors Great Heads Kingdom Leaders Media Military Nobles Officers Officials Persia Power Presence Princes Provinces Reign Rule Rulers Servants Third
Esther 1
1. Xerxes makes royal feasts.
10. Vashti, sent for, refuses to come.
13. Xerxes, by the counsel of Memucan, puts away Vashti, and decrees men's sovereignty.














(3) In the third year of his reign.--Assuming, as we do, the identity of Ahasuerus and Xerxes, this will be 483 B.C., when Xerxes held a meeting at Susa of his princes to make arrangements for invading Greece. At so important a gathering, the feasting was a very obvious adjunct; and besides the coming campaign, a successful war had just been concluded in Egypt, and rejoicings for the past might have mingled with high hopes for the future, when the whole strength of the empire should be put forth to crush the presumptuous foe who had dared to measure swords with the "king of kings."

Nobles.--The word in the Hebrew, partemim, occurring here, in Esther 6:9. and Daniel 1:3. is a Persian word, literally meaning "first." The Greek protos and Latin primus are evidently akin to it.

Verse 3. - In the third year of his reign. In B.C. 483, probably in the early spring, when the court, having spent the winter at Babylon (Xenophon), returned to Susa to enjoy the most charming season of the year. He made a feast unto all his princes and his servants. Persian kings, according to Ctesias and Duris, ordinarily entertained at their table 15,000 persons! This is of course an exaggeration; but there can be no doubt that their hospitality was on a scale unexampled in modern times. The vast pillared halls of the Persepelitan and Susan palaces could accommodate many hundreds, if not thousands. The power of Persia and Media. The empire of the Achaemenian kings was Perso-Medic rather than simply Persian. The Medes were not only the most favoured of the conquered nations, but were really placed nearly on a par with their conquerors. Many of the highest offices were conferred on them, and they formed no doubt a considerable section of the courtiers. The nobles. Literally, "the first men," ha-partemim. The word used is a Persian term Hebraised. It occurs only in this place. And princes of the provinces. i.e. satraps. The presence of such persons at the great gathering at Susa preparatory to the Grecian war is witnessed to by Herodotus (7:19).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
In the third
שָׁלוֹשׁ֙ (šā·lō·wōš)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

year
בִּשְׁנַ֤ת (biš·naṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8141: A year

of his reign,
לְמָלְכ֔וֹ (lə·mā·lə·ḵōw)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4427: To reign, inceptively, to ascend the throne, to induct into royalty, to take counsel

[Xerxes] held
עָשָׂ֣ה (‘ā·śāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

a feast
מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה (miš·teh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4960: Drink, drinking, a banquet, feast

for all
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

his officials
שָׂרָ֖יו (śā·rāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

and servants.
וַעֲבָדָ֑יו (wa·‘ă·ḇā·ḏāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

The military leaders
חֵ֣יל ׀ (ḥêl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2426: An army, an intrenchment

of Persia
פָּרַ֣ס (pā·ras)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6539: Persia -- a country in west Asia which conquered Babylon

and Media
וּמָדַ֗י (ū·mā·ḏay)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4074: Media -- a son of Japheth, also his descendants and their land

[were there],
לְפָנָֽיו׃ (lə·p̄ā·nāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

along with the nobles
הַֽפַּרְתְּמִ֛ים (hap·par·tə·mîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6579: A grandee

and princes
וְשָׂרֵ֥י (wə·śā·rê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

of the provinces.
הַמְּדִינ֖וֹת (ham·mə·ḏî·nō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4082: A judgeship, jurisdiction, a district, a region


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OT History: Esther 1:3 In the third year of his reign (Est Esth. Es)
Esther 1:2
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