Esther 1:14

Esther 1:14 Meaning and Explanation

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;)

King James Version (KJV)

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Seven chief princes of Persia and Media, who had direct access to the king, stand ready to advise.

What Does Esther 1:14 Mean?

These seven princes form the king's inner circle, men who saw the king's face and sat the first in the kingdom. To see the king's face was the highest privilege, a phrase the book uses to mark nearness to power. Access is everything in Shushan; these men have the most of it.

Their presence underscores how a small domestic matter has become a council of state. The mightiest advisers in the empire are convened to decide what to do about a queen who would not come. The disproportion is almost comic, yet from this overheated council will issue a decree binding on every household in the realm.

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What does Esther 1:14 mean?

Seven chief princes of Persia and Media, who had direct access to the king, stand ready to advise.

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