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Easy-to-Read Version

Esther 1:20

Then when the king's command is announced in all parts of his large kingdom, all the women will respect their husbands. From the most important to the least important, all the women will respect their husbands."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Divorce;   Family;   Husband;   Memucan;   Persia;   Queen;   Vashti;   Wife;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Duty;   Home;   Social Duties;   Wives' Duty;   Women;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Chamberlain;   Shushan;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Esther;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Prince, Princess;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Vashti;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Acrostic;   Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for June 4;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The decree the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom, so all women will honor their husbands, from the greatest to the least.”
Hebrew Names Version
When the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.
King James Version
And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
English Standard Version
So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike."
New Century Version
And let the king's order be announced everywhere in his enormous kingdom. Then all the women will respect their husbands, from the greatest to the least."
New English Translation
And let the king's decision which he will enact be disseminated throughout all his kingdom, vast though it is. Then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the most prominent to the lowly."
Amplified Bible
"So when the king's great decree is proclaimed throughout his [extensive] kingdom, all women will give honor to their husbands, from the great to the insignificant."
New American Standard Bible
"When the king's edict which he will make is heard throughout his kingdom, great as it is, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small."
World English Bible
When the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the decree of the King which shalbe made, shalbe published throughout all his kingdome (though it be great) all the women shall giue their husbands honour, both great and small.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the king's sentence, which he will make, will be heard throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, and all women will give respect to their husbands, great and small."
Berean Standard Bible
The edict the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom-and so all women, from the least to the greatest, will honor their husbands."
Contemporary English Version
When the women in your great kingdom hear about this new law, they will respect their husbands, no matter if they are rich or poor.
Complete Jewish Bible
When the edict made by the king is proclaimed throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom, then all wives will honor their husbands, whether great or small."
Darby Translation
and when the king's edict which he shall make shall be heard throughout his realm—for it is great—all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, from the greatest to the least.
George Lamsa Translation
And the kings decree shall be proclaimed and published throughout all his empire (for it is great), that all wives shall give honor to their husbands, both great and small.
Good News Translation
When your proclamation is made known all over this huge empire, every woman will treat her husband with proper respect, whether he's rich or poor."
Lexham English Bible
And let the king's decree that he will make be proclaimed in all his kingdom, because it is vast and all the women will honor their husbands, great and small."
Literal Translation
And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, for it is great, all the wives shall give their husbands honor, both the small and the great.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yt this wrytinge of the kynge which shalbe made, be published thorow out all his empyre (which is greate) that all wyues maye holde their hu?bandes in honoure, both amonge greate and smal.
American Standard Version
And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.
Bible in Basic English
And when this order, given by the king, is made public through all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give honour to their husbands, great as well as small.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when this commaundement of the king which shalbe made, is published throughout all his empire whiche is great, all women shall holde their husbandes in honour both among great and small.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom, great though it be, all the wives will give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.'
King James Version (1611)
And when the kings decree, which he shal make, shalbe published throughout all his empire, (for it is great:) all the wiues shall giue to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And let the law of the king which he shall have made, be widely proclaimed, in his kingdom: and so shall all the women give honour to their husbands, from the poor even to the rich.
English Revised Version
And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And be this puplischid in to al the empire of thi prouynces, which is ful large, that alle wyues, both of grettere men and of lesse, yyue onour to her hosebondis.
Update Bible Version
And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.
New King James Version
When the king's decree which he will make is proclaimed throughout all his empire (for it is great), all wives will honor their husbands, both great and small."
New Living Translation
When this decree is published throughout the king's vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!"
New Life Bible
Then the king's word will be heard through all his great nation, and all women will give honor to their husbands, from the greatest to the least."
New Revised Standard
So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, vast as it is, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When the edict of the king which he shall make, is published throughout all his kingdom, for, great, it is, then, all wives, will give honour unto their lords, both great and small.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And let this be published through all the provinces of thy empire, (which is very wide,) and let all wives, as well of the greater as of the lesser, give honour to their husbands.
Revised Standard Version
So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, vast as it is, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low."
Young's Literal Translation
and the sentence of the king that he maketh hath been heard in all his kingdom -- for it [is] great -- and all the wives give honour to their husbands, from great even unto small.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When the king's edict which he will make is heard throughout all his kingdom, great as it is, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small."

Contextual Overview

10On the seventh day of the party, King Xerxes was in high spirits from drinking wine. He gave a command to the seven eunuchs who served him. The eunuchs were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas. He commanded them to bring Queen Vashti to him wearing her royal crown. She was to come so that she could show her beauty to the leaders and important people. She was very beautiful. 12 But when the eunuchs told Queen Vashti about the king's command, she refused to come. Then the king was very angry. 13It was the custom for the king to ask the advice of the experts about the law and punishments. So King Xerxes spoke with the wise men who understood the laws. They were very close to the king. Their names were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven most important officials of Persia and Media. They had special privileges to see the king. They were the highest officials in the kingdom. 15 The king asked them, "What does the law say must be done to Queen Vashti? She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs had taken to her." 16 Then Memucan answered the king with the other officials listening, "Queen Vashti has done wrong. She has done wrong against the king and also against all the leaders and people of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 I say this, because all the other women will hear about what Queen Vashti did. Then they will stop obeying their husbands. They will say to their husbands, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought to him, but she refused to come.' 18 "Today the wives of the Persian and Median leaders have heard what the queen did, and these women will be influenced by what she did. They will do the same thing to the king's important leaders. And there will be plenty of disrespect and anger. 19 "So if it pleases the king, here is a suggestion: Let the king give a royal command and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media. The laws of Persia and Media cannot be changed. The royal command should be that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Let the king also give her royal position to someone else who is better than she is. 20 Then when the king's command is announced in all parts of his large kingdom, all the women will respect their husbands. From the most important to the least important, all the women will respect their husbands." 21 The king and his important officials were happy with this advice, so King Xerxes did as Memucan suggested.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

throughout: Deuteronomy 17:13, Deuteronomy 21:21

all the wives: Ephesians 5:33, Colossians 3:18, 1 Peter 3:1-7

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:16 - rule Ephesians 5:22 - submit 1 Timothy 2:11 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
So God made the space and separated the water. Some of the water was above it, and some of the water was below it.
Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the sky. These lights will separate the days from the nights. They will be used for signs to show when special meetings begin and to show the days and years.
Genesis 1:22
God blessed all the living things in the sea and told them to have many babies and fill the seas. And he blessed the birds on land and told them to have many more babies.
Genesis 1:24
Then God said, "Let the earth produce many kinds of living things. Let there be many different kinds of animals. Let there be large animals and small crawling animals of every kind. And let all these animals produce more animals." And all these things happened.
Genesis 1:25
So God made every kind of animal. He made the wild animals, the tame animals, and all the small crawling things. And God saw that this was good.
Genesis 1:30
And I am giving all the green plants to the animals. These green plants will be their food. Every animal on earth, every bird in the air, and all the little things that crawl on the earth will eat that food." And all these things happened.
Genesis 2:19
The Lord God used dust from the ground and made every animal in the fields and every bird in the air. He brought all these animals to the man, and the man gave them all a name.
Genesis 8:17
Bring every living animal out of the boat with you—all the birds, animals, and everything that crawls on the earth. These animals will make many more animals, and they will fill the earth again."
1 Kings 4:33
Solomon also knew very much about nature. He taught about many different kinds of plants—everything from the great cedar trees of Lebanon to the little vines that grow out of the walls. He also taught about animals, birds, and snakes.
Psalms 148:10
Praise him, wild animals and cattle, reptiles and birds.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire,.... As it was proper it should, since the report of the queen's deed would be made everywhere:

for it is great; the empire consisting of one hundred and twenty seven provinces, Esther 1:1, Aben Ezra and Abendana interpret it, "though" it is great, yet the decree should be published throughout; the latter observes, that this may respect the king's decree; and so the Targum is,

"for his decree is great;''

it respecting a matter of great importance, and relating to a great personage, and would have great effect on the minds of persons, when it was observed that one so great was treated in this manner: and therefore

all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small; speaking respectfully to them, yielding a ready and cheerful obedience to all their commands; which would be done to princes and peasants, to high and low, to every rank of men.


 
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