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Monday, July 28th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Esther 1:20

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."

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.
Easy-to-Read Version
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."
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 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

10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him. 13 Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times (for this was the king's manner toward all who knew law and justice, 14 those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who had access to the king's presence, and who ranked highest in the kingdom): 15 "What shall we do to Queen Vashti, according to law, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus brought to her by the eunuchs?" 16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes: "Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the princes, and all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen's behavior will become known to all women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes, when they report, "King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come.' 18 This very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to all the king's officials that they have heard of the behavior of the queen. Thus there will be excessive contempt and wrath. 19 If it pleases the king, let a royal decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will not be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.

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
Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;
Genesis 1:22
And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
Genesis 1:24
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so.
Genesis 1:25
And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:30
Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so.
Genesis 2:19
Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.
Genesis 8:17
Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."
1 Kings 4:33
Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.
Psalms 148:10
Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl;

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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