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Friday, August 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Amplified Bible

Esther 1:20

"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."

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."
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 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, when the king's heart was joyful with wine (in high spirits), he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus [as his attendants], 11to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown (high turban), to display her beauty before the people and the officials, for she was lovely to see. 12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command, which was delivered [to her] by the eunuchs. So the king became extremely angry and burned with rage. 13Then the king spoke to the wise men who understood the times [asking for their advice]—for it was the custom of the king to speak before all those who were familiar with law and legal matters— 14and who were close to him [as advisors]: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had access to the king and were ranked highest in the kingdom. 15[He said,] "According to the law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus which was conveyed by the eunuchs?" 16And Memucan answered in the presence of the king and the officials, "Vashti the queen has not only wronged the king but [also] all the officials (royal representatives) and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17"For the queen's conduct will become known to all women, causing them to look on their husbands with contempt (disrespect), since they will say, 'King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.' 18"This [very] day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's refusal will speak [in the same way] to all the king's officials, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger. 19"If it pleases the king, let a royal command be issued by him and let it be written in the laws of the Persians and Medes so that it cannot be repealed or modified, that Vashti is no longer to come before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better and more worthy 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
And God made the expanse [of sky] and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so [just as He commanded].
Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be light-bearers (sun, moon, stars) in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be useful for signs (tokens) [of God's provident care], and for marking seasons, days, and years;
Genesis 1:22
And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful, 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 living creatures according to (limited to, consistent with) their kind: livestock, crawling things, and wild animals of the earth according to their kinds"; and it was so [because He had spoken them into creation].
Genesis 1:25
So God made the wild animals of the earth according to their kind, and the cattle according to their kind, and everything that creeps and crawls on the earth according to its kind; and God saw that it was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it.
Genesis 1:30
and to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that moves on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so [because He commanded it].
Genesis 2:19
So the LORD God formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.
Genesis 8:17
"Bring out with you every living thing from all flesh—birds and animals and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth—that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."
1 Kings 4:33
He spoke of trees, from the cedar which is in Lebanon to the hyssop [vine] that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and fish.
Psalms 148:10
Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged 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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