Esther 1:14

JPS Old Testament

and the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat the first in the kingdom:

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The most trusted ones were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven officials of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and occupied the highest positions in the kingdom.

Hebrew Names Version
and the next to him were Karshena, ShetarShibah|Shiv`ah, Admata, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memukhan, the seven princes of Paras and Madai, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom),

King James Version
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;)

English Standard Version
the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom):

New Century Version
The wise men the king usually talked to were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, seven of the important men of Persia and Media. These seven had special privileges to see the king and had the highest rank in the kingdom.

New English Translation
Those who were closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. These men were the seven officials of Persia and Media who saw the king on a regular basis and had the most prominent offices in the kingdom.

Amplified Bible
and 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.

New American Standard Bible
and were close to him, namely, Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had access to the king's presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom—

World English Bible
and the next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom),

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the next vnto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan the seuen princes of Persia and Media, which sawe the Kings face, and sate the first in the kingdome)

Legacy Standard Bible
and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had access to the king's presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom—

Berean Standard Bible
His closest advisors were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom.

Complete Jewish Bible
With him were Karshna, Shetar, Admata, Tarshish, Meres, Marsna and Memukhan, the seven vice-regents of Persia and Media, who were part of the king's inner circle and were the most important officials in the kingdom.

Darby Translation
and the next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, [and] Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and who sat first in the kingdom),

George Lamsa Translation
And those who were next to him were Barnashi, Shetar, Armoth, Remos, Tarshish, Mesriah, Meaucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who sat in the presence of the king and were seen before him at the gate of the royal palace.

Good News Translation
Those he most often turned to for advice were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan—seven officials of Persia and Media who held the highest offices in the kingdom.

Lexham English Bible
and those next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had access to the king and sat first in the kingdom—

Literal Translation
and the ones next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven rulers of Persia and Media who saw the king's face, who sat first in the kingdom),

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the nexte vnto him were, Charsena, Sethar, Admatha, Tharsis, Meres, Marsena and Memuchan, the seuen prynces of the Persias, and Meedes, which sawe the kynges face, and satt aboue in the kyngdome)

American Standard Version
and the next unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom),

Bible in Basic English
And second only to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven rulers of Persia and Media, who were friends of the king, and had the first places in the kingdom:)

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the next vnto hym were, Carsena, Sethar, Admata, Thersis, Mares, Marsena, and Memuchan, the seuen princes of Persia and Media, whiche sawe the kinges face, and sate the first in the kingdome.)

King James Version (1611)
And the next vnto him, was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshis, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seuen Princes of Persia, and Media, which saw the Kings face, and which sate the first in the kingdome.)

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So Arkesaeus, and Sarsathaeus, and Malisear, the princes of the Persians and Medes, who were near the king, who sat chief in rank by the king, drew near to him,

English Revised Version
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 sat first in the kingdom:)

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
forsothe the firste and the nexte weren Carsena, and Sechaaba, Admatha, and Tharsis, and Mares, and Marsana, and Manucha, seuene duykis of Persis and of Medeis, that sien the face of the kyng, and weren wont to sitte the firste aftir hym;

Update Bible Version
and the next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom),

Webster's Bible Translation
And the next to him [was] Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, [and] Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, [and] who sat the first in the kingdom;)

New King James Version
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):

New Living Translation
The names of these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan—seven nobles of Persia and Media. They met with the king regularly and held the highest positions in the empire.

New Life Bible
These men next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media. They were allowed to visit with the king and were next to the king in the nation.

New Revised Standard
and those next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media, who had access to the king, and sat first in the kingdom):

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, near unto him, were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, - the seven rulers of Persia and Media, who used to behold the face of the king, who sat first, in the kingdom -

Douay-Rheims Bible
(Now the chief and nearest him were, Charsena, and Sethar, and Admatha, and Tharsis, and Mares, and Marsana, and Mamuchan, seven princes of the Persians and of the Medes, who saw the face of the king, and were used to sit first after him:)

Revised Standard Version
the men next to him being Carshe'na, Shethar, Adma'tha, Tarshish, Meres, Marse'na, and Memu'can, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom--:

Young's Literal Translation
and he who is near unto him [is] Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, seven heads of Persia and Media seeing the face of the king, who are sitting first in the kingdom --

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had access to the king's presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom—

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Bizzetha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, ¹¹ to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look on. ¹² But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by the chamberlains; therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him. ¹³ Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times--for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment; ¹⁴ and the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat the first in the kingdom: ¹⁵ 'What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, forasmuch as she hath not done the bidding of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?' ¹⁶ And Memucan answered before the king and the princes: 'Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples, that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus. ¹⁷ For this deed of the queen will come abroad unto all women, to make their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when it will be said: The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not. ¹⁸ And this day will the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen say the like unto all the king's princes. So will there arise enough contempt and wrath. ¹⁹ If it please the king, let there go forth a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, that Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus, and that the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the seven: Ezra 7:14

saw: 2 Kings 25:19, Matthew 18:10, Revelation 22:4

Reciprocal: Esther 1:3 - of Persia Esther 2:2 - king's servants Esther 3:1 - above all the princes Esther 8:1 - came before Jeremiah 52:25 - were near the king's person

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:2
Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:3
And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light.

Genesis 1:4
And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:6
And God said: 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.'

Genesis 1:7
And 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 1:8
And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

Genesis 1:9
And God said: 'Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so.

Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:14
And God said: 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the next unto him,.... That sat next to the king, and was the chief in dignity and authority under him:

was Carshena; and so everyone in their rank and order, as next mentioned:

Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan; who, according to the latter Targum, were of different countries; the first of Africa, the second of India, the third of Idumea, the fourth of Egypt, the fifth of Resen, Genesis 10:12 which is framed out of Marsena, who is dropped, and the last of Jerusalem, said to be Daniel; though the former Targum makes him to be Haman:

the seven powers of Persia and Media; which custom of having seven counsellors with the kings of Persia arose from the seven princes that slew Smerdis the pretender, and made Darius Hystaspis king, the father of Xerxes:

which saw the king's face; were intimate and familiar with him, often in his presence; yea, might go into it when they pleased, without the ceremony of being introduced; which privilege the above persons reserved to themselves, when they placed Darius on the throne, as Herodotus relates u:

and which sat the first in the kingdom; next to the king, and were assisting to him in the administration of government, see Ezra 7:14.

u lb. (Thalia, sive, l. 3.) c. 84, 118.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In Marsena we may perhaps recognize the famous Mardonius, and in Admatha, Xerxes’ uncle, Artabanus.

The seven princes - There were seven families of the first rank in Persia, from which alone the king could take his wives. Their chiefs were entitled to have free access to the monarch’s person. See the margin reference note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. And the next unto him - the seven princes — Probably, the privy counsellors of the king. Which saw the king's face - were at all times admitted to the royal presence.