13 And the king saith to wise men, knowing the times—for so 'is' the word of the king before all knowing law and judgment, 14 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— 15 'According to law, what—to do with queen Vashti, because that she hath not done the saying of the king Ahasuerus by the hand of the eunuchs?' 16 And Memucan saith before the king and the heads, 'Not against the king by himself hath Vashti the queen done perversely, but against all the heads, and against all the peoples that 'are' in all provinces of the king Ahasuerus;
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Esther 1:13-16
Commentary on Esther 1:10-22
(Read Esther 1:10-22)
Ahasuerus's feast ended in heaviness, by his own folly. Seasons of peculiar festivity often end in vexation. Superiors should be careful not to command what may reasonably be disobeyed. But when wine is in, men's reason departs from them. He that had rule over 127 provinces, had no rule over his own spirit. But whether the passion or the policy of the king was served by this decree, God's providence made way for Esther to the crown, and defeated Haman's wicked project, even before it had entered into his heart, and he arrived at his power. Let us rejoice that the Lord reigns, and will overrule the madness or folly of mankind to promote his own glory, and the safety and happiness of his people.