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Queen Vashti Deposed by King Ahasuerus
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The book begins with a banquet given by King Ahasuerus. The events of the banquet led to the king’s disapproval of Queen Vashti. This event is vital in understanding the book as a whole. The anger that the king displays toward Vashti, and her subsequent departure, sets the stage for Esther to take decisive action and deliver her people. Vashti turns out to be one of the Gentile women heroes in the Bible, along with Rahab and Ruth. We read: But Queen Vashti refused to come at the order of the king, which he had sent through his officers. This enraged the king – he became furious and burned with anger (1:12). But how does this make her a Gentile hero? Introductions in biblical books often foreshadow things to come, and this was certainly true of Queen Vashti. In this case, the author of the book of Esther shows that Vashti foreshadows both Jewish heroes in the book, Esther and Mordecai.

First, Queen Vashti foreshadows the coming of Queen Esther. Queen Vashti made a banquet (1:9), and Queen Esther made a banquet (Chapters 5 and 6). These are the only two women in the TaNaKh that actually make banquets. Queen Vashti is described as beautiful (1:11), and Esther is described as shapely and good looking (2:7b). These are the only two women in the TaNaKh that are described like this. Queen Vashti defied the king’s command in not coming before him (to see link click Al – When Queen Vashti Refused to Come, The King Became Furious), and Queen Esther defied the king’s command in coming before him when she wasn’t supposed to (see Ba – I Will Go to the King: If I Perish, I Perish). Queen Vashti not only risked the loss of her throne, but she also the risked the loss of her life, as did Queen Esther.

Second, Queen Vashti also foreshadows the coming of Mordecai. Queen Vashti defied the king’s command in not coming before him and the king became furious (1:12), and Mordecai defied the king’s command, which provoked the rage of Haman (see At – Haman was Honored, But Mordecai would not Kneel Down Him). Queen Vashti refusal to obey the king’s command resulted in a decree, not just against Vashti, but against all the women in the Persian Kingdom (1:19-20). Mordecai’s refusal to obey the king’s command resulted in a decree, not just against Mordecai, but against all the Jews in the Persian Kingdom (see Au – Haman’s Plan to Annihilate All the Jews). And in both cases, the decrees themselves were related to the contempt of those who refused to be defeated by those who opposed them.