The Meaning of Esther 2:18 Explained

Esther 2:18

KJV: Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.

YLT: and the king maketh a great banquet to all his heads and his servants -- the banquet of Esther -- and a release to the provinces hath made, and giveth gifts as a memorial of the king.

Darby: And the king made a great feast to all his princes and his servants, Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave presents according to the king's bounty.

ASV: Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the bounty of the king.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then the king  made  a great  feast  unto all his princes  and his servants,  [even] Esther's  feast;  and he made  a release  to the provinces,  and gave  gifts,  according to the state  of the king. 

What does Esther 2:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 2:1-23 - The Service Of A Foreigner
Esther's Hebrew name meant Myrtle. It could not have been easy for her to retain her sweet simplicity amid the corruptions of her time, but her Persian name means "a star," as though she were a garden enclosed, encircled by the atmosphere of the divine purity and protection. We must not judge Esther by our own standards, but by the custom of her time. Each of these young girls was considered to be married to the king, was kept under his roof, and was his wife of a lower rank. How great is the influence of Christianity in raising our standards and pervading the world with a loftier morality! She was not bidden to deny her parentage, but only advised not to proclaim it, Esther 2:10. When, afterwards, she was raised to power, she showed no flinching from identification with her race. So she attained the highest position in the world to which a woman could aspire. God lifted her there to serve a high and noble purpose. Her relative, Mordecai, discovered a plot against the king, and told it to his ward, the queen, and she to her royal spouse. The deed was unrewarded; in this, however, the faithful doorkeeper felt no disappointment. He acted not for reward, but from a sense of duty. But the act was registered both in heaven and on earth, and it bore fruit. It is enough for us to do our duty, and please God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 2

1  Out of the choice of virgins a queen is to be chosen
5  Mordecai the nursing father of Esther
8  Esther preferred before the rest
12  The manner of purification, and going in to the king
15  Esther, best pleasing the king, is made queen
21  Mordecai, discovering a treason, is recorded in the chronicles

What do the individual words in Esther 2:18 mean?

And made the king feast a great for all his officials and servants - the Feast of Esther and a holiday in the provinces he proclaimed and gave gifts according to generosity of the king
וַיַּ֨עַשׂ הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה גָד֗וֹל לְכָל־ שָׂרָיו֙ וַעֲבָדָ֔יו אֵ֖ת מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה אֶסְתֵּ֑ר וַהֲנָחָ֤ה לַמְּדִינוֹת֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וַיִּתֵּ֥ן מַשְׂאֵ֖ת כְּיַ֥ד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

וַיַּ֨עַשׂ  And  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה  feast 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁתֶּה  
Sense: feast, drink, banquet.
גָד֗וֹל  a  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
לְכָל־  for  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
שָׂרָיו֙  his  officials 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
וַעֲבָדָ֔יו  and  servants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֵ֖ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה  the  Feast 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁתֶּה  
Sense: feast, drink, banquet.
אֶסְתֵּ֑ר  of  Esther 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶסְתֵּר  
Sense: the queen of Persia, heroine of the book of Esther—daughter of Abihail, cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, of the tribe of Benjamin, made queen by king Ahasuerus to replace divorced queen, Vashti.
וַהֲנָחָ֤ה  and  a  holiday 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: הֲנָחָה  
Sense: a day of rest, holiday, a giving of rest, holiday making.
לַמְּדִינוֹת֙  in  the  provinces 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
עָשָׂ֔ה  he  proclaimed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וַיִּתֵּ֥ן  and  gave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מַשְׂאֵ֖ת  gifts 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַשְׂאֹות 
Sense: uprising, utterance, burden, portion, uplifting.
כְּיַ֥ד  according  to  generosity 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.