Some investigations into Vashti, a little-known character from the Bible.

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The book of Esther is a fascinating book. Many commentaries speak of it being a book that was almost left out of the canon; that along peaks one’s interest. Others highlight the ambiguities and lack of simple caterogisation that besets the book of Esther. ‘The book of Esther differs from other books of the Hebrew Bible in that it exists not just in its Masoretic form and more or less similar translations, but instead in three different versions, each with integrity as a separate literary piece.’ (Crawford, p. 860) However, this alone does not make the book of Esther unique. ‘Like so many books of the Bible, the textual history of Esther is quite complex. Part of this complexity can be explained by the fact that the story survives in a Hebrew tradition as well as in two distinct Greek text traditions.’ (Craig, p. 27) Perhaps the most singular feature of the book of Esther is the apparent lack of God in the text. ‘The lack of religiosity in Esther is indeed striking. The book does not mention God even once. In addition, there is no prayer, no mention of the Temple, and no clear indication of religious activity on the part of Esther or Mordecai.’ (Crawford, p. 866) Early rabbinic councils and early Christian councils noted this. However, the book of Esther was preserved, because the story was an important one for the people of Israel, and the people of Israel were considered to be, by these same authorities, the people of God.

However unsettling this lack of mention of God might be to some, it takes new importance in light of modern liberation theological reflection.

Esther is more explicitly a model of solidarity than is Moses. The book of Esther is unusual because God is never named in the original Hebrew version. This has distressed some people, but it is meaningful to those of us who have sometimes suffered at the hands of those who claim to say and do everything in God's name. (Cleaver, p. 69)

Others argue that while God is not explicitly mentioned in the book of Esther, God is far from absent or irrelevant. 'Nowhere in the Scroll of Esther is God's name mentioned, but the story is, in itself, a revelation of Divine Providence, silently and relentlessly directing from the wings.' (Ronson, p. 318)

The book of Esther has also been dismissed for its historical difficulties. Some have seen it as a comedy, to be dismissed. Some have noted the lack of ‘worthy’ characters. Martin Luther was hostile to the book; likewise have the more modern commentators Lewis Paton, Samuel Sandmel, and S. Ben-Chorin. It often reads more like a piece of literary fiction than a book of the Bible, many commentators remark. Others, however, see a value in the book beyond these dismissals. ‘But if the book of Esther is an example of the serio-comical genre, a literary category with roots in antiquity, perhaps these disparaging evaluations need to be reevaluated.’ (Craig, p. 42) Perhaps something commentators react to with regard to the book is that it has been often presented as history, despite the fact that historical records beyond the biblical texts cannot be found to support these assertions. ‘Although much ink has been spilled in attempting to show that Esther, or some parts of it, is historical, it is clear that the book is a work of fiction that happens to contain some historical elements.’ (Crawford, p. 859)

Vashti

'One can easily miss or overlook the story of Queen Vashti.' (Comstock, p. 51)

The story of Vashti is almost completely contained in the first chapter of the book of Esther. Vashti’s character is introduced, takes a stand, and then disappears. Apart from vague references at the beginning of the second chapter, Vashti is gone. ‘Vashti completely disappears from the concerns of the story once Esther takes her place.’ (McKenna, p. 785) Most often, the entire episode with Vashti is skipped over by the reader interested in getting to ‘the important stuff’. ‘Too often Esther 1, the story of Vashti, is treated simply as a preface to the “real” story of Jewish survival in the face of attempted nation-wide genocide.’ (Beal, p. 1) In this regard, the story of Vashti is analogous to the book of Esther. 'In literary terms, Vashti's story is a device or vehicle to set the stage for the larger story of Esther. And even the Book of Esther itself is brief and often overlooked and not recognised as important in the canon of Scripture.' (Comstock, p. 52) As a prelude to the longer story that carried ‘the main point’ of the book of Esther, Vashti’s story, as so often happens with women’s stories, gets marginalised.

No commentators mention any significant issues of translation or textual variants in the first chapter. Vashti’s name, however, is of interest. ‘The name “Vashti,’ which comes from the Persian word vashista (“best”), is unattested in extra-biblical sources.’ (Crawford, p. 879) Most likely Vashti is not a proper name; as most kings in the ancient Near East had more than one wife, and Persian rulers were often noted for having harems, it is likely that Vashti was the ‘best’ or ‘first’ wife; she is called the queen in the text, which is an honour usually reserved for the first or principal wife.

What is perhaps more remarkable is what we do not know of Vashti, and what extra-biblical legend and speculation has sprung up around her. The text says that Vashti was summoned before the king, and refused. Conventional wisdom has often read that her summons to appear before the king and his nobles ‘wearing a royal diadem’ and nothing else. The careful reader will note that this is not stated, nor even strongly implied. 'The text does not state whether the king intends to display Vashti in the nude, but its emphasis on Ahasuerus' drunkenness when he summons Vashti suggests that his intentions might well be less than honorable.' (Telushkin, p. 368) Rabbi Telushkin is a reasonable, modern scholar who is not quick to make assumptions based on what is not in the text. Others, however, have been more imaginative in their conception of the order to Vashti. ‘One account portrays Vashti as both immodest and immoral, fully intending to parade nude before the royal guests but soon found to have leprosy. Another version says she thinks the king would be killed if his nobles see her beauty.’ (Branch, p. 1353) Both of these require quite a stretch of imagination to be taken seriously as interpretations of the text.

Another piece of information missing, possibly related to the order from king Ahasuerus, is why Vashti refuses to comply.

The Hebrew text gives no reason or justification for Vashti’s refusal of a direct command from the king. Her refusal is shocking in its simplicity and directness…. However, rather than confront Vashti directly, which we might expect, he turns to his advisers to determine what should be done ‘according to the law’. (Crawford, p. 882)

We are not told of her emotions, her reasons, or even hear her refusal in her own voice. The text is always third-person with regard to her. She not only never comes into the presence of the king, she never comes into the presence of the reader.

Vashti’s punishment is also sort of a non-event. Later in the book, Esther is concerned about disobeying the rules about coming into the presence of the king, on pain of death. Vashti does not get the death penalty, nor anything close.

Vashti’s unelaborated refusal forms an amusing contrast to the histrionic reaction of the king and his counselors. Although the outcome is (perhaps) tragic for Vashti—though we observe that her punishment, never to come again before the king, is conceivably her dearest wish—it is in other respects pure farce. (Clines, p. 354)

For so simple an action of refusal, it seems to have a Rosa Parks-esque effect of sending fear and surprise through the ruling hierarchy. ‘The response to Vashti’s refusal…is presented as at once both dead serious and comically overblown.’ (Beal, p. 11) Perhaps it is the wine and drunkenness from the week-long party that has made emotions overblown in the reaction of the men. However, there is more too it than that. ‘Vashti has also exposed the vulnerabilities and fragile dependencies of this patriarchal order.’ (Beal, p. 16) In a very simple act, Vashti has acted up. Later in the book of Esther, the king changes his style of decision-making dramatically. 'Dr. Jeremiah Unterman has noted to me the absurd irony of Ahasuerus, a king who needs a royal commission to decide what to do with his wife but who will soon let a whole people be consigned to slaughter without even investigating the matter.' (Telushkin, p. 369) The act of genocide warrants less consideration than keeping women ‘in their place’, apparently, despite the fact that Esther 1 contains a passage that clearly states the king’s procedure of inquiring with legal experts, and even names them.

The beginnings of interpretation

'Queen Vashti is an unsuccessful heroine in an early struggle for women's dignity.' (Telushkin, p. 367)

There are many ways to read the story of Vashti; some of those have been touched upon already. Readers through history have tended to ignore Vashti and characters like her in the biblical texts. 'Elsa Tamez observes that people tend to focus on Deborah, Esther, Sarai and Mary when speaking about women in the Bible; seldom do they talk about Hagar, who is a "negative model".' (Kwok Pui-Lan, p. 105) Vashti is a negative character in this regard. Women who don’t fit a model that the patriarchal society holds as acceptable roles to follow tend to be downplayed in the text. Thus, when women went to the Bible, ‘…in their reading of the Bible they came up against the problem of the clear marginalisation of women in the various passages of Scripture in both Old and New Testaments.’ (Bingemer, p. 310) Vashti is a marginalised character par excellence.

Additionally, Vashti must be regarded together with Esther, the main character of the book of Esther. 'Vashti and Esther, of course, are a study in contrast; and a lesson is obvious here about how women should behave and be effective.' (Comstock, p. 53) Particularly if one accepts the interpretation of Vashti’s refusal as being primarily due to sexual reasons, the contrast becomes even more apparent. ‘In contrast to Vashti, who refused to be men’s sexual object and her husband’s toy, Esther is the stereotypical woman in a man’s world.’ (Laffey, p. 216) Perhaps this criticism is a bit harsh toward Esther, but it does seem she is held up as a model, whereas Vashti, when she is remembered at all, tends to be disparaged.

How then should we remember Vashti? Can we capture an objective image? Should that be our goal?

Chief among the criticism of the historical-critical method by liberation scholars has been the fallacy and fraudulent nature of claims for an “objective” versus a “subjective” reading of biblical texts. To the extent that no interpreter is able to divest herself of her values and assumptions, then all interpretation of data and texts reflect to some degree the subjective predispositions of the interpreter. (Weems II, p. 217)

The image one derives of Vashti is dependent upon one’s starting point. This can be seen from the interpretations from the patriarchy earlier, which, even if allowing for Vashti’s refusal, were quick to assign as much blame and negativity to Vashti as to the king. And yet, in these texts and their interpretations, one can find something new. ‘The Bible is in many ways alien and antagonistic to modern women’s identity; yet, in other ways, it inspires and compels that identity.’ (Weems I, p. 59) Vashti’s refusal means more today than ever before, given the work in the later half of the twentieth century toward the recovery of women’s voices and women’s ways of knowing and interpreting the world. This leads to a new way of reading the Bible. ‘A reading of the Scripture that truly liberates responds to the situation that has motivated the reading.’ (Tamez, p. 190) We begin to see that there are structural problems that go beyond individual actions. The foundations and constructs of society must also be challenged and, if found wanting for justice, changed. ‘A society that, despite legislation, operates on the basis of patriarchy cannot be called a just society.’ (Rebera, p. 106)

Vashti becomes a symbol of resistance, a symbol of acting up, a symbol of recapturing one’s voice, ironically through not speaking at all.

The story of Vashti is rewritten in the hearing, the taking to heart, and the changes wrought when those who by saying no give us the power to yes. We cannot predict when such a voice will speak or when it will have the power to start a movement, raise consciousness, or change our lives. (Comstock, p. 57-58)

Vashti speaks for the powerless, those disenfranchised by gender, race, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic upon which the powerful build exclusions. Vashti was confronted with something she considered to be an injustice. Vashti would not participate in her own oppression. Vashti refused.


Bibliography

Beal, Timothy K., ‘Esther’, in Berit Olam: Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry, edited by David W. Cotter. 1999, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.

Bingemer, Maria Clara, ‘Women in the Future of the Theology of Liberation’, in Feminist Theology from the Third World: A Reader, edited by Ursula King. 1994, Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.

Branch, Robin Gallaher, ‘Vashti’, in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, edited by David Noel Freedman, et al. 2000, New York: Eerdmans.

Cleaver, Richard, Know My Name: A Gay Liberation Theology. 1995, Louisville: Westminster John Knox.

Clines, David J.A. ‘Esther’, in HarperCollins Bible Commentary, revised edition, edited by James L. Mays, et al. 2000, New York: HarperCollins.

Comstock, Gary David, Gay Theology Without Apology. 1993, Cleveland: Pilgrim Press.

Craig, Kenneth, Reading Esther: A Case for the Literary Carnivalesque. 1995, Louisville: Westminster John Knox.

Crawford, Sidnie White, ‘The Book of Esther: Introduction, Commentary and Reflections’, in The New Interpreter’s Bible: Volume III, edited by Leander Keck, et al. 1999, Nashville: Abingdon.

Kwok Pui-Lan, ‘Racism and Ethnocentrism in Feminist Biblical Interpretation’, in Searching the Scriptures: A Feminist Introduction, edited by Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza. 1993, New York: Crossroad Publishing.

Laffey, Alice. An Introduction to the Old Testament: A Feminist Perspective. 1988, Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

McKenna, Johh, ‘Vashti’, in Anchor Bible Dictionary: Volume VI, edited by David Noel Freedman. 1992, New York: Doubleday.

Rebera, Ranjini, ‘Challenging Patriarchy’, in Feminist Theology from the Third World: A Reader, edited by Ursula King. 1994, Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.

Ronson, Barbara L. Thaw, The Women of the Torah: Commentaries from the Talmud, Midrash, and Kabbalah. 1999, Jerusalem: Jason Aronson, Inc.

Tamez, Elsa, ‘Women’s Rereading of the Bible’, in Feminist Theology from the Third World: A Reader, edited by Ursula King. 1994, Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.

Telushkin, Rabbi Joseph, Biblical Literacy: The Most Important People, Events, and Ideas of the Hebrew Bible. 1997, New York: William Morrow and Co.

Weems, Renita, ‘Reading Her Way through the Struggle’, in Stony the Road We Trod: African American Biblical Interpretation, edited by Cane Hope Felder. 1991, Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

Weems, Renita, ‘Womanist Reflections on Biblical Hermeneutics’, in Black Theology, A Documentary History, vol 2, edited by James H. Cone and Gayraud S. Wilmore. 1993, Maryknoll: Orbis Books.