Admatha is a figure whose significance lies not in any great deed or recorded speech of his own, but in his exceedingly privileged position within the government of the vast Persian Empire, a position that placed him at the very center of the events that led to the elevation of Queen Esther.
Admatha: One of the Seven Princes of Persia and Media
Admatha is only mentioned a single time in the Holy Scriptures, where he is named as one of the seven highest officials in the kingdom of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). These men formed the king’s inner council and held a singular and inviolable status in the realm.
The Counsellors of Ahasuerus
In the dramatic opening of the Book of Esther, King Ahasuerus, ruler over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, calls upon his wisest and most powerful advisors after his first queen, Vashti, refuses his command. Admatha is listed among these chief princes.
- KJV Scripture Reference:“Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment: 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;)” (Esther 1:13-14, KJV)
The reference provides two crucial details about Admatha and his six peers:
- They saw the king’s face: This phrase signifies a rare and supreme privilege. It indicates that these men had immediate and direct access to King Ahasuerus, a right that was highly restricted in the Persian court and a mark of their extraordinary trust and authority.
- They sat the first in the kingdom: They held the highest governmental rank beneath the king himself, acting as his primary consultors and interpreters of “law and judgment.” The historical importance of this counsel is underscored by the subsequent account, as it is on the advice of this very council, led by Memucan, that Queen Vashti is irrevocably removed from her royal position, thereby creating the vacancy that the Jewish maiden Esther would eventually fill.
Though Admatha’s role is that of an observer in the initial counsel, his position is critical in establishing the framework of high authority and strict law within which the miraculous story of Esther’s deliverance would unfold. His mention is a testament to the intricate and detailed historical background provided by the inspired word.