4410 banquets

Grand, celebratory meals consisting usually of rich food and flowing wine. Banquets usually accompanied weddings, religious festivals and other celebrations. Prophecies of the Messianic age refer to a banquet to which the righteous will be invited.

Characteristics of banquets

They were usually held in a hall SS 2:4 See also Est 7:8; Da 5:10

Honoured guests were given special places Lk 14:7-11 See also Pr 25:6-7; Mt 23:6 pp Mk 12:39 pp Lk 20:46

Guests reclined on couches Est 1:6; Mt 26:7 pp Mk 14:3 pp Lk 7:36; Jn 12:2

Invitations were sent out Lk 14:17 pp Mt 22:3

Occasions for holding banquets

To celebrate weddings Mt 22:2 See also Ge 29:21-22 a feast celebrates Jacob’s wedding; Jdg 14:10 Samson gives a wedding feast; Est 2:18 Xerxes celebrates Esther’s choice as queen with a banquet; Mt 25:10; Lk 12:36; Jn 2:8-9; Rev 19:9 the marriage supper of the Lamb

To celebrate birthdays Ge 40:20; Mk 6:21

To celebrate other events Ge 21:8 Abraham celebrates Isaac’s weaning. Jews celebrate their deliverance from Haman in what became the Feast of Purim: Est 8:17; Est 9:17-19
Lk 15:23 The father celebrates the prodigal son’s return.

Religious celebrations Ps 22:29 See also 2Ch 30:21-22; 2Ch 35:13; Zec 7:6

Activities at banquets

Good food and drink Isa 25:6 See also Job 1:4; Zec 7:6; Mt 22:4; Lk 15:23

Drunkenness and revelry 1Sa 25:36 See also Est 1:7-8,10; Ecc 10:19; Jer 51:39; Da 5:3-4

Music and dancing Isa 5:12 See also Mt 14:6 pp Mk 6:22; Lk 15:25

Further examples of banquets

Ge 26:30 Isaac holds a feast for Abimelech; Ge 43:34 Joseph feasts with his brothers; 2Sa 3:20 David holds a feast for Abner; 1Ki 3:15 Solomon gives a feast for all his court. Xerxes gives a banquet for his nobles and officials: Est 1:3,5
Est 1:9 Queen Vashti holds a banquet for the women of the palace. Esther prepares banquets for the king and Haman: Est 5:4-5,8
Da 5:1-2 Belshazzar has a banquet for 1,000 nobles; Lk 5:29 pp Mt 9:10 Levi holds a banquet for Jesus Christ; Lk 14:1 Jesus Christ is the guest of a leading Pharisee.

An invitation to a banquet seen as a sign of God’s grace

Lk 14:12-14 See also 2Ki 6:23 The king of Israel prepares a banquet for captured Aramean troops; Mt 22:8-10 pp Lk 14:21-23

The Messianic banquet

Mt 8:11 See also Lk 13:29; Lk 14:15

See also