In biblical times, the concept of a crown often symbolized authority, honor, and glory. While kings are frequently associated with crowns, queens also played significant roles in the biblical narrative, sometimes being depicted with crowns or in positions of influence that suggest a metaphorical crowning.

Esther: A Crown of Deliverance

One of the most prominent queens in the Bible is Esther, a Jewish woman who became queen of Persia. Although the text does not explicitly mention Esther wearing a physical crown, her position as queen and her courageous actions can be seen as a metaphorical crowning. Esther's account is a testament to divine providence and the deliverance of God's people. Her bravery in approaching King Xerxes without being summoned, risking her life to save her people, is a pivotal moment in the narrative. Esther 4:14 highlights her role: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"

Queen of Sheba: A Crown of Wisdom

The Queen of Sheba is another significant figure, known for her visit to King Solomon. Her journey to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions and her subsequent admiration for his wisdom and wealth is recorded in 1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9. While the text does not describe her wearing a crown, her status as a queen and her interaction with Solomon suggest a mutual recognition of royal dignity and wisdom. Her visit underscores the biblical theme of seeking wisdom and the acknowledgment of God's blessings upon Solomon.

Jezebel: A Crown of Infamy

In contrast, Queen Jezebel represents a negative aspect of queenship. As the wife of King Ahab, Jezebel is infamous for her idolatry and persecution of the prophets of Yahweh. Her influence over Ahab and her role in promoting the worship of Baal highlight the potential for a queen's power to lead a nation astray. Jezebel's account serves as a cautionary tale about the misuse of authority and the consequences of turning away from God. Her eventual downfall, as prophesied by Elijah, is recorded in 2 Kings 9:30-37.

Symbolic Crowns in Scripture

The Bible also uses the imagery of crowns in a symbolic sense, often in relation to wisdom, righteousness, and eternal life. Proverbs 12:4 states, "A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones." This verse highlights the honor and dignity a virtuous woman brings to her husband, akin to a crown.

In the New Testament, the concept of a crown is further expanded to include spiritual rewards. James 1:12 speaks of the "crown of life" awarded to those who persevere under trial: "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."

Conclusion

The imagery of crowns associated with queens in the Bible serves to illustrate themes of authority, influence, and the moral and spiritual responsibilities that accompany such positions. Whether through the courage of Esther, the wisdom of the Queen of Sheba, or the infamy of Jezebel, these narratives provide insight into the complex roles of queens in biblical history and theology.Esther 1:11
To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
Nave's Topical Index

Esther 2:17
And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Nave's Topical Index

Esther 8:15
And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
Nave's Topical Index

Of Certain Special Favours Exercised by the Divine Providence in ...
... the love of their Saviour next to his mother, who is queen of queens, a queen ... her
own Son, the sovereign object of love, since children are the crown of their ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter vi of certain special.htm

Chaldaean Civilization
... find one among their wives who possessed an equal right to the crown with themselves ...
at a later period between Chaldaea and Assyria; among the few queens of the ...
/.../chapter iiichaldaean civilization.htm

Now Follows the Practice of Piety in Dying for the Lord.
... that Stephen, the first Christian martyr, should have his name of a crown (Stephanos). ...
to raise rebellion, to move invasion, to stab and poison queens, to kill ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/now follows the practice of.htm

The Glory of Penitents and Pious People.
... Her intense love and her penitential tears deserved for her a "crown of justice."
They ... Here are kings and queens who, in their exalted position, knew how to be ...
/.../boudreaux/the happiness of heaven/chapter xx the glory of.htm

"And as we Have, once for All, Entered the Palace...
... not think of the wealth of the kingdom, the dignity of the empire, the crown, or
the ... But the faith of the two queens is to be compared (and let it be granted ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter vi and as we.htm

Knox and Queen Mary (Continued), 1561-1564
... Like Henri IV., she may at this time have been capable of preferring a crown"that
of ... "The Papists storm, thinking the meeting of the queens will overthrow ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/chapter xv knox and queen.htm

The Fall of the Empire and of the Papacy
... he obtained the renunciation of the claims of Edmund to the Sicilian crown and turned ...
to be the equal of her three elder sisters, the Queens, respectively, of ...
/.../medley/the church and the empire/chapter xvi the fall of.htm

The Exaltation of Christ
... been no relationship, they might have been advanced to kings, emperors, or queens,
and they ... ye members of his, his feet or his hands, though the crown is not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the exaltation of christ.htm

The Mother of Xerxes.
... Smerdis was killed; his imprisoned queens were set free, and Darius was raised to
the ... It assigned the crown, at his death, not to his son as such, but to his ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter i the mother of.htm

The Eternity of Heaven's Happiness.
... is now the happiness and the glory of those mighty kings and queens who were ... Therefore
shall they receive a kingdom of glory, and a crown of beauty at the hand ...
/.../boudreaux/the happiness of heaven/chapter xxi the eternity of.htm

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