משתה in תנ”ך

The word משתה appears 40 times in תנ”ך.

20 of those occurrences are in Esther.

Some of them refer to משתה in general, and not to a specific party or event, for example, קהלת ז:ב:

טוֹב לָלֶכֶת אֶל בֵּית אֵבֶל מִלֶּכֶת אֶל בֵּית  מִשְׁתֶּה  בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא סוֹף כָּל הָאָדָם וְהַחַי יִתֵּן אֶל לִבּוֹ:

 

There are ten actual parties – events – (not including Esther) that take place in תנ”ך.

1. Lot makes a משתה for the מלאכים who visit him is Sodom (Gen. 19:3)

2. Abraham makes a משתה גדול to celebrate the weaning of Isaac (Gen 21:8)

3. Isaac and Abimelekh have a משתה (Gen. 26:30)

4. Laban makes a משתה to celebrate the marriage of Leah to Jacob (Gen. 29:22)

5. Pharaoh makes a משתה לכל עבדיו to celebrate his birthday.  Joseph’s interpretations of the dreams of the שר האופים and the שר המשקים are fulfilled (Gen. 40:20)

6. Samson makes a seven day משתה to celebrate his marriage (Judges 14:10, 12, 17)

7. Nabal makes a משתה which is כמשתה המלך (I Sam. 25:36)

8. David makes a משתה for Abner in Hebron (II Sam. 3:20)

9. Solomon makes a משתה לכל עבדיו after הקב”ה comes to him in a dream (I Kings 3:16).  It is interesting to compare this to Pharaoh.  Both have dreams and both have the phrase וייקץ והנה חלום.

10. The sons of Job make a משתה (Job 1:4-5)

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