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Esther Chapter
Five
New King James Version
(NKJV)
Esther 5:1. Now it happened
on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in
the inner court of the king’s palace
across from the king’s house
while the
king sat on his royal throne in the royal house
facing the entrance of the
house.[a]
YLT 1And it cometh to pass on
the third day
that Esther putteth on royalty
and standeth in the inner-court
of the house of the king over-against the house of the king
and the king is
sitting on his royal throne
in the royal-house
over-against the opening of
the house
Now it came to
pass on the third day
....
Of the fast; though the
former Targum paraphrases it the third day of the passover
the sixteenth of
Nisan; see Gill on Esther 4:17
though
it is probable this was nearer the time fixed for the destruction of the Jews
see Esther 8:9
yet the
Jews have fixed the fast of Esther on that very day
the thirteenth of AdarF6Vid
Reland. Antiqu. Heb. par. 4. c. 13. sect. 5. :
that Esther put
on her royal apparel;
in order to go in to the
king
and appear before him; which to do in a mournful habit
such as she had
on when fasting
was not proper; for then she put off her royal crown
as is
intimated in the additions to the book of Esther
And upon the third day
when
she had ended her prayers
she laid away her mourning garments
and put on her
glorious apparel. (Esther 15:1)and as was
usual for princes to do in times of mourningF7Vid. Paschalium de
Coronis
l. 10. c. 11. p. 699. ; but now she put it on
as both Ben GorionF8Hist.
Heb. Jud. l. 2. c. 4. and the latter Targum affirm:
and stood in
the inner court of the king's house
over against the king's house;
into which none might go
but such as were called; yet Esther being queen
the keepers of the door could
not forbid her
as Aben Ezra observes:
and the king
sat upon his royal throne
in the royal house
over against the gate of the
house;
so that he could see
whoever came in at it
into the inner court.
Esther 5:2. 2 So
it was
when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court
that she
found favor in his sight
and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter
that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the
scepter.
YLT 2and it cometh to pass
at
the king's seeing Esther the queen standing in the court
she hath received
grace in his eyes
and the king holdeth out to Esther the golden sceptre that
[is] in his hand
and Esther draweth near
and toucheth the top of the sceptre.
And it was so
when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court
that she obtained
favour in his sight
....
Which no doubt was of God
who has the hearts of kings in his hand
and turns them as he pleases; the king
had not called her for thirty days past
or more
which showed coolness of
affection to her
and now she transgressed a law by coming uncalled for
which
might have provoked his wrath; and for a lesser matter than this was Vashti
divorced; but yet his mind was inclined to her
and she appeared very amiable
and pleasing to him:
and the king
held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand;
as a token of his well
pleasedness in her
and acceptance of her; and that no harm should come to her
for transgressing the law:
so Esther drew
near
and touched the top of the sceptre;
as acknowledging his
kindness
and her thankfulness for it
as well as subjection and obedience to
him.
Esther 5:3. 3 And
the king said to her
“What do you wish
Queen Esther? What is your
request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”
YLT 3And the king saith to her
`What -- to thee Esther
O queen? and what thy request? unto the half of the
kingdom -- and it is given to thee.'
Then said the
king unto her
what wilt thou
Queen Esther?....
He supposed she had some
business with him
some suit to make to him
by her coming in this manner:
and what is thy
request?
signifying he was ready to
grant it
be it what it would:
it shall be
even given thee to the half of the kingdom;
as it was usual with the
Persian kings to give their wives cities for certain purposes; see Gill on Esther 2:18
here
Ahasuerus
out of his great affection to Esther
offers half of his dominions
his one hundred and twenty seven provinces; meaning that he would grant her
anything
and everything that was reasonable
and even magnificent; it is an
hyperbolical and courtly way of speaking
and which has been used in later
times
and in other countries; see Mark 6:23.
Esther 5:4. 4 So
Esther answered
“If it pleases the king
let the king and Haman come today to
the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
YLT 4And Esther saith
`If unto
the king [it be] good
the king doth come in
and Haman
to-day
unto the
banquet that I have made for him;'
And Esther
answered
if it seem good unto the king
....
She humbly submits it to
his pleasure
suggesting it would be exceeding grateful to her
could it be
granted:
let the king
and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him;
for the king; and
supposing it would be acceptable to him
and the rather engage him to come to
it
she invited his favourite; and chiefly
that she might have an opportunity
of accusing him before the king to his face
and when alone.
Esther 5:5. 5 Then
the king said
“Bring Haman quickly
that he may do as Esther has said.” So the
king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
YLT 5and the king saith
`Haste
ye Haman -- to do the word of Esther;' and the king cometh in
and Haman
unto
the banquet that Esther hath made.
Then the king
said
cause Haman to make haste
that he may do as Esther hath said
....
That is
he ordered some
of his servants to make haste and acquaint Haman with the queen's invitation
and to press him to make haste to comply with it:
so the king and
Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared;
which was wisely done
to
prepare for what she had to say to the king
when cheerful with wine
and when
she had her adversary with him alone.
Esther 5:6. 6 At
the banquet of wine the king said to Esther
“What is your petition? It
shall be granted you. What is your request
up to half the kingdom? It
shall be done!”
YLT 6And the king saith to
Esther
during the banquet of wine
`What [is] thy petition? and it is given to
thee; and what thy request? unto the half of the kingdom -- and it is done.'
And the king
said unto Esther at the banquet of wine
....
For such it seems the
banquet was she prepared; it was not properly a meal
neither dinner nor
supper
but a drinking bout; or
however
it was at that part of the banquet in
which wine was drank that the king accosted Esther
when he began to be
cheerful with it. The Persians at their meals had two courses: the first
consisted of meats
&c. at which they drank water
the other of fruits
when they drank wine; AelianusF9Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 1. says
the
Persians
after they are filled with food
indulge themselves in drinking wine:
what is thy
petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half
of the kingdom it shall be performed;
by which it appears he
retained the same affection for Esther
and the same disposition to show her
kindness. See Esther 5:3.
Esther 5:7. 7 Then
Esther answered and said
“My petition and request is this:
YLT 7And Esther answereth and
saith
`My petition and my request [is]:
Then answered
Esther and said
my petition and my request is.
What she should for the
present make; the principal one she had to ask
for wise reasons
she still
deferred.
Esther 5:8. 8 If
I have found favor in the sight of the king
and if it pleases the king to
grant my petition and fulfill my request
then let the king and Haman come to
the banquet which I will prepare for them
and tomorrow I will do as the king
has said.”
YLT 8if I have found grace in
the eyes of the king
and if unto the king [it be] good
to give my petition
and to perform my request
the king doth come
and Haman
unto the banquet that
I make for them
and to-morrow I do according to the word of the king.'
If I have found
favour in the sight of the king
....
Or
seeing she had; for it
was a clear case she had
both by his holding out the golden sceptre to her
and by accepting her invitation to her banquet:
and if it
please the king to grant my petition
and to perform my request;
as he had been so gracious
as to promise in such a large and liberal manner as before expressed:
let the king
and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them;
the Targum says
in the
evening; but from Esther 5:12
it
appears to be on the morrow; and which agrees with what follows:
and I will do
tomorrow as the king hath said;
make her petition and
request to him; which she had deferred
partly in hope of still increasing his
affection to her
and partly to prepare him to expect something of moment and
importance to be asked of him. Jarchi restrains this to what he supposes the
king had often importuned her to tell
namely
who were her people and her
kindred.
Esther 5:9. 9 So
Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw
Mordecai in the king’s gate
and that he did not stand or tremble before him
he was filled with indignation against Mordecai.
YLT 9And Haman goeth forth on
that day rejoicing and glad in heart
and at Haman's seeing Mordecai in the
gate of the king
and he hath not risen nor moved for him
then is Haman full
of fury against Mordecai.
Then went Haman
forth that day
joyful
and with a glad heart
....
From court to his own
house
but when Haman
saw Mordecai in the king's gate
that he stood not up
nor moved for him;
did not show him the least
degree even of civil respect; which he refused to do
partly lest it should be
interpreted an adoration of him
and partly because it was well known to him he
had formed a scheme for the destruction of him and all his people; and the
rather he refused it to him
as Esther was about to make intercession with the
king to revoke his decree
of the success of which he had no doubt; and
therefore had nothing to fear from him
but treated him with the utmost
contempt
as he deserved:
he was full of
wrath against Mordecai;
it was a sad mortification
to him
and a great allay of that joy and elation of mind on account of the
favour he was in; not with the king only
but the queen also
as he imagined.
Esther 5:10. 10 Nevertheless
Haman restrained himself and went home
and he sent and called for his friends
and his wife Zeresh.
YLT 10And Haman forceth himself
and cometh in unto his house
and sendeth
and bringeth in his friends
and
Zeresh his wife
Nevertheless
Haman refrained himself
....
From showing any outward
resentment to Mordecai
from laying hands upon him or taking revenge on him
as
being too much below him to avenge himself on a single person
when the whole
body of the people Mordecai belonged to would shortly feel the power of his
hand for such insolent treatment of him:
and when he
came home
he sent and called for his friends
and Zeresh his wife;
who
the Targum says
was
the daughter of Tatnai
the governor on the other side the river
Ezra 5:3.
Esther 5:11.
11 Then Haman told them of
his great riches
the multitude of his children
everything in which the king
had promoted him
and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants
of the king.
YLT 11and Haman recounteth to
them the glory of his wealth
and the abundance of his sons
and all that with
which the king made him great
and with which he lifted him up above the heads
and servants of the king.
And Haman told
them of the glory of his riches
....
Of the multitude of them;
which he did partly in a way of ostentation
and partly
if he could
to make
his mind easy under the mortification he received from Mordecai; and
it may
be
chiefly to aggravate his rudeness and ill behaviour towards him
a man of
so much wealth: and the multitude of his children; he had ten
as we learn from
Esther 9:10
but
the former Targum enlarges them
beyond credit
to the number of two hundred
and eight
besides his ten sons
and Shimshai the scribe; such were had in
great esteem with the Persians who had many children; to such the king used to
send gifts annuallyF11Herodot
Clio
sive
l. 1. c. 136. Strabo.
Geograph. l. 15. p. 504. :
and all the
things wherein the king had promoted him;
the high offices of honour
and trust he had put him into:
and how he had
advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
See Esther 3:1.
Esther 5:12. 12 Moreover
Haman said
“Besides
Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the
king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her
along with the king.
YLT 12And Haman saith
`Yea
Esther the queen brought none in with the king
unto the feast that she made
except myself
and also for to-morrow I am called to her
with the king
Haman said
moreover
....
To all which he added
and
what seemed to delight him most of all
or however was a new additional honour
done him:
yea
Esther the
queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had
prepared but myself;
which he judged was doing
him singular honour; and
by the joint affection of the king and queen to him
he thought himself established in his dignity and grandeur:
and tomorrow am
I invited unto her also with the king;
had been invited
not by a
messenger
but by the queen herself
which was a double honour.
Esther 5:13. 13 Yet
all this avails me nothing
so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the
king’s gate.”
YLT 13and all this is not
profitable to me
during all the time that I am seeing Mordecai the Jew sitting
in the gate of the king.'
Yet all this
availeth me nothing
....
Is not equal or sufficient
for me; it gives me no satisfaction and contentment:
so long as I
see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate:
not rising up to bow unto
him; this single circumstance spoiled all his joy and pleasure.
Esther 5:14. 14 Then
his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him
“Let a gallows be made
fifty
cubits high
and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on
it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman;
so he had the gallows made.
YLT 14And Zeresh his wife saith
to him
and all his friends
`Let them prepare a tree
in height fifty cubits
and in the morning speak to the king
and they hang Mordecai on it
and go thou
in with the king unto the banquet rejoicing;' and the thing is good before
Haman
and he prepareth the tree.
Then said
Zeresh his wife
and all his friends
unto him
....
His wife very probably
first moved it
and all his friends present approved of it and united in it:
let a gallows
be made
of fifty cubits
high;
that the person hanged
thereon might be seen at a distance
and so be a greater reproach to him
and a
terror to others
to take care they were not guilty of the same offence:
Cartalo was ordered by his father to be fixed to the highest cross in the sight
of the cityF12Justin e Trogo
l. 18. c. 7. Vid. l. 22. c. 7. ; and
it was usual for crosses to be erected very highF13Vid. Lipsium de
Cruce
l. 3. c. 13. both for that purpose
and for greater infamy and disgraceF14Suetonius
in Galba
c. 9. :
and tomorrow
speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon;
get a grant from him for
it; of which they made no doubt
since Haman had such an interest in him
and
had already obtained an order to destroy all Jews in his dominions:
then go thou in
merrily with the king unto the banquet;
eased of the burden of his
mind
and honoured to be a guest with the royal pair:
and the thing
pleased Haman
and he caused the gallows to be made;
but it was for himself
as
it proved in the issue. See Esther 7:10.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Esther 5:1
Septuagint adds many extra details in verses 1 and 2.