Esther 5:3

Esther 5:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom."
• New King James Version (NKJV)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!”

Context of Esther 5:3

1On the third day, Esther dressed in her royal clothing and stood in the inner courtyard of the palace facing it. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom, facing its entrance. 2As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she gained favor with him. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter. “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked her. “Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be given to you.” 4“If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for them.” 5The king said, “Hurry, and get Haman so we can do as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.

Esther 5:3 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ מַה־לָּ֖ךְ אֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה וּמַה־בַּקָּשָׁתֵ֛ךְ עַד־חֲצִ֥י הַמַּלְכ֖וּת וְיִנָּ֥תֵֽן לָֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• unto her, What wilt thou, queenמַלְכָּהmalkâh · queenH4436
• Estherאֶסְתֵּר'estêr · EstherH635
• thy requestבַּקָּשָׁהbaqqâshâh · requestH1246
• it shall be even givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• thee to the halfחֲצִיchêtsîy · halfH2677
• of the kingdomמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438

Cross-references for Esther 5:3

• Esther 5:6While drinking the wine, the king asked Esther, “Whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”
• Esther 7:2Once again, on the second day while drinking wine, the king asked Esther, “Queen Esther, whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you seek, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”
• Esther 9:12The king said to Queen Esther, “In the fortress of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, including Haman’s ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces? Whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you seek will also be done.”
• 1 Kings 2:20Then she said, “I have just one small request of you. Don’t turn me down.” “Go ahead and ask, mother,” the king replied, “for I won’t turn you down.”
• 1 Kings 3:5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask. What should I give you?”
• Matthew 20:20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons approached him with her sons. She knelt down to ask him for something.
• Luke 18:41“What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see.”
• Mark 6:23He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

Commentaries on Esther 5:3

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3It shall be even given thee … - Xerxes, on another occasion, when pleased with one of his wives, offered to grant her any request whatever, without limitation. Compare the margin reference.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you: This common saying meant the king would be generous with her request. The king wanted nothing to stop Esther from telling the whole truth.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom--This mode of speaking originated in the Persian custom of appropriating for the maintenance of great men, or royal favorites, one city for his bread, another for his wine, a third for his clothes, &c., so that the phrase denoted great liberality.Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 5:3

• King

In the dictionaries

• Esther
• Esther, Hadassah
• Banquet
• Birthday
• Esther, the Rest of

Commentaries on Esther 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings