Esther 5:2

Esther 5:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
• New International Version (NIV)When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Esther 5:2

1After they had fasted for three days, Esther put on her royal clothes. She went to King Xerxes' part of the palace. She stood in the yard outside his rooms. The king was sitting on his royal throne. He could see through the door of the room where he sat. The king saw Esther as she stood outside in the yard. He was pleased to see her. He held out his gold sceptre towards her. Esther came near to him and she touched the top of the sceptre. 3The king asked her, ‘What is your trouble, Queen Esther? I will do for you whatever you want. I will even give you half of my kingdom!’ 4Esther replied, ‘If the king agrees, I would like you to do this. I would like the king and Haman to come to a special meal that I have prepared for you.’

Esther 5:2 word by word

וַיְהִי֩ כִרְא֨וֹת הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־אֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֗ה עֹמֶ֙דֶת֙ בֶּֽחָצֵ֔ר נָשְׂאָ֥ה חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינָ֑יו וַיּ֨וֹשֶׁט הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּ֗ר אֶת־שַׁרְבִ֤יט הַזָּהָב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיָד֔וֹ וַתִּקְרַ֣ב אֶסְתֵּ֔ר וַתִּגַּ֖ע בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הַשַּׁרְבִֽיט׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it was so, when the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• Estherאֶסְתֵּר'estêr · EstherH635
• the queenמַלְכָּהmalkâh · queenH4436
• standingעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• in the courtחָצֵרchâtsêr · courtH2691
• she obtainedנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: kindnessH5375
• favourחֵןchên · favorH2580
• in his sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
• held outיָשַׁטyâshaţ · to extendH3447
• the goldenזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091
• sceptreשַׁרְבִֿיטsharbîyţ · scepterH8275
• in his handיָדyâd · handH3027
• drew nearקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
• and touchedנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
• the topרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218

Cross-references for Esther 5:2

• Genesis 32:28Then the man said, ‘Your name will not be Jacob any longer. Your name will now be Israel. That is because you have fought with God and you have fought with men. And you have won!’
• Nehemiah 1:11Please listen to my prayer, my Lord. Hear the prayers of your people who love to respect your name. Please cause the king to be kind to me. May he give me what I ask for.’ I was the king's cupbearer.
• Psalms 116:1I love the Lord, because he heard me when I called to him.
• Proverbs 21:1The Lord controls the things that a king decides to do. He can change the king's thoughts, like the direction of a stream.
• Acts 7:10God saved him from all his troubles and he helped him to live in a wise way. Because of that, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, liked Joseph. He saw that Joseph was very wise. So Pharaoh gave Joseph authority to rule Egypt and everyone in the king's own house.
• Acts 10:4Cornelius looked at the angel and he was afraid. He asked, ‘Master, why have you come to me?’ The angel answered, ‘God has heard your prayers. He knows about all the money that you give to poor people. This has pleased him. Now God is answering your prayers.
• Esther 4:11‘Everybody knows the law. People cannot go to meet the king in his own part of the palace unless the king asks them to come. All the king's officers and all his people know that that is the law. If somebody decides to go to the king when the king has not asked to see him, that person must die. He will only stay alive if the king holds out his gold sceptre towards him. As for me, the king has not asked me to go to him for the last 30 days.’
• Esther 8:4The king held out his gold sceptre towards Esther. So she stood up to speak to the king.

Commentaries on Esther 5:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2She obtained favor in his sight - The Septuagint represents "the king as being at first greatly enraged when he saw Esther, because she had dared to appear before him unveiled, and she, perceiving this, was so terrified that she fainted away; on which the king, touched with tenderness, sprung from his throne, took her up in his arms, laid the golden scepter on her neck, and spoke to her in the most endearing manner." This is more circumstantial than the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther: She was not killed for entering the king’s presence without an invitation (Esther 4:11, 16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand--This golden scepter receives an interesting illustration from the sculptured monuments of Persia and Assyria. In the bas-reliefs of Persepolis, copied by Sir Robert Ker Porter, we see King Darius enthroned in the midst of his court, and walking abroad in equal state; in either case he carries in his right hand a slender rod or wand, about equal in length to his own height, ornamented…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 5:2

• King
• Scepter (Sceptre)

In the dictionaries

• Esther
• Esther, Hadassah
• Banquet
• Attitudes
• Esther, the Rest of
• Head
• Sceptre; Scepter

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