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

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. 2The 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. The 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.’ 5The king said to his servants, ‘Bring Haman here quickly. Then we can do what Esther wants.’ The king and Haman went to the meal that 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 5:6When they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther, ‘What do you want? I will give you whatever you want. What do you want me to do for you? Even if you want half of my kingdom, I will give it to you.’
• Esther 7:2This was the second day that they ate a special meal together. While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, ‘Queen Esther, what do you want me to do for you? I will give you whatever you want. Even if you want half of my kingdom, I will give it to you.’
• Esther 9:12Then the king said to Queen Esther, ‘In Susa the Jews have killed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. So I think that they have killed many more of their enemies in the other regions of my kingdom! Now, what else do you want? If you ask me, I will do anything that you still want me to do.’
• 1 Kings 2:20She said, ‘I have one small thing to ask you. Please do not refuse to do it for me.’ The king said to her, ‘Ask me, mother! I will not refuse you!’
• 1 Kings 3:5One night in Gibeon, the Lord showed himself to Solomon in a dream. God said, ‘Ask me to give you whatever you want.’
• Matthew 20:20Then the mother of James and John took them to see Jesus. (Their father was Zebedee.) She went down on her knees in front of Jesus. She asked him to do something good for her.
• Luke 18:41‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Sir,’ the blind man replied, ‘I want to see again.’
• Mark 6:23He made a strong promise, ‘I will give you anything that you ask me to give to you. I will even give you half of everything that I rule over.’

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