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.”
• 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!”
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then the king asked her, “What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”

Context of Esther 5:3

1On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. 2And 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. 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." 4And Esther said, "If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king." 5Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked." So the king and Haman came to the feast 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 5:6And as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, "What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled."
• Esther 7:2And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, "What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled."
• Esther 9:12And the king said to Queen Esther, "In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled."
• 1 Kings 2:20Then she said, "I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me." And the king said to her, "Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you."
• 1 Kings 3:5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."
• Matthew 20:20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something.
• Luke 18:41"What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me recover my sight."
• Mark 6:23And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of 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