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 put on her royal robes. She stood in the courtyard of the king’s palace, facing the king’s throne room. The king was sitting on the royal throne inside the palace, facing the entrance. 2When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the entrance, she won his favor. So the king held out the golden scepter that was in his hand to Esther. Esther went up to him and touched the top of the scepter. Then the king asked her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? What would you like? Even if it is up to half of the kingdom, it will be granted to you.” 4So Esther answered, “If it pleases you, Your Majesty, come today with Haman to a dinner I have prepared for you.” 5The king replied, “Bring Haman right away, and do whatever Esther asks.” So the king and Haman came to the dinner 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 5:6While they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther, “What is your request? It will be granted to you. What would you like? Even if it is up to half of the kingdom, it will be granted.”
• Esther 7:2On the second day, while they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther, “What is your request, Queen Esther? It will be granted to you. And what would you like? Even if it is up to half of the kingdom, it will be granted.”
• Esther 9:12So the king said to Queen Esther, “In the fortress of Susa the Jews have killed and wiped out 500 men and Haman’s 10 sons. What must they have done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now, what is your request? It will be granted to you. And what else would you like? It, too, will be granted.”
• 1 Kings 2:20“I’m asking you for one little thing,” she said. “Don’t refuse me.” “Ask, Mother,” the king told her. “I won’t refuse you.”
• 1 Kings 3:5In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. He said, “What can I give you?”
• Matthew 20:20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her two sons. She bowed down in front of him to ask him for a favor.
• Luke 18:41“What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said, “Lord, I want to see again.”
• Mark 6:23He swore an oath to her: “I’ll give you anything you ask for, 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
• 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