New English Translation
Esther 8:5
5She said, “If the king is so inclined and if I have met with his approval and if the matter is agreeable to the king and if I am attractive to him, let an edict be written rescinding those recorded intentions of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote in order to destroy the Jews who are throughout all the king’s provinces.
Esther 8:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king’s provinces:
- New International Version (NIV)“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And she said, "If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.
- New King James Version (NKJV)and said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.
Context of Esther 8:5
3Then Esther again spoke with the king, falling at his feet. She wept and begged him for mercy, that he might nullify the evil of Haman the Agagite which he had intended against the Jews. 4When the king extended to Esther the gold scepter, she arose and stood before the king. She said, “If the king is so inclined and if I have met with his approval and if the matter is agreeable to the king and if I am attractive to him, let an edict be written rescinding those recorded intentions of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote in order to destroy the Jews who are throughout all the king’s provinces. 6For how can I watch the calamity that will befall my people, and how can I watch the destruction of my relatives?” 7King Ahasuerus replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Look, I have already given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he has been hanged on the gallows because he took hostile action against the Jews.
Read all of Esther 8Esther 8:5 word by word
וַ֠תֹּאמֶר אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ ט֜וֹב וְאִם־מָצָ֧אתִי חֵ֣ן לְפָנָ֗יו וְכָשֵׁ֤ר הַדָּבָר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְטוֹבָ֥ה אֲנִ֖י בְּעֵינָ֑יו יִכָּתֵ֞ב לְהָשִׁ֣יב אֶת־הַסְּפָרִ֗ים מַחֲשֶׁ֜בֶת הָמָ֤ן בֶּֽן־הַמְּדָ֙תָא֙ הָאֲגָגִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּתַ֗ב לְאַבֵּד֙ אֶת־הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּכָל־מְדִינ֥וֹת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- If it pleaseטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- and if I have foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- favourחֵןchên · favorH2580
- in his sightפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- and the thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- rightכָּשֵׁרkâshêr · to succeedH3787
- in his eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
- let it be writtenכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
- to reverseשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725
- the lettersסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
- devisedמַחֲשָׁבָהmachăshâbâh machăshebeth · plotH4284
- by Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Hammedathaהַמְּדָתָאmedâthâ' · HammedathaH4099
- the Agagiteאֲגָגִי'ăgâgîy · AgagiteH91
- to destroyאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
- provincesמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
Cross-references for Esther 8:5
- Esther 7:3Queen Esther replied, “If I have met with your approval, O king, and if the king is so inclined, grant me my life as my request, and my people as my petition.
- Exodus 33:13Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your way, that I may know you, that I may continue to find favor in your sight. And see that this nation is your people.”
- 1 Samuel 20:29He said, ‘Permit me to go, for we are having a family sacrifice in the city, and my brother urged me to be there. So now, if I have found favor with you, let me go to see my brothers.’ For that reason he has not come to the king’s table.”
- Esther 2:4Let the young woman whom the king finds most attractive become queen in place of Vashti.” This seemed like a good idea to the king, so he acted accordingly.
- Esther 3:12So the royal scribes were summoned in the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month. Everything Haman commanded was written to the king’s satraps and governors who were in every province and to the officials of every people, province by province according to its script and people by people according to its language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with the king’s signet ring.
Commentaries on Esther 8:5
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-14Verses 3-14 It was time to be earnest, when the church of God was at stake. Esther, though safe herself, fell down and begged for the deliverance of her people. We read of no tears when she begged for her own life, but although she was sure of that, she wept for her people. Tears of pity and tenderness are the most Christ-like. According to the constitution of the Persian government, no law or decree could be repealed or recalled. This is so far from…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Esther asked for the unusual favor of reversing a law signed with the king’s seal. the letters that the scheming Haman: Esther diplomatically avoided implying that the king was responsible for Haman's orders.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-65-6. reverse the letters devised by Haman ... to destroy the Jews--The whole conduct of Esther in this matter is characterized by great tact, and the variety of expressions by which she describes her willing submission to her royal husband, the address with which she rolls the whole infamy of the meditated massacre on Haman, and the argument she draws from the king's sanction being surreptitiously obtained, that the decree should be immediately…Read the comment
Topics related to Esther 8:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Esther 8
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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