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.
• 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!”
• 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 palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2When 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. Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” 4“If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.” 5“Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet 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 5:6As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
• Esther 7:2and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
• Esther 9:12The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”
• 1 Kings 2:20“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.” The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”
• 1 Kings 3:5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
• Matthew 20:20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
• Luke 18:41“What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
• Mark 6:23And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half 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