New King James Version
Esther 8:5
5and 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)Esther said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the orders of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who ordered that Jews throughout all the king’s provinces should be destroyed.
Context of Esther 8:5
3Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. 4And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, 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. 6For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?” 7Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on 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 7:3Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
- Exodus 33:13Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”
- 1 Samuel 20:29And he said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”
- Esther 2:4Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This thing pleased the king, and he did so.
- Esther 3:12Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries