New Living Translation
Esther 5:2
2When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter.
Esther 5:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
- New International Version (NIV)When 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.
Context of Esther 5:2
1On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter. 3Then 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!” 4And Esther replied, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king.”
Read all of Esther 5Esther 5:2 word by word
וַיְהִי֩ כִרְא֨וֹת הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־אֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֗ה עֹמֶ֙דֶת֙ בֶּֽחָצֵ֔ר נָשְׂאָ֥ה חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינָ֑יו וַיּ֨וֹשֶׁט הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּ֗ר אֶת־שַׁרְבִ֤יט הַזָּהָב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיָד֔וֹ וַתִּקְרַ֣ב אֶסְתֵּ֔ר וַתִּגַּ֖ע בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הַשַּׁרְבִֽיט׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it was so, when the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- Estherאֶסְתֵּר'estêr · EstherH635
- the queenמַלְכָּהmalkâh · queenH4436
- standingעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- in the courtחָצֵרchâtsêr · courtH2691
- she obtainedנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: kindnessH5375
- favourחֵןchên · favorH2580
- in his sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
- held outיָשַׁטyâshaţ · to extendH3447
- the goldenזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091
- sceptreשַׁרְבִֿיטsharbîyţ · scepterH8275
- in his handיָדyâd · handH3027
- drew nearקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
- and touchedנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
- the topרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218
Cross-references for Esther 5:2
- Genesis 32:28“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”
- Nehemiah 1:11O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.
- Psalms 116:1I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.
- Proverbs 21:1The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases.
- Acts 7:10and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.
- Acts 10:4Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!
- Esther 4:11“All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.”
- Esther 8:4Again the king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So she rose and stood before him.
Commentaries on Esther 5:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2She obtained favor in his sight - The Septuagint represents "the king as being at first greatly enraged when he saw Esther, because she had dared to appear before him unveiled, and she, perceiving this, was so terrified that she fainted away; on which the king, touched with tenderness, sprung from his throne, took her up in his arms, laid the golden scepter on her neck, and spoke to her in the most endearing manner." This is more circumstantial than the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther: She was not killed for entering the king’s presence without an invitation (Esther 4:11, 16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand--This golden scepter receives an interesting illustration from the sculptured monuments of Persia and Assyria. In the bas-reliefs of Persepolis, copied by Sir Robert Ker Porter, we see King Darius enthroned in the midst of his court, and walking abroad in equal state; in either case he carries in his right hand a slender rod or wand, about equal in length to his own height, ornamented…Read the comment
Topics related to Esther 5:2
In the dictionaries
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
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