Bible Commentaries

Esther's Gracious Reception by theKing. Haman's Rage against Mordochai - Esther 5:1-14

On the third day Esther betook herself in her royal apparel to the innercourt of the palace, and was so kindly received by the king, that hepromised to grant her any petition she might make; whereupon sherequested the king to come with Haman that day to a banquet which shehad prepared (Esther 5:1-8). On returning from this banquet, Haman sawMordochai in the king's gate, and when the latter did not bow before him,was so enraged, that, upon the advice of his wife and friends, he resolvedto induce the king to permit the execution of Mordochai on the followingday (Esther 5:9-14).

On the third day Esther put on her royal apparel and enteredthe inner court of the king's house, opposite the dwelling of the king,where he was sitting on his throne before the gate (Esther 5:1). The third daymust be counted from the day of the transaction between the queen andMordochai (Esther 4:14); the first day being that on which it took place. Thefasting, then, would not begin till midday; and on the third day Estherwent to the king to invite him on that day to a banquet, which wouldsurely take place in the forenoon. Thus the three days' fast would lastfrom the afternoon of the first to the forenoon of the third day, i.e., from40 to 45 hours. מלכוּת תּלבּשׁ, she put on royalty, royaldignity, i.e., arrayed herself in royal apparel. Bertheau thinks that theword לבוּשׁ has been inadvertently omitted before מלכוּת; but such a conjecture is without sufficient support, the passagesEsther 6:8 and Esther 8:15 being of another kind. The expression is elliptical, andמלכוּת is easily completed by the notion לבוּשׁ furnished by the verb.

Esther 5:2

When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, sheobtained favour in his eyes (see rem. on Esther 2:9), and he held out to her thegolden sceptre that was in his hand; and Esther drew near and touched thetop of the sceptre, probably kissed it, as the Vulgate renders the word.

Esther 5:3-4

The king, concluding from the circumstance of her appearingthere unsummoned, that she had some urgent matter to bring before him,said to her: “What wilt thou, Queen Esther? and what is thy request? Tothe half of the kingdom it shall be granted thee.” A short expression for: ifthy request relates even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be granted. Esther 5:4. Esther, however, for the present requested nothing further, than that onthat day (to-day) the king and Haman should come to the banquet she hadprepared. על טּוב אם like Esther 1:19.

Esther 5:5

The king commanded Haman to hasten thither, to do as the queenhad said. מהרוּ, hastened Haman, i.e., sent to fetch him quickly. מהר like 2 Chronicles 18:8; 1 Kings 22:9. לעשׂות, that theword of the queen might be done, carried out.

Esther 5:6

At the repast, and indeed at “the banquet of wine,” when thegreatest cheerfulness would prevail, the king repeated his question as tothe desire of the queen, making the same promise as in Esther 5:3. ותעשׂ, an abbreviated form of the imperfect תּעשׂה, is optativeor jussive: and it shall be done.

Esther 5:7-8

Esther answered: “My petition and my request - if I have foundfavour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petitionand to do my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that Ishall prepare for them, and to-morrow I will do as the king hath said,” i.e.,make known my request. Though the king had, in the midst of the gaiety,asked what was Esther's request, she did not esteem the time anappropriate one for expressing it. She begins: my petition and my request, - but then stops, and says only, if the king will do her the favour to comewith Haman to a banquet again on the morrow, she will then bring forwardher petition. Esther invited Haman with the king on both occasions, that,as Calovius remarks, eum apud regem praesentem accusaret decretisurrepti contra suos populares nomine, et in os omnes cavillandi vias eipraecluderet.

Haman went forth from the palace satisfied and with a joyful heart. When,however, he saw Mordochai in the king's gate, who neither stood up nortrembled before him, he was full of indignation against him. וגו קם ולא are circumstantial clauses following the principal clausewithout a copula. קם and זע are perfects, and ולא - ולא are used in the sense of neque - neque. זוּע constructed with מן means to tremble before any one, to bedisquieted.

Esther 5:10

Haman, however, refrained himself; and without immediatelygiving vent to his rage at Mordochai, went home and sent for his friendsand his wife Zeresh, that he might unburden himself before them, and takecounsel with them for Mordochai's destruction.

Esther 5:11-12

He first spoke to them of his wealth and domestic happiness,of the “glory of his riches and the multitude of his children.” From Esther 9:7-10 we learn that Haman had ten sons; and many sons were not lookedupon as a great blessing from God by the Israelites only, but were alsoesteemed a signal prosperity among the Persians, the king annually sendingpresents to him who had the greatest number of sons.

(Note: Herod. says, i. 136: Ἀνδραγαθίη δ ̓ αὕτη ἀποδέδεκται, μετὰ τὸ μάχεσθαι εἶναι ἀγαθὸν ὅς ἂν πολλοὺς ἀποδέξῃ παῖδας τῷ δὲ τοὺς πλείστους ἀποδεικνύντι δῶρα ἐκπέμπει ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος . Comp. Strabo. xv. 3. 17.)

Haman next recounted to them the great honours he had attained; כּל־אשׁר את, all how the king had made him great, and how he had advancedhim above the princes; comp. Esther 3:1. אשׁר is a second accusativeof the means by which something is brought to pass. Finally, Esther 5:12, whathigh distinction had just been accorded him, by the queen having invitedhim alone to come to her banquet with the king. “Yea, Esther the queen didlet no man come in with the king unto the banquet which she had preparedbut myself; and to-morrow am I also invited unto her with the king.” אף enhances the meaning: even this honour is shown me. קרוּא־להּ אני, I am her invited guest = I am invited to her and by her; comp. Ew. §295, c.

Esther 5:13

And yet all his good fortune is embittered to him as often as hesees the hated Jew Mordochai. “And all this availeth me not at every timewhen I see the Jew Mordochai sitting in the king's gate.” לי שׁוה is, not being equalled to me, i.e., not answering my desires,not affording me satisfaction.אשׁר בּכל־עת, at all time when = as oftenas. The fortune and honour he enjoys fail to satisfy him, when he sees theJew Mordochai refuse to show him the reverence which he claims.

Esther 5:14

His wife and all his friends advise: “Let a tree be made (set up)fifty cubits high, and to-morrow speak to the king, that Mordochai may behanged thereon (i.e., impaled; see on תּלה Esther 2:23); and then goin merrily with the king to the banquet.” The counsellors take it forgranted that the king will without hesitation agree to Haman's proposal toexecute Mordochai, and therefore advise him at once to make thenecessary preparations, so that the hated Jew may be hanged on themorrow before the banquet, and Haman may then go with the king to thefeast prepared by the queen, free from all annoyance. גב עץ עשׂה, to make, i.e., to erect a high tree. The higher the stake, thefarther would it be seen. The 3rd pers. plur. יעשׂוּ stands insteadof the passive: let them make = let … be made. So too יתלוּ forlet … be hanged. This speech pleased Haman, and he caused the stake to beerected.