Esther 8:1-6

Esther Intervenes for the Jews

1 That same day King Ahasuerus awarded Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. Mordecai entered the king's presence because Esther had revealed her relationship to Mordecai.^[a]

2 The king removed his signet ring he had recovered from Haman^[b] and gave it to Mordecai, and Esther put him in charge of Haman's estate.

3 Then Esther addressed the king again. She fell at his feet, wept, and begged him to revoke the evil of Haman the Agagite, and his plot he had devised against the Jews.

4 The king extended the golden scepter^[c] toward Esther, so she got up and stood before the king.

5 She said, "If it pleases the king, and I have found approval before him, if the matter seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his sight,^[d] let [a royal edict] be written. Let it revoke the documents the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews who [reside] in all the king's provinces.^[e]

6 For how could I bear to see the evil that would come on my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my relatives?"

Esther 8:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 8

This chapter relates the gifts Ahasuerus gave to Esther and Mordecai, Es 8:1,2, the suit Esther made to him to reverse the letters for the destruction of the Jews, Es 8:3-6, which, though it could not be formally granted, was in effect done by letters sent to the Jews, giving them power to rise in their own defence, and slay their enemies, Es 8:7-14, the consequence of which, and the advancement of Mordecai, were matter of great joy to the Jews, Es 8:15-17.

Footnotes

• [a] Est 2:7,10
• [b] Est 3:10
• [c] Est 4:11; 5:2
• [d] Est 5:8; 7:3
• [e] Est 3:13