Esther 5:1

1 Forsooth in the third day, Esther was clothed in royal clothes, and she stood in the porch of the king's house, that was withinforth over against the king's hall; and the king sat upon his throne, in the consistory of his palace, (over) against the door of the house. (And on the third day, Esther was clothed in royal robes, and she went and stood in the inner courtyard of the king's palace, facing the palace; and the king sat on his throne, in the consistory of his palace, facing the entrance to the palace.)

Esther 5:1 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 5:1

Now it came to pass on the third day
Of the fast; though the former Targum paraphrases it the third day of the passover, the sixteenth of Nisan, (See Gill on Esther 4:17), though it is probable this was nearer the time fixed for the destruction of the Jews, see ( Esther 8:9 ) , yet the Jews have fixed the fast of Esther on that very day, the thirteenth of Adar ^F6:

that Esther put on her royal apparel;
in order to go in to the king, and appear before him; which to do in a mournful habit, such as she had on when fasting, was not proper; for then she put off her royal crown, as is intimated in the additions to the book of Esther,

And upon the third day, when she had ended her prayers, she laid away her mourning garments, and put on her glorious apparel. (Esther 15:1)

and as was usual for princes to do in times of mourning ^F7; but now she put it on, as both Ben Gorion ^F8 and the latter Targum affirm:

and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the
king's house;
into which none might go but such as were called; yet Esther being queen, the keepers of the door could not forbid her, as Aben Ezra observes:

and the king sat upon his royal throne, in the royal house, over
against the gate of the house;
so that he could see whoever came in at it, into the inner court.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Vid Reland. Antiqu. Heb. par. 4. c. 13. sect. 5.
F7 Vid. Paschalium de Coronis, l. 10. c. 11. p. 699.
F8 Hist. Heb. Jud. l. 2. c. 4.

Esther 5:1 In-Context

1 Forsooth in the third day, Esther was clothed in royal clothes, and she stood in the porch of the king's house, that was withinforth over against the king's hall; and the king sat upon his throne, in the consistory of his palace, (over) against the door of the house. (And on the third day, Esther was clothed in royal robes, and she went and stood in the inner courtyard of the king's palace, facing the palace; and the king sat on his throne, in the consistory of his palace, facing the entrance to the palace.)

2 And when he had seen Esther, the queen, standing there, she pleased his eyes, and he held forth against her the golden rod, that he held in his hand; and she nighed, and kissed the highness of his rod. (And when he had seen Queen Esther standing there, she pleased his eyes, and he held forth toward her the gold sceptre, which he held in his hand; and she came over, and touched the top of the sceptre.)

3 And the king said to her, Esther, the queen, what wilt thou? what is thine asking? Yea, though thou ask the half part of my realm, it shall be given to thee. (And the king said to her, Queen Esther, what wilt thou have? what is thy asking? Yea, if thou ask for half my kingdom, it shall be given to thee!)

4 And she answered, If it pleaseth the king, I beseech, that thou come to me today, and Haman with thee, to the feast, that I have made ready. (And she answered, If it please the king, I beseech thee, that thou, and Haman with thee, come today to the feast, that I have prepared for thee.)

5 And anon the king said, Call ye anon Haman, that he obey to the will of Esther. And then the king and Haman came to the feast, which the queen had made ready to them. (And at once the king said, Call ye Haman at once, so that he obey the will of Esther. And so the king and Haman went to the feast, which the queen had prepared for them.)