Esther 5

Listen to Esther 5

Esther Prepares a Banquet

1 1On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in 2the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace.
2 And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, 3she won favor in his sight, 4and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
3 And the king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even 5to the half of my kingdom."
4 And Esther said, "If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king."
5 Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked." So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared.
6 6And as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, 7"What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? 8Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled."
7 Then Esther answered, "My wish and my request is:
8 9If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to 10the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said."

Haman Plans to Hang Mordecai

9 And Haman went out that day 11joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai 12in the king's gate, 13that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.
10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and 14his wife Zeresh.
11 And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, 15the number of his sons, all the promotions with which 16the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king.
12 Then Haman said, "Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king.
13 Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting 17at the king's gate."
14 Then 18his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, 19"Let a gallows[a] fifty cubits[b] high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast." This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.

Esther 5 Commentary

Chapter 5

Esther's application received. (1-8) Haman prepares to hang Mordecai. (9-14)

Verses 1-8 Esther having had power with God, and prevailing, like Jacob, had power with men too. He that will lose his life for God, shall save it, or find it in a better life. The king encouraged her. Let us from this be encouraged to pray always to our God, and not to faint. Esther came to a proud, imperious man; but we come to the God of love and grace. She was not called, but we are; the Spirit says, Come, and the Bride says, Come. She had a law against her, we have a promise, many a promise, in favour of us; Ask, and it shall be given you. She had no friend to go with her, or to plead for her; on the contrary, he that was then the king's favourite, was her enemy; but we have an Advocate with the Father, in whom he is well pleased. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. God put it into Esther's heart to delay her petition a day longer; she knew not, but God did, what was to happen in that very night.

Verses 9-14 This account of Haman is a comment upon ( Proverbs 21:24 ) . Self-admirers and self-flatterers are really self-deceivers. Haman, the higher he is lifted up, the more impatient he is of contempt, and the more enraged at it. The affront from Mordecai spoiled all. A slight affront, which a humble man would scarcely notice, will torment a proud man, even to madness, and will mar all his comforts. Those disposed to be uneasy, will never want something to be uneasy at. Such are proud men; though they have much to their mind, if they have not all to their mind, it is as nothing to them. Many call the proud happy, who display pomp and make a show; but this is a mistaken thought. Many poor cottagers feel far less uneasiness than the rich, with all their fancied advantages around them. The man who knows not Christ, is poor though he be rich, because he is utterly destitute of that which alone is true riches.

Cross References 19

  • 1. [Esther 4:16]
  • 2. Esther 4:11; [Esther 6:4]
  • 3. [Esther 2:9]
  • 4. Esther 4:11; Esther 8:4
  • 5. Esther 7:2; [Mark 6:23]
  • 6. Esther 7:2
  • 7. ver. 3; Esther 7:2; Esther 9:12
  • 8. [See ver. 3 above]
  • 9. Esther 7:3; Esther 8:5
  • 10. Esther 6:14
  • 11. 1 Kings 8:66
  • 12. See Esther 2:19
  • 13. Esther 3:5
  • 14. Esther 6:13
  • 15. See Esther 9:7-10
  • 16. Esther 3:1
  • 17. [See ver. 9 above]
  • 18. [See ver. 10 above]
  • 19. Esther 6:4; Esther 7:9, 10; [Esther 8:7; Esther 9:13, 25]

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Or stake; twice in this verse
  • [b]. A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 5

This chapter gives an account of Esther's going in to the king, and of his holding out the golden sceptre to her, on which she invited him and Haman to a banquet of wine that day, and to another the next day, Es 5:1-8, which highly delighted Haman; and he went to his house and family with great joy, and yet chagrined at Mordecai's not bowing to him; wherefore, at the advice of his wife and friends, he erected a gallows to hang him upon, proposing to get a grant for it from the king the next day, Es 5:9-14.

Esther 5 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.