Esther 5:3

3 The king asked, "And what's your desire, Queen Esther? What do you want? Ask and it's yours - even if it's half my kingdom!"

Esther 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 5:3

Then said the king unto her, what wilt thou, Queen Esther?
&c.] He supposed she had some business with him, some suit to make to him, by her coming in this manner:

and what is thy request?
signifying he was ready to grant it, be it what it would:

it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom;
as it was usual with the Persian kings to give their wives cities for certain purposes, (See Gill on Esther 2:18), here Ahasuerus, out of his great affection to Esther, offers half of his dominions, his one hundred and twenty seven provinces; meaning that he would grant her anything, and everything that was reasonable, and even magnificent; it is an hyperbolical and courtly way of speaking, and which has been used in later times, and in other countries; see ( Mark 6:23 ) .

Esther 5:3 In-Context

1 Three days later Esther dressed in her royal robes and took up a position in the inner court of the palace in front of the king's throne room. The king was on his throne facing the entrance.

2 When he noticed Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased to see her; the king extended the gold scepter in his hand. Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

3 The king asked, "And what's your desire, Queen Esther? What do you want? Ask and it's yours - even if it's half my kingdom!"

4 "If it please the king," said Esther, "let the king come with Haman to a dinner I've prepared for him."

5 "Get Haman at once," said the king, "so we can go to dinner with Esther."