Esther 5:6

6 As they drank their wine at the banquet, ¹the king said to Esther, "²What is your petition, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done."

Esther 5:6 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 5:6

And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine
For such it seems the banquet was she prepared; it was not properly a meal, neither dinner nor supper, but a drinking bout; or, however, it was at that part of the banquet in which wine was drank that the king accosted Esther, when he began to be cheerful with it. The Persians at their meals had two courses: the first consisted of meats at which they drank water, the other of fruits, when they drank wine; Aelianus ^F9 says, the Persians, after they are filled with food, indulge themselves in drinking wine:

what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy
request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed;
by which it appears he retained the same affection for Esther, and the same disposition to show her kindness. See ( Esther 5:3 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 1.

Esther 5:6 In-Context

4 Esther said, "If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

5 Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly that we may do as Esther desires." So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

6 As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done."

7 So Esther replied, "My petition and my request is:

8 if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and do what I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says."

Cross References

• 1. Esther 7:2
• 2. Esther 5:3

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "at the banquet of wine"