Esther 7:5

5 Then King Ahasu-e'rus said to Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, that would presume to do this?"

Esther 7:5 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 7:5

Then the King Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the
queen
The words in the original text lie thus, "and the King Ahasuerus said, and he said to Esther the queen"; which doubling of the word does not signify, as Jarchi suggests, that before he spoke to her by a messenger, or middle person, but, now he knew she was of a royal family, he spoke to her himself; but it is expressive of the ruffle of his mind, and the wrath and fury he was in, that he said it again and again, with a stern countenance and great vehemence of speech:

who is he? and where is he?
who is the man? and where does he live?

that durst presume in his heart to do so;
that has boldness, impudence, and courage enough to perpetrate so vile an action: or "that has filled his heart" ^F9; the devil no doubt filled his heart to do it, see ( Acts 5:3 ) , but the king had either forgot the decree he had granted, and the countenance he had given him to execute it; or, if he remembered it, he was now enraged that he should be drawn in to such an action by him; and perhaps till now was ignorant of Esther's descent, and knew not that she would be involved in the decree.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (wbl walm rva) "qui replevit cor suum", Drusius; "implevit", De Dieu.

Esther 7:5 In-Context

3 Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.

4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have held my peace; for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king."

5 Then King Ahasu-e'rus said to Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, that would presume to do this?"

6 And Esther said, "A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!" Then Haman was in terror before the king and the queen.

7 And the king rose from the feast in wrath and went into the palace garden; but Haman stayed to beg his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king.