Esther 8:5
in Esther 8“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if I have found favor in his sight, and the matter seems proper to the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, may an order be written to revoke the letters that the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And she said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that are in all the king’s provinces:
KJV
And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king’s provinces:
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This verse in Esther 8
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd said, if it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes,.... This heap of phrases, which signify much the same thing, are used to work upon the king's affections, and to show how submissive she was to his will: let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces.
This site's exposition
fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears
on Esther 8:3-6
Esther returns to the king a second time in this chapter and her posture has changed: not the composed approach of 5:1-2 but falling at his feet and pleading with tears, because Haman's death removed the man but left his device standing. Her petition names it as Haman's device against the Jews and asks that the letters devised by him be reversed, showing that the gallows of 7:10 answered the plotter without touching the plot. The two questions of v6, how can I endure to see the evil, how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred, restate the resolve of 4:16 in the language of grief rather than risk.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
She asks that the old decree of the most wicked Haman may be changed into a new decree. Indeed this is the interest of the true queen, namely that any sect that is in error, any hostile plot which the ancient enemy prepares through his …
She asks that the earlier letters of the wicked Haman be replaced with new instructions, because it is the fervent wish of the new queen that the followers of every error in doctrine, and all the hostile machinations with which the ancient enemy tried through …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Now it was that she mingled her tears with her words, that she wept and made supplication; we read of no tears when she begged for her own life, but, now that she was sure of that, she wept for her people. Tears of pity and tenderness are the most Christ-like.
If the king were indeed, as he seemed to be, troubled that such a decree was made, he could not do less than revoke it; for what is repentance, but undoing, to the utmost of our power, what we have done amiss?
The words behind it
34 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֠תֹּאמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| ט֜וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| מָצָ֧אתִי | matzati | I have found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| חֵ֣ן | chen | favor | H2580 → | 69 times |
| לְפָנָ֗יו | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וְכָשֵׁ֤ר | vekhasher | and it is proper | H3787 → | |
| הַדָּבָר֙ | hadavar | the matter | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְטוֹבָ֥ה | vetovah | and [am] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| אֲנִ֖י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| בְּעֵינָ֑יו | beeinav | in view his | H5869 → | 887 times |
| יִכָּתֵ֞ב | yikatev | let it be written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| לְהָשִׁ֣יב | lehashiv | to revoke | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַסְּפָרִ֗ים | hasefarim | the letters | H5612 → | 186 times |
| מַחֲשֶׁ֜בֶת | machashevet | [the] plan of | H4284 → | 56 times |
| הָמָ֤ן | haman | Haman | H2001 → | 54 times |
| בֶּֽן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַמְּדָ֙תָא֙ | hamedata' | Hammedatha | H4099 → | 5 times |
| הָאֲגָגִ֔י | haagagi | the Agagite | H91 → | 5 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| כָּתַ֗ב | katav | he wrote | H3789 → | 224 times |
| לְאַבֵּד֙ | leabed | to destroy | H6 → | 184 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֖ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | [are] in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מְדִינ֥וֹת | medinot | [the] provinces of | H4082 → | 53 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַ֠תֹּאמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
עַל־[is] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
ט֜וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
מָצָ֧אתִיI have found
matzatiH4672 →455 times
חֵ֣ןfavor
chenH2580 →69 times
לְפָנָ֗יו<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
וְכָשֵׁ֤רand it is proper
vekhasherH3787 →
הַדָּבָר֙the matter
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְטוֹבָ֥הand [am] good
vetovahH2896 →538 times
אֲנִ֖יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
בְּעֵינָ֑יוin view his
beeinavH5869 →887 times
יִכָּתֵ֞בlet it be written
yikatevH3789 →224 times
לְהָשִׁ֣יבto revoke
lehashivH7725 →1056 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַסְּפָרִ֗יםthe letters
hasefarimH5612 →186 times
מַחֲשֶׁ֜בֶת[the] plan of
machashevetH4284 →56 times
הָמָ֤ןHaman
hamanH2001 →54 times
בֶּֽן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
הַמְּדָ֙תָא֙Hammedatha
hamedata'H4099 →5 times
הָאֲגָגִ֔יthe Agagite
haagagiH91 →5 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
כָּתַ֗בhe wrote
katavH3789 →224 times
לְאַבֵּד֙to destroy
leabedH6 →184 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֔יםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
אֲשֶׁ֖רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּכָל־[are] in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
מְדִינ֥וֹת[the] provinces of
medinotH4082 →53 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Esther 2:4Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
it leads to
- Matthew 14:6
On Herod’s birthday, however, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod
- Matthew 20:16
So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
- 2 Samuel 17:4
This proposal seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
- Matthew 14:6
Through
Esther 7:3Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 38:26
then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”
- Job 2:4
“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life.
- Psalms 122:6–9
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you prosper.
- Jeremiah 38:26
Through
Esther 5:8If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come tomorrow to the…
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
- Esther 7:3
Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my…
- Proverbs 16:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Esther
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 11; Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).