Esther 7:5
in Esther 7Then King Xerxes spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then spake the king Ahasuerus and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
KJV
Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
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This verse in Esther 7
Commentary
4 notes on this verseWho is he, and where is he - There is a wonderful abruptness and confusion in the original words, highly expressive of the state of mind in which the king then was: מי הוא זה ואי זה הוא אשר מלאו לבו לעשות כן mi hu zeh veey zeh hu asher melao libbo laasoth ken. “Who? He? This one? And where? This one? He? Who hath filled his heart to do thus?” He was at once struck with the horrible nature of a conspiracy so cruel and diabolic.
This site's exposition
Then King Xerxes spoke up
on Esther 7:5-6
The king's question gives Esther the opening she has waited for since 4:16, and she answers, "The adversary and enemy is this wicked man". Haman sits at the same table where he has twice been the sole guest of honor and is named to the king's face.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Ahasuerus is amazed at that wickedness which he himself is guilty of; for he consented to that bloody edict against the Jews. Thou art the man, might Esther too truly have said. Esther plainly charged Haman with it before his face: "Here he is, let him speak for himself, for therefore he is invited: The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Then the King Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
King Achashveirosh spoke. He said to Queen Esther. Wherever it states, “and he said.. and he said,” twice, it is to be expounded upon.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
For the oppressor has no regard for losses incurred by his majesty.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ | ʾachashveroosh | Ahasuerus | H325 → | 31 times |
| וַיֹּ֖אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר | leester | to Esther | H635 → | 55 times |
| הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה | hamalkah | the queen | H4436 → | 35 times |
| מִ֣י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| ה֥וּא | hu' | [is] he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| זֶה֙ | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וְאֵֽי־ | veei- | and where? | H335 → | |
| זֶ֣ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| ה֔וּא | hu' | [is] he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מְלָא֥וֹ | melao | it has filled him | H4390 → | 249 times |
| לִבּ֖וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כֵּֽן׃ | ken | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁAhasuerus
ʾachashverooshH325 →31 times
וַיֹּ֖אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לְאֶסְתֵּ֣רto Esther
leesterH635 →55 times
הַמַּלְכָּ֑הthe queen
hamalkahH4436 →35 times
מִ֣יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
ה֥וּא[is] he
hu'H1931 →1879 times
זֶה֙this
zehH2088 →1180 times
וְאֵֽי־and where?
veei-H335 →
זֶ֣הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
ה֔וּא[is] he
hu'H1931 →1879 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
מְלָא֥וֹit has filled him
melaoH4390 →249 times
לִבּ֖וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
כֵּֽן׃thus
kenH3651 →771 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
Acts 5:3Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?
it leads to
- Jeremiah 23:24
“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
- Isaiah 29:15
Woe to those who dig deep to hide their plans from the LORD. In darkness they do their works and say, “Who sees us, and who will know?”
- John 13:27
And when Judas had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”
- 1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
- John 13:2
The evening meal was underway, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
- Jeremiah 23:24
Through
Job 9:24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
it leads to
- Job 10:3
Does it please You to oppress me, to reject the work of Your hands and favor the schemes of the wicked?
- Psalms 73:3–7
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
- Job 10:3
Through
Genesis 27:33Isaac began to tremble violently and said, “Who was it, then, who hunted the game and brought it to me? Before you came in, I ate it all and blessed him—and indeed, he will…
it leads to
- Genesis 28:3–4
May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples.
- Genesis 28:3–4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
About Esther
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.