Esther 8:5
3 And once again, Esther addressed the king. She fell at his feet weeping and begged him to revoke the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.
4 The king extended the gold scepter toward Esther, and she arose and stood before the king.
“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.
6 For how could I bear to see the disaster that would befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”
7 So King Xerxes said to Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- “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.
- 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:
- WEB
- She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seems right to the king, and I am 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 who are in all the king’s provinces.
- 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:
- DARBY
- and said, If it please the king and if I have found grace before him, and the thing seem right to the king, and I be pleasing in his sight, 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.
- BLB
- and she said, “If upon the king [it is] good, and if I have found favor before his face, and [if] the thing is proper before the face of the king, and I [am] good in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters—the plot of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite—which he wrote to destroy the Jews who [are] in all the provinces of the king.
- ÅB
- Og hun sa: Tykkes det kongen godt, og har jeg funnet nåde for hans åsyn, og synes det kongen å være rett, og er jeg ham til behag, så la det bli utferdiget skrivelser for å tilbakekalle de brev som inneholdt agagitten Hamans, Hammedatas sønns onde råd, de som han skrev for å få utryddet jødene i alle kongens landskaper.
- OTB
- Hun sa: "Hvis det behager kongen, og hvis jeg har funnet nåde for hans øyne, og hvis saken synes riktig for kongen, og jeg er til behag i hans øyne, la det bli skrevet et dekret for å oppheve brevene utarbeidet av Haman, sønn av Hammedata agagitten, som han skrev for å ødelegge jødene i alle kongens provinser.
- B1930
- Og hun sa: Tykkes det kongen godt, og har jeg funnet nåde for hans åsyn, og synes det kongen å være rett, og er jeg ham til behag, så la det bli utferdiget skrivelser for å tilbakekalle de brev som inneholdt agagitten Hamans, Hammedatas sønns onde råd, de som han skrev for å få utryddet jødene i alle kongens landskaper.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
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 request.
Read in contextEsther 3:12–13
On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.
Read in contextEsther 5:8
If 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 banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
Read in context1 Samuel 20:29
saying, ‘Please let me go, because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brothers.’ That is why he did not come to the king’s table.”
Read in contextEsther 2:17
And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
Read in contextExodus 33:16
For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
Read in contextExodus 33:13
Now if indeed I have found favor in Your sight, please let me know Your ways, that I may know You and find favor in Your sight. Remember that this nation is Your people.”
Read in contextEsther 2:4
Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
Read in context