Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Esther 5:8

If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said.

Est 5:8

Let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to-morrow as the king hath said.

Do not hasten providence

The very persons are here before whom it will be told to-morrow–the king, the queen, Haman! Then why delay? Nine people out of ten would have said, if consulted beforehand, All, she is losing her case, through fear or through finesse, or by some evil counsel. She is losing the ripe and favourable hour, which will never return. Tomorrow! O Queen, why not to-night? And so, oftentimes, we would hasten providence in our own affairs, fretting against His wise delays, and laying our poor shoulders to the great wheels of God, as though He were not moving them fast enough, when, in fact, they are going as evenly as the sun, as sublimely as time itself. The king is here; why not speak? Yes, he is here, and he is not here. He is not here as he will be to-morrow night. To-night he will be sleepless. To-night he will be reminded, through his sleeplessness, of an act of loyal faithfulness on the part of Mordecai, which has been hitherto unrewarded. To-night the order will be given for the preparation of a gallows. In a word, when the same three meet at to-morrows banquet, they will be the same, and yet not the same. They will be really in different relations to each other, and to many beyond. So the banquet is ended, as if by the utterance of the word wait. He that believeth shall not make haste. (A. Raleigh, D. D.)

Wisdom to act in critical situations

When persons are placed in critical situations, and endeavour to act singly and honestly, wisdom is granted to them to direct their course. Though she had met with a reception equal to her most sanguine expectations, Esther did not immediately present the request which was nearest her heart, but contented herself with begging that the king, accompanied with Haman, would come to the banquet of wine which she had prepared. By this she testified her disinterestedness. She was afraid of precipitating the decision, and sought to avail herself of every prudent method for ensuring success. (T. McCrie.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 8. I will do to-morrow] She saw she was gaining on the king’s affections; but she was not yet sufficiently confident; and therefore wished another interview, that she might ingratiate herself more fully in the king’s favour, and thus secure the success of her design. But Providence disposed of things thus, to give time for the important event mentioned in the succeeding chapter.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

I will acquaint thee with my humble request. She did not present her petition at this time, but delayed it till the next meeting; either through modesty, or because she was a little daunted with the kings presence, and had not yet good courage to propose her request; or in policy, because she would further engage the kings affection to her by a second entertainment, and would also intimate to him that her petition was of a more than ordinary nature; and principally by direction and disposition of the Divine Providence, which took away her courage or utterance for this time, that she might have a better opportunity for it the next time, by that great accident which happened before it.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

8. let the king and Haman come tothe banquet that I shall prepareThe king ate alone, and hisguests in an adjoining hall; but they were admitted to sit with himat wine. Haman being the only invited guest with the king and queen,it was natural that he should have been elated with the honor.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

If I have found favour in the sight of the king,…. Or, seeing she had; for it was a clear case she had, both by his holding out the golden sceptre to her, and by accepting her invitation to her banquet:

and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request; as he had been so gracious as to promise in such a large and liberal manner as before expressed:

let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them; the Targum says, in the evening; but from Es 5:12, it appears to be on the morrow; and which agrees with what follows:

and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said; make her petition and request to him; which she had deferred, partly in hope of still increasing his affection to her, and partly to prepare him to expect something of moment and importance to be asked of him. Jarchi restrains this to what he supposes the king had often importuned her to tell, namely, who were her people and her kindred.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Haman Exultant, Verses 8-15

The Scriptures make it clear that the contempt in which both Haman and Mordecai held each other was apparent to all. Mordecai made this clear by not so much as looking at Haman when he strode through the king’s gate, least of all to rise or to move out of his way. At the same time Haman seethed in his soul every time he saw the Jew. Both men were haughty, but for much different reasons. Haman’s pride was in himself, while Mordecai refused to revere Haman because he respected God. Haman was God’s enemy, the very epitome of those who hate Him.

But Haman restraind his anger on this day when Mordecai behaved so irreverently toward him. His heart was overflowing with joyful pride for the signal honor he had in dining with the king and queen. He felt he had moved up a great deal on this day, was even in striking distance of the king’s throne, and he hastened to his home to call his friends and family and deliver the news to them.

Surely there was never a greater egotist than Haman. He never seems to have tired of glorifying himself. Imagine calling a gathering of his friends and relatives for the express purpose of bragging and boasting of one’s accomplishments. Haman bragged of his riches, his many children, how the king had promoted him, and how he had been recently elevated over all the other princes of the realm. Now had occurred the crowning act of all, to have dined alone with the king and queen. To his mind it practically equalized him with the royal couple, and he gloated over it to his audience.

But there was a proverbial fly in the ointment, in the person of that hateful Jew, Mordecai, who refused to give him the homage he loved so much. One is made to wonder why Haman did not command Mordecai to do him homage. Surely his command would have stood, as the prime minister, had he called for an armed guard to take Mordecai and throw him in prison. But Haman’s pride seems to have prevailed here. It would be more satisfying to take vengeance on the whole Jewish nation, whom he loathed. Perhaps he was disappointed to find Mordecai back in the king’s gate so nonchalant, though he had but shortly been very mournful over the decree against the Jews. It is a mark of Mordecai’s trust in the Lord that things would go well through the intervention of Esther. Resting himself on the Lord he could take away his sackcloth and ashes with confidence that the Lord would deliver the Jews.

Haman told his people o1 his feeling toward Mordecai. It was his wife, Zeresh, who came up with a proposal for dealing with Mordecai, pleasing to Haman. She suggested that he proceed at once to build a fifty cubit (seventy-five feet) gallows to hang the old Jew on. Then the first thing on tomorrow he could approach the king to get permission to execute him on it. Haman had no reason to think the king would not grant his petition. After all he had consented to the slaughter of all the Jews on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. He could surely have no objection to hanging the most troublesome of all the Jews a bit early. This done he could go happily to the banquet of Esther, to which he had been invited, on the following night. Thus pleased with the prospect Haman started his carpenters building the gallows. They had to work all night to have it ready by the following day. Satan never tires contriving ways to destroy God’s people (cf. Mat 13:19; 1Pe 5:8).

Learn these things from this chapter: 1) one can have great boldness when aware that he is in the right; 2) being too forward in the Lord’s work can result in failure, wisdom must be used; 3) conceit in one will certainly lose him favor with other people; 4) confidence in the Lord is very befitting those who leave their burdens with Him; 5) wicked people have wicked ideas to promote more wickedness.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

8. To-morrow Her heart seems to fail her when the decisive moment comes. She hopes, by another day, to be better prepared to present her case successfully.

As the king hath said That is, make known the request.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Est 5:8. Let the king and Haman come to the banquet, &c. Esther’s intention, in desiring to entertain the king twice at her banquet before she made known her petition, was, that thereby she might the more endear herself to him, and the better dispose him to grant her request; for which reason she thought it a piece of no bad policy to invite his first favourite to come with him. But in the whole matter the singular providence of God is not a little conspicuous; which so disposed her mind, that the high honour which the king bestowed upon Mordecai the next day might fall out in the mean time, and so make way for her petition, which would come in very seasonably at the banquet of wine. For, as it was then most likely for the king to be in a pleasant humour, so also it was most usual for the Persians to enter upon business of state when they began to drink. See Prid. Connect. An. 453.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Est 5:8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.

Ver. 8. If I have found favour in the sight of the king ] As she had, not so much by her beauty and bravery (wherein Vashti perhaps might easily have compared with her), but by the finger of God, who tames for his elect the fiercest creatures (as he did the lions to Daniel, and other savage beasts to the martyrs, whom they would not meddle with), and turneth the king’s heart, as the rivers of water, into what channel soever he pleaseth to put it, Pro 21:1 , as the ploughman doth the watercourse with his paddle, or the gardener with his hand.

And if it please the king ] See Est 5:4 , and submit to God, Jas 4:7 .

And I will do tomorrow as the king hath said ] She had learned to prefer opportunity before time. There might be some by at this first banquet whose company she liked not; or she might not yet have so clear an answer in her own heart to her former prayers, and therefore desireth some further time that night to seek God: whatever the reason of her putting it off till next day was, God’s holy hand was in it, that Mordecai might be first so greatly honoured, and Haman’s high gallows prepared: Ilium utique magis securum, Regem autem magis benevolum magisque fecit attentum, saith Rupertus. Hereby she made Haman more secure, and the king more kind and attentive.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

do to morrow. She still keeps back her petition, showing the king that he had rightly divined that there was something important behind it.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

perform: Heb. do

let the king: Esther probably wished another interview, that she might ingratiate herself more fully into the king’s favour, and thus secure the success of her design. But Providence disposed of things thus, to give time for the important event mentioned in the following chapter.

to morrow: Est 6:1-13, Pro 16:9

Reciprocal: Neh 2:5 – If it please Est 1:9 – the queen Est 5:4 – If it seem Est 6:14 – hasted to bring Est 7:1 – banquet Pro 31:26 – openeth Amo 6:7 – and the

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Est 5:8. I will do to-morrow as the king hath said I will acquaint thee with my humble request. She did not present her petition at this time, but delayed it till the next meeting; either, because she was a little daunted with the kings presence, and had not yet courage to propose it; or, because she would further engage the kings affection to her, by a second entertainment, and would also intimate to him, that her petition was of a more than ordinary nature: but principally by direction of the divine providence, which took away her courage of utterance for this time, that she might have a better opportunity to present her request the next time, by that great accident which happened before it. For the high honour which the king bestowed on Mordecai the next day made way for her petition, which came in very seasonably at the banquet of wine.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

5:8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath {e} said.

(e) I will declare what I demand.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes