1Esther at the banquet petitioneth the king for her own life, and for the life of her people. 5Esther accuseth Haman. 7The king in wrath, being told of the gallows prepared for Mordecai, causeth Haman to be hanged thereon.
1SO the king and Haman came 1to banquet with Esther the queen.
1 That is, to feast and to be merry; as Gen. 43:34.
2And the king said again unto Esther 2on the second day 3at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
2 That is, on the day of the second feast, whereof mention is made in Esther 5:8.
3 See Esther 5:6; also likewise in verse 7 below.
3Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let 4my life be given me at my petition, and 5my people at my request:
4 Hebr. my soul.
5 Namely, the Jews, of whom I am descended. Other, and of my people, namely, soul or life.
4For 6we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. 7But if we 8had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although 9the enemy could not countervaila the king’s 10damage.
6 Namely, by Haman unto thee, for a great sum of money. It seems that Esther has an eye to the proffer of the money that Haman had made. See Esther 3:9; 4:7.
7 Or, Oh, that we, etc.
8 Namely, for the king’s gain.
9 Other, the oppressing (that is, the gain or profit that would arise and come by the oppression) could not be compared with the king’s damage.
a counterbalance, compensate for
10 Esther intimates hereby that the king got great profit by the Jews, namely, by reason of the customs, or tributes, or taxes, which they were to pay; and she says that the damage, which the king would sustain by the destruction of the Jews throughout all his kingdoms and dominions, would be so great that Haman with his ten thousand talents of silver (Esther 3:9) would not be able to countervail or make good the same.
5¶Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, 11that durst presume in his heart to do so?
11 That is, who has firmly resolved in his heart to execute this? Hebr. that hath filled his heart. See similar phrase in Acts 5:3.
6And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7¶And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went 12into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for 13his life to Esther the queen; for 14he saw that there was evil 15determined against him by the king.
12 That is, in the garden that was at or by the palace.
13 Hebr. his soul, as verse 3.
14 See Prov. 16:14; 20:2.
15 Hebr. was accomplished.
8Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was 16fallen 17upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he 18force the queen also 19before me 20in the house? As the 21word went out of the king's mouth, they 22covered Haman’s face.
16 Namely, to beg and to pray Esther that she would be pleased to entreat the king that he might spare his life.
17 Understand here such kind of bed or couch, as Esther 1:6, being made to lie down at the table when they did eat. Thus Christ and His disciples did not sit, but lie at the table, Mat. 26:20; for, this was formerly a custom among the Persians, Romans and other nations.
18 Or, offer violence, overpower.
19 That is, in my presence, being there.
20 Namely, in this banqueting house.
21 Or, a word, that is, command.
22 He who fell among the Persians into the king’s displeasure, his face was covered as being not worthy to behold the king. See Job 9:24.
9And Harbonah,b one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made 23for Mordecai, 24who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.
b Esther 1:10.
23 Namely, to hang him thereon. It may be that Harbonah had heard from someone out of Haman’s household, when he was sent to fetch him away to the second banquet, and saw the gallows erected there.
24 Namely, in discovering the conspiracy of the chamberlains against the king, wherein he did exceeding well, performing thereby the greatest service unto the king that ever could be done to him, namely, in preserving and saving his life. See Esther 2:21, 22.
10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.