Esther 8 5

Esther 8:5 kjv

And said, If it please the king, and if I have 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:

Esther 8:5 nkjv

and 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 revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.

Esther 8:5 niv

"If it pleases the king," she said, "and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces.

Esther 8:5 esv

And she said, "If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.

Esther 8:5 nlt

Esther said, "If it please the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the orders of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who ordered that Jews throughout all the king's provinces should be destroyed.

Esther 8 verses

Esther 8 5 Meaning

Esther 8:5 records Queen Esther's humble and carefully worded petition to King Ahasuerus. She requests a counter-decree to annul or reverse the destructive edict Haman had orchestrated. Her plea highlights her respectful deference to the king's authority and wisdom, emphasizing that the prior decree was "devised by Haman" and aimed to "destroy the Jews" throughout the kingdom. It seeks the legal revocation of a lethal plot.

Esther 8 5 Context

Esther chapter 8 opens with a dramatic reversal of fortune for Mordecai and Haman. Mordecai receives Haman's confiscated property, and he is exalted to Haman's former position, wearing the king's robe and crown. However, Queen Esther, despite her personal safety, recognizes that the earlier decree of annihilation against her people still stands, a source of profound grief and distress. Verse 5 is her courageous and strategic request to the king, pleading for the welfare of her entire Jewish community. She delicately navigates the unique Medo-Persian legal system, where an existing decree, once sealed with the king's signet ring, could not simply be revoked. This means she must propose a way to counteract it, highlighting her astute understanding of power and protocol in the king's court and the urgent need to protect her people from certain destruction.

Esther 8 5 Word analysis

• and said: Highlights Esther's direct address, having already secured favor for herself and Mordecai. This is her pivotal moment for her people.
• If it pleases the king, (Hebrew: ’im-ʿal-hammelekh ṭōḇ - if good is upon the king): A deferential and humble opening phrase, emphasizing the king's prerogative and benevolent disposition. This phrase reflects deep respect for the monarch's authority and wisdom, characteristic of ancient courtly petitions.
• and if I have found favor in his sight, (Hebrew: wəʾim-māṣāʾtî ḥēn bəʿêynāw - and if I have found grace/favor in his eyes): A repeated acknowledgment of the king's past and hoped-for benevolence towards her personally. Ḥēn (favor/grace) here refers to royal approval, echoing prior successful appeals (Esth 5:2, 7:3). It shows reliance on continued goodwill.
• and if the thing is right in the eyes of the king, (Hebrew: wəʾim-kāšēr haddāḇār lip̄nê hammelekh - and if the thing is proper/right before the king): Kāšēr means "fitting," "proper," or "right." Esther appeals to the king's sense of justice and appropriateness, implying Haman's decree was unjust. This appeals to logic and administrative soundness, not just emotion.
• and pleasing to him, (Hebrew: wəṭōḇ ʾānōḵî bəʿêynāw - and I am good/pleasing in his eyes): Another iteration of appealing to the king's personal satisfaction and approval, linking the petition to her own standing. This multi-layered appeal establishes maximum diplomatic leverage before stating the actual request.
• let it be written (Hebrew: yiššātēḇ - let it be written/inscribed): The precise legal action required, implying a new royal edict. In a literate ancient kingdom, written decrees held legal authority and widespread impact.
• to revoke (Hebrew: ləhāšîḇ - to turn back, cause to return, revoke, undo): This verb denotes reversal or making something return to its former state. Given the unchangeable nature of Medo-Persian laws (Dan 6:8), "revoking" the previous decree directly was likely not possible in a literal sense; rather, it implied nullifying its effect by a superior counter-edict, allowing defense, which Esther would detail.
• the letters devised by Haman (Hebrew: hassəp̄ārîm maḥašavath hāmān - the books/scrolls, the device/plan of Haman): Emphasizes that the decree was Haman's idea, a malevolent plan (maḥašavath) rather than the king's original desire or the counsel of wise men. This shrewdly shifts responsibility away from the king for the calamitous decree and isolates Haman as the villain. The use of "devised" implies cunning and malice.
• son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, Identifies Haman fully, subtly reminding the king of the extent of Haman’s identity and potential treachery. The "Agagite" title points to a long-standing historical enmity between Amalek (Haman's presumed ancestry) and Israel, rooted in divine decree (Deut 25:17-19). This background might implicitly serve as a 'polemic' against those who plot against God's people.
• which he wrote to destroy the Jews (Hebrew: ’ăšer kāṯaḇ lə’abêd ’eṯ-hayyəhûdîm - which he wrote to cause to perish the Jews): Clearly states the malicious intent and consequence of Haman’s decree: total annihilation (lə’abêd - to cause to perish/destroy utterly). This leaves no ambiguity about the life-threatening danger faced by the Jewish people.
• who are in all the king’s provinces. Highlights the widespread nature of the threat, affecting all Jewish people across the vast Persian empire, underscoring the urgency and scope of Esther’s request.

Esther 8 5 Bonus section

• Polemics: While not explicit, the careful phrasing of Esther 8:5 can be seen as an indirect polemic against unjust decrees and the abuse of power. It implicitly critiques arbitrary authority exercised without concern for human life, contrasting it with the king's ultimate need to appear just and competent. The defeat of Haman, the Agagite, aligns with the long-standing divine mandate to blot out Amalek, God's enduring enemy.
• Literary Device: The use of extensive deferential language builds dramatic tension, emphasizing the immense weight of the petition and Esther’s profound risk, despite her elevated position. This respectful humility is a literary and practical tactic to disarm potential royal resistance.
• Theology of Laws: The dilemma of the unchangeable Medo-Persian law (established in Dan 6) serves as a backdrop to highlight God's power to work within, and even through, human legal limitations to deliver His people. While the first law couldn't be literally rescinded, a new, enabling law allowed the Jews to defend themselves, effectively neutralizing the previous one's impact. This shows divine intervention not by miraculous disruption of natural order, but through human wisdom and established systems.

Esther 8 5 Commentary

Esther 8:5 captures the height of Queen Esther's courageous advocacy. Her petition is masterfully constructed, a model of diplomacy and deference. By repeatedly prefacing her request with expressions of submission ("If it pleases the king," "if I have found favor," "if the thing is right," "pleasing to him"), she avoids any appearance of command or disrespect, vital in the absolutist Persian court. This layered appeal builds trust and legitimacy for her dramatic request.

The crux of her plea is the request "to revoke the letters devised by Haman." This is not a direct cancellation of an existing unchangeable law, but an appeal for a counter-measure, a new royal edict that would override the effects of the previous one without explicitly overturning it. This showcases Esther’s understanding of the unique challenge presented by Medo-Persian law.

Crucially, Esther skillfully dissociates the king from Haman's destructive intent by branding the previous edict as "devised by Haman," emphasizing it was Haman's malicious "plan." This frames Haman as the true orchestrator of discord, potentially deceiving the king, thereby protecting the king's image and making it easier for him to agree to a counter-decree. The specific mention of Haman's full lineage, "son of Hammedatha, the Agagite," may have further resonated, tapping into known historical enmities, though its impact on Ahasuerus's court is not explicitly detailed. This verse underlines the vital intersection of human initiative, royal power, and divine sovereignty in the protection and deliverance of God's people.