Esther 5
"The Feast of Esther" by Johannes Spilberg the Younger.
BookBook of Esther
CategoryKetuvim
Christian Bible partOld Testament
Order in the Christian part17

Esther 5 is the fifth chapter of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible,[1] The author of the book is unknown and modern scholars have established that the final stage of the Hebrew text would have been formed by the second century BCE.[2] Chapters 3 to 6 contain the nine scenes that form the complication in the book.[3] This chapter records that Esther's risky behavior to appear uninvited before the king is richly rewarded, because the king generously offers to give her whatever she wants, 'even to the half of my kingdom' (5:3), but Esther cleverly asks for nothing more than an opportunity to entertain her husband and his chief officer, Haman.[4] Both men were pleased at her hospitality, but when the king again offers her half the empire, this time she requests only a second banquet.[4] While Haman was happy to have been entertained by the queen, he became intensely distressed when Mordecai once more refused to bow down before him.[4] Haman's wife, Zeresh, advised him to erect a monumental gallows intended for Mordecai, and only then Haman felt happy again to look forward to Esther's second banquet.[4]

Text

This chapter was originally written in Hebrew language and since the 16th century is divided into 14 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes Codex Leningradensis (1008).[5][a]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century).[7]

Esther's first audience with the king and its outcome (5:1–8)

This section records the first uninvited audience of Esther before king Ahasuerus.[8] Esther was immediately successful in her approach that the king extended his scepter as a sign of clemency as well as promised to grant her wish up to half of his kingdom, but she didn't use this opportunity to avert the decree of genocide, and instead, to invite the king and Haman to a dinner party.[9] The act indicates Esther's skills as a wise courtier, because the seemingly simple request gives Esther several advantages to achieve her goal:[9]

  1. The king will be placed under obligation of courtesies to more likely grant her wish
  2. It positioned the king and Haman in Esther's territory, rather than in the male-dominated court.[9]

Verse 1

Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.[10]

Verse 3

And the king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom."[12]

Verse 4

So Esther answered, "If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him."[14]
Reading direction Word order
Right-to-left 4 3 2 1
Hebrew יוםה המןו מלךה בואי
Left-to-right 1 2 3 4
Transliteration Yā-ḇō-w Ha-me-leḵ Wə-hā-mān Ha-yōm
English Let_come the_king and_Haman today

Haman grows more incensed against Mordecai (5:9–14)

This pericope shows that Haman is a dangerous foe, that was constantly full of wrath for being worsted by his inferior, Mordecai, so he planned to butcher the whole population of Jews to appease his own sense of inferiority.[20] Haman disregarded all his honors as long as one Jew did not give him the customary respect he wanted.[21] His friends understood that Haman wanted not only Mordecai dead, but also be humiliated publicly, so they suggested the setting up of high gallows for Mordecai to appease Haman.[21] Nonetheless, Modercai's continued defiance against Haman is 'enigmatic', as he still held it while knowing that his action has placed the Jews in great mortal danger.[22]

Verse 13

[Haman said:] "Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate."[23]
Reading direction Word order
Right-to-left 4 3 2 1
Hebrew יל השו ואיננ הז
Left-to-right 1 2 3 4
Transliteration zeH ’ê-nen-nū(W) šō-weH lî(Y)
English This nothing avails me

Verse 14

Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet."'[24]
And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.[25]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Since 1947 the current text of Aleppo Codex is missing the whole book of Esther.[6]

References

  1. ^ Halley 1965, p. 238.
  2. ^ Meyers 2007, p. 324.
  3. ^ Clines 1998, pp. 387–388.
  4. ^ a b c d Meyers 2007, p. 328.
  5. ^ Würthwein 1995, pp. 36–37.
  6. ^ P. W. Skehan (2003), "BIBLE (TEXTS)", New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 2 (2nd ed.), Gale, pp. 355–362
  7. ^ Würthwein 1995, pp. 73–74.
  8. ^ Clines 1998, p. 391.
  9. ^ a b c Crawford 2003, p. 332.
  10. ^ Esther 5:1 KJV
  11. ^ Notes [a] and [b] on Esther 5:1 in NET
  12. ^ Esther 5:3 ESV
  13. ^ Note [a] on Esther 5:3 in NET.
  14. ^ Esther 5:4 NKJV
  15. ^ Note [a] on Esther 5:4 in ESV.
  16. ^ a b c d Bullinger, E. W.. The Companion Bible. Kregel Publications. 1906-1922. Appendix 60.
  17. ^ a b c d Turner 2013, p. 185.
  18. ^ a b Missler, Chuck (1998) Cosmic Codes: Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho: Koinoinia House, pp. 77–88; apud Turner 2013, p. 186.
  19. ^ a b Bullinger, E. W. The Name of Jehovah in the Book of Esther (2nd ed.; 1891; repr., Tresta, Shetland, U.K.: Open Bible Trust, 1999), p. 10; apud Turner 2013, p. 185.
  20. ^ Clines 1998, pp. 391–392.
  21. ^ a b Clines 1998, p. 392.
  22. ^ Crawford 2003, p. 333.
  23. ^ Esther 5:13 NKJV
  24. ^ Esther 5:14 NKJV
  25. ^ Esther 5:14 NKJV
  26. ^ Note [a] on Esther 5:14 in NKJV.
  27. ^ Note [b] on Esther 5:14 in NKJV.

Sources

Further reading

Category