Esther 5 · Verse 3

Esther 5:3

Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.
Esther 5:3, King James Version

Esther 5:3 in other translations

BSB“What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.”
WEBThen the king asked her, “What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.”
ASVThen said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom.
YLTAnd the king saith to her, ‘What--to thee Esther, O queen? and what thy request? unto the half of the kingdom--and it is given to thee.'
DARBYAnd the king said to her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom.
BBEThen the king said, What is your desire, Queen Esther, and what is your request? I will give it to you, even to the half of my kingdom.
WebsterThen said the king to her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

What does Esther 5:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom--This mode of speaking originated in the Persian custom of appropriating for the maintenance of great men, or royal favorites, one city for his bread, another for his wine, a third for his clothes, &c., so that the phrase denoted great liberality.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Esther 5:1-8

Esther having had power with God, and prevailing, like Jacob, had power with men too. He that will lose his life for God, shall save it, or find it in a better life. The king encouraged her. Let us from this be encouraged to pray always to our God, and not to faint. Esther came to a proud, imperious man; but we come to the God of love and grace. She was not called, but we are; the Spirit says, Come, and the Bride…

Read the full comment on Esther 5:1-8 →

Esther 5:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
לָהּ֙lahto her
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
לָּ֖ךְlakh[is] to you
אֶסְתֵּ֣ר'es.TerO EstherH635
הַמַּלְכָּ֑הha.mal.Kahthe queenH4436
וּמַה\־u.mah-and what?H4100
בַּקָּשָׁתֵ֛ךְba.ka.sha.Tekh[is] request yourH1246
עַד\־'ad-up toH5704
חֲצִ֥יcha.Tzi<the> half ofH2677
הַמַּלְכ֖וּתha.mal.Khutthe kingdomH4438
וְיִנָּ֥תֵֽןve.yi.Na.tenso it may be givenH5414
לָֽךְ\׃Lakhto you

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Esther 5:3

  • Mark 6:23

    And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

  • Esther 7:2

    And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at 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.

  • Esther 9:12

    And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

  • Esther 5:6

    And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.

  • Matthew 20:20-22

    Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

  • 1 Kings 3:5

    In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

  • Luke 18:41

    Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

  • 1 Kings 2:20

    Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
What.
6
7:2; 9:12; 1Ki 2:20; 3:5; Mt 20:20-22; Lu 18:41
to.
6; Mr 6:23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Esther 5:2

    And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

  • Esther 5:3

    Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

  • Esther 5:4

    And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

Read all of Esther 5

Esther 5:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y dijo el rey: ¿Qué tienes, reina Esther? ¿y cuál es tu petición? Hasta la mitad del reino, se te dará.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le roi lui dit: Que veux-tu, reine Esther, et quelle est ta requête? Quand ce serait jusqu’à la moitié du royaume, elle te sera donnée.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der König sprach zu ihr: Was ist dir, Königin Esther? Und was ist dein Begehr? Bis zur Hälfte des Königreiches, und sie soll dir gegeben werden!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque ad eam rex: Quid vis, Esther regina? quæ est petitio tua? etiam si dimidiam partem regni petieris, dabitur tibi.