Esther 8 · Verse 5

Esther 8:5

And said, If it please the king, and if I have found 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, King James Version

Esther 8:5 in other translations

BSB“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if I have found favor in his sight, and the matter seems proper to the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, may an order be written to revoke the letters that the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.
WEBShe 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 reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.
ASVAnd she said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor 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 that are in all the king’s provinces:
YLTand saith, ‘If to the king it be good, and if I have found grace before him, and the thing hath been right before the king, and I be good in his eyes, let it be written to bring back the letters--a device of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite--that he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all provinces of the king,
DARBYand said, If it please the king and if I have found grace before him, and the thing seem right to the king, and I be pleasing in his sight, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that are in all the king's provinces.
BBEAnd she said, If it is the king's pleasure and if I have his approval and this thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing to him, then let letters be sent giving orders against those which Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, sent out for the destruction of the Jews in all divisions of the kingdom:
WebsterAnd said, If it shall please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing shall seem right before the king, and I am 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 who are in all the king's provinces:

What does Esther 8:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Esther 8:5-6
5-6. reverse the letters devised by Haman ... to destroy the Jews--The whole conduct of Esther in this matter is characterized by great tact, and the variety of expressions by which she describes her willing submission to her royal husband, the address with which she rolls the whole infamy of the meditated massacre on Haman, and the argument she draws from the king's sanction being surreptitiously obtained, that the decree should be immediately reversed--all indicate the queen's wisdom and skill, and she succeeded in this point also.

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

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Esther 8:3-14

It was time to be earnest, when the church of God was at stake. Esther, though safe herself, fell down and begged for the deliverance of her people. We read of no tears when she begged for her own life, but although she was sure of that, she wept for her people. Tears of pity and tenderness are the most Christ-like. According to the constitution of the Persian government, no law or decree could be repealed or…

Read the full comment on Esther 8:3-14 →

Esther 8:5 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.

וַ֠תֹּאמֶרVa.to.merand she saidH559
אִם\־'im-ifH518
עַל\־'al-[is] onH5921
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
ט֜וֹבTovgoodH2896
וְאִם\־ve.'im-and ifH518
מָצָ֧אתִיma.Tza.tiI have foundH4672
חֵ֣ןchenfavorH2580
לְפָנָ֗יוle.fa.Nav<to> before himH6440
וְכָשֵׁ֤רve.kha.Sherand it is properH3787
הַדָּבָר֙ha.da.Varthe matterH1697
לִפְנֵ֣יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
וְטוֹבָ֥הve.to.Vahand [am] goodH2896
אֲנִ֖י'a.NiIH589
בְּעֵינָ֑יוbe.'ei.Navin view hisH5869
יִכָּתֵ֞בyi.ka.Tevlet it be writtenH3789
לְהָשִׁ֣יבle.ha.Shivto revokeH7725
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַסְּפָרִ֗יםha.se.fa.Rimthe lettersH5612
מַחֲשֶׁ֜בֶתma.cha.She.vet[the] plan ofH4284
הָמָ֤ןha.ManHamanH2001
בֶּֽן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
הַמְּדָ֙תָא֙ha.me.Da.ta'HammedathaH4099
הָאֲגָגִ֔יha.'a.ga.Githe AgagiteH91
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
כָּתַ֗בka.Tavhe wroteH3789
לְאַבֵּד֙le.'a.Bedto destroyH6
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַיְּהוּדִ֔יםhai.ye.hu.Dimthe JewsH3064
אֲשֶׁ֖ר'a.SherwhoH834
בְּכָל\־be.khol[are] in allH3605
מְדִינ֥וֹתme.di.Not[the] provinces ofH4082
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ\׃ha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428

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

Cross references for Esther 8:5

  • Esther 7:3

    Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:

  • Esther 3:12-13

    Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring. And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

  • Esther 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.

  • 1 Samuel 20:29

    And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table.

  • Esther 2:17

    And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

  • Exodus 33:16

    For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

  • Exodus 33:13

    Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

  • Esther 2:4

    And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
and, if I.
7:3; Ex 33:13,16; 1Sa 20:29
I be pleasing.
2:4,17
letters. Heb. device.
3:12,13
which he wrote. or, who wrote.

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

Context

  • Esther 8:4

    Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,

  • Esther 8:5

    And said, If it please the king, and if I have found 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 8:6

    For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

Read all of Esther 8

Esther 8:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y dijo: Si place al rey, y si he hallado gracia delante de él, y si la cosa es recta delante del rey, y agradable yo en sus ojos, sea escrito para revocar las letras del designio de Amán hijo de Amadatha Agageo, que escribió para destruir á los Judíos que están en todas las provincias del rey.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et elle dit: Si le roi le trouve bon, et si j’ai trouvé faveur devant lui, et que le roi estime la chose avantageuse, et que moi, je sois agréable à ses yeux, qu’on écrive pour révoquer les lettres ourdies par Haman, fils d’Hammedatha, l’Agaguite, qu’il a écrites pour faire périr les Juifs qui sont dans toutes les provinces du roi.
German
Elberfelder 1871
und sie sprach: Wenn es den König gut dünkt, und wenn ich Gnade vor ihm gefunden habe, und die Sache vor dem König recht ist und ich ihm wohlgefällig bin, so werde geschrieben, die Briefe zu widerrufen, nämlich den Anschlag Hamans, des Sohnes Hammedathas, des Agagiters, die er geschrieben hat, um die Juden umzubringen, welche in allen Landschaften des Königs sind.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et ait: Si placet regi, et si inveni gratiam in oculis ejus, et deprecatio mea non ei videtur esse contraria, obsecro ut novis epistolis, veteres Aman litteræ, insidiatoris et hostis Judæorum, quibus eos in cunctis regis provinciis perire præceperat, corrigantur.