Esther 1:11
1:11 to bring Queen Vashti into the king’s presence wearing her royal high turban. He wanted to show the people and the officials her beauty, for she was very attractive.
1
Esther 2:13
2:13 the woman would go to the king in the following way: Whatever she asked for would be provided for her to take with her from the harem to the royal palace.
Esther 5:3
5:3 The king said to her, “What is on your mind, 2 Queen Esther? What is your request? Even as much as half the kingdom will be given to you!”
Esther 1:8
1:8 There were no restrictions on the drinking,
3 for the king had instructed all of his supervisors
4 that they should do as everyone so desired.
5
Esther 5:6
5:6 While at the banquet of wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your request? It shall be given to you. What is your petition? Ask for as much as half the kingdom,
6 and it shall be done!”
Esther 6:6
6:6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?” Haman thought to himself, 7 “Who is it that the king would want to honor more than me?”
Esther 7:2-3
7:2 On the second day of the banquet of wine the king asked Esther, “What is your request, Queen Esther? It shall be granted to you. And what is your petition? Ask up to half the kingdom, and it shall be done!”
7:3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have met with your approval, 8 O king, and if the king is so inclined, grant me my life as my request, and my people as my petition.
Esther 5:8
5:8 If I have found favor in the king’s sight and if the king is inclined
9 to grant my request and perform my petition, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet that I will prepare for them. At that time
10 I will do as the king wishes.
11
Esther 8:8
8:8 Now you write in the king’s name whatever in your opinion is appropriate concerning the Jews and seal it with the king’s signet ring. Any decree that is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring cannot be rescinded.
Esther 9:12
9:12 Then the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman! What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? What is your request? It shall be given to you. What other petition do you have? It shall be done.”
1 tn Heb “was good of appearance”; KJV “was fair to look on”; NAB “was lovely to behold.”
2 tn Heb “What to you?”; NAB, NIV NRSV “What is it, Queen Esther?”
3 tn Heb “the drinking was according to law; there was no one compelling.”
4 tn Heb “every chief of his house”; KJV “all the officers of his house”; NLT “his staff.”
5 tn Heb “according to the desire of man and man.”
4 sn As much as half the kingdom. Such a statement would no doubt have been understood for the exaggeration that it clearly was. Cf. the similar NT scene recorded in Mark 6:23, where Herod makes a similar promise to the daughter of Herodias. In that case the request was for the head of John the Baptist, which is a lot less than half the kingdom.
5 tn Heb “said in his heart” (so ASV); NASB, NRSV “said to himself.”
6 tn Heb “If I have found grace in your eyes” (so also in 8:5); TEV “If it please Your Majesty.”
7 tn Heb “if upon the king it is good.” Cf. the similar expression in v. 4, which also occurs in 7:3; 8:5; 9:13.
8 tn Heb “and tomorrow” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV “and then.”
9 tn Heb “I will do according to the word of the king,” i.e., answer the question that he has posed. Cf. NCV “Then I will answer your question about what I want.”