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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Esther 5:8. I will do to-morrow as the king hath said — I will acquaint thee with my humble request. She did not present her petition at this time, but delayed it till the next meeting; either, because she was a little daunted with the king’s presence, and had not yet courage to propose it; or, because she would further engage the king’s affection to her, by a second entertainment, and would also intimate to him, that her petition was of a more than ordinary nature: but principally by direction of the divine providence, which took away her courage of utterance for this time, that she might have a better opportunity to present her request the next time, by that great accident which happened before it. For the high honour which the king bestowed on Mordecai the next day made way for her petition, which came in very seasonably at the banquet of wine.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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 says, Come. She had a law against her, we have a promise, many a promise, in favour of us; Ask, and it shall be given you. She had no friend to go with her, or to plead for her; on the contrary, he that was then the king's favourite, was her enemy; but we have an Advocate with the Father, in whom he is well pleased. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. God put it into Esther's heart to delay her petition a day longer; she knew not, but God did, what was to happen in that very night.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The banquet of wine - After the meats were removed, it was customary in Persia to continue the banquet for a considerable time with fruits and wine. During this part of the feast, the king renewed his offer.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

8. let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare—The king ate alone, and his guests in an adjoining hall; but they were admitted to sit with him at wine. Haman being the only invited guest with the king and queen, it was natural that he should have been elated with the honor.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

I will acquaint thee with my humble request. She did not present her petition at this time, but delayed it till the next meeting; either through modesty, or because she was a little daunted with the king’s presence, and had not yet good courage to propose her request; or in policy, because she would further engage the king’s affection to her by a second entertainment, and would also intimate to him that her petition was of a more than ordinary nature; and principally by direction and disposition of the Divine Providence, which took away her courage or utterance for this time, that she might have a better opportunity for it the next time, by that great accident which happened before it.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

If I have found favour in the sight of the king,.... Or, seeing she had; for it was a clear case she had, both by his holding out the golden sceptre to her, and by accepting her invitation to her banquet:

and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request; as he had been so gracious as to promise in such a large and liberal manner as before expressed:

let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them; the Targum says, in the evening; but from Esther 5:12, it appears to be on the morrow; and which agrees with what follows:

and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said; make her petition and request to him; which she had deferred, partly in hope of still increasing his affection to her, and partly to prepare him to expect something of moment and importance to be asked of him. Jarchi restrains this to what he supposes the king had often importuned her to tell, namely, who were her people and her kindred.

Geneva Study Bible

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 {e} said.

(e) I will declare what I demand.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Esther 5:8

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Esther answered: "My petition and my request - if I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition and to do my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and to-morrow I will do as the king hath said," i.e., make known my request. Though the king had, in the midst of the gaiety, asked what was Esther's request, she did not esteem the time an appropriate one for expressing it. She begins: my petition and my request, - but then stops, and says only, if the king will do her the favour to come with Haman to a banquet again on the morrow, she will then bring forward her petition. Esther invited Haman with the king on both occasions, that, as Calovius remarks, eum apud regem praesentem accusaret decreti surrepti contra suos populares nomine, et in os omnes cavillandi vias ei praecluderet.