Esther 5 Study Notes

5:1-2 On the third day of the three-day fast, Esther prepared herself for her surprise appearance before the king. She wore not her fasting and mourning clothes, but her royal clothing, possibly as a reminder to her husband that she was indeed the queen of Persia. When she gained favor in his eyes, what could have precipitated her death had instead become her opportunity.

5:3-4 Ahasuerus’s offer to Esther, even to half the kingdom, was not to be taken literally; it was an exaggeration meant to emphasize the generosity of the king (cp. Mk 6:23). Considering the breadth of the offer, the answer must have been surprising: an invitation for the king and Haman to come to a banquet (Hb mishteh) that Esther had prepared. Just as the first banquet in the story ended with the downfall of a queen (chap. 1), so this series of banquets would end with the downfall of the king’s second in command (chap. 7).

5:4,8 Interpreters have speculated endlessly on Esther’s motives in inviting Haman. A common suggestion is that Esther was trying to get Ahasuerus jealous and thus create a rift between her husband and Haman (7:7-8). Whatever the motivation, these scenes add to the story and make Haman’s catastrophic fall all the more dramatic.

5:5-7 We might assume that the king is overcome by Esther’s beauty and wisdom. But a canonical reading would conclude the real reason is God’s influence over the king.

5:9 Haman’s rage only got worse when he saw that Mordecai not only did not rise in his presence, but did not even tremble (Hb zua‘, a verb used only five times in the OT) in his presence. Defying Haman did not even make Mordecai nervous.

5:10-13 Haman was effusive in both his bragging and his complaining. His complaining might call to mind King Ahab (1Kg 21:4).

5:14 Just as Jezebel once plotted with her husband to kill an innocent man (1Kg 21:7), so now Zeresh, along with Haman’s friends, suggested a plan to publicly murder his enemy, Mordecai. Zeresh believed this plan would assuage her husband’s murderous rage against his enemy. Haman was pleased with his wife’s advice and he had the gallows constructed, believing the next day would be a triumphant moment in his life.