Esther Chapter 5
Esther’s Bold Request
A. The first banquet.
1. (Esther 5:1–5) Esther invites both King Ahasuerus and Haman to the first banquet.
“Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house, and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. 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. 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. 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. Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.”
a. Esther put on her royal apparel and stood in the inner court of the king’s house.
Esther’s actions display deliberate courage and careful obedience. She waited until the third day, following a period of fasting and prayer, and then presented herself clothed in royal apparel. This was not merely a matter of appearance, but of position and authority. By standing in the inner court without being summoned, Esther knowingly placed her life at risk, because Persian law allowed execution for anyone who approached the king uninvited unless the golden sceptre was extended. Her willingness to stand there demonstrates faith expressed through action. She trusted the providence of God rather than relying on human certainty. The narrative emphasizes that the king saw her, and that she obtained favour in his sight, underscoring that her safety was not accidental but divinely granted.
b. The king held out the golden sceptre.
The extending of the golden sceptre marked acceptance, mercy, and legal protection. This act signified that Esther’s life was spared and that she had access to the king’s presence. Though the name of God is not mentioned in the book, the outcome clearly reflects divine sovereignty working behind the scenes. Esther did not force her way into influence, she stepped forward in obedience and God opened the door that no man could open. Her touching the top of the sceptre reflects humility and respect, acknowledging the king’s authority while accepting the grace extended to her.
c. If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet.
Esther demonstrated wisdom and restraint by not immediately revealing her petition. Rather than rushing into her request, she invited both the king and Haman to a banquet she had prepared. This shows discernment and strategic patience. Esther understood the importance of timing and setting, and she sought to engage the king in a favorable, relaxed environment. Including Haman was intentional, placing the enemy of the Jews directly into the unfolding plan of God. What appeared to be courtesy toward Haman was in reality the beginning of his exposure and downfall.
2. (Esther 5:6–8) Esther’s request at the first banquet.
“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. Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is; 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.”
a. What is thy petition? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.
The king repeated his offer to Esther, emphasizing his willingness to grant her request. This phrase was a customary royal expression, not a literal promise of dividing the empire. It conveyed generosity, favor, and confidence toward Esther. The repetition highlights how completely Esther had won the king’s goodwill, confirming that her approach had been effective and that her standing with the king was secure.
b. My petition and my request is.
Esther again refrained from stating her true petition. This restraint was not fear driven indecision, but part of a larger divine timetable. Scripture often shows that God’s purposes unfold at precisely the right moment, not according to human urgency. Esther’s delay built anticipation, deepened the king’s interest, and placed Haman in a position of false confidence. The tension created by the delay would later magnify both the deliverance of the Jews and the justice executed upon Haman.
c. 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.
Esther promised that she would reveal her request at the second banquet. Whether she personally struggled with fear in the moment or whether God restrained her speech for His purposes, the outcome served the divine plan. As Charles Spurgeon observed, what appeared to be hesitation was in fact the hand of God controlling events. The delay allowed circumstances to develop further, especially in the heart and pride of Haman, setting the stage for his downfall. God’s providence often works through what seems to be postponement, yet every moment is ordered and purposeful.
B. Haman’s plot against Mordecai.
1. (Esther 5:9–13) Haman’s frustration with Mordecai.
“Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. Nevertheless Haman refrained himself, and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself, and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king. Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
a. He was full of indignation against Mordecai.
Haman left the first banquet elated, honored beyond any man in the empire except the king himself. Yet his joy was instantly poisoned when he saw Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate, refusing to rise or tremble before him. This reaction exposes the emptiness of worldly honor. Haman possessed wealth, status, power, influence, and royal favor, yet the lack of approval from one man rendered all of it meaningless to him. This passage accurately depicts the vanity of human pride and ambition. Earthly success cannot satisfy the soul, and when identity is built on recognition and applause, it becomes fragile and easily shattered.
i. Haman’s obsession with being honored by everyone reveals a deep insecurity and spiritual poverty. The hunger for approval was never meant to be satisfied by men. Scripture teaches that true acceptance comes from God alone through Christ. “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” The believer’s worth is settled by divine grace, not by human applause. Haman, lacking this foundation, was incapable of contentment, no matter how high his position rose.
b. Nevertheless Haman refrained himself.
Haman’s restraint was not the product of wisdom or self control, but the unseen hand of God overruling his impulses. Left to himself, Haman would have acted immediately in violent rage. Instead, he restrained himself and returned home. This delay was essential to God’s plan. The Lord sovereignly governed the timing of events, ensuring that Haman’s actions would unfold in a way that would ultimately expose and destroy him. God often restrains the wicked, not for their benefit, but so that His justice may be displayed at the proper time.
c. Haman told them of the glory of his riches.
Haman gathered his wife and friends and rehearsed his achievements in detail. He gloried in his wealth, his many sons, his promotions, and his superiority over the other officials. This self centered boasting reveals the pride that dominated his heart. Rather than finding satisfaction, Haman attempted to reinforce his worth by recounting his status aloud. Pride always demands reinforcement because it is inherently unstable and empty.
d. Yet all this availeth me nothing.
Haman himself confessed the truth. None of his honors mattered to him as long as Mordecai lived and remained unbowed. His problem was not Mordecai, but the emptiness of his own heart. Even if Mordecai were removed, the void would remain. Hatred does not heal insecurity, it only deepens it. As Adam Clarke rightly observed, the soul was made for God, and nothing but God can fill it and make it happy. Haman’s bitterness was the fruit of a life lived apart from God’s truth.
2. (Esther 5:14) Haman happily receives counsel to seek Mordecai’s execution.
“Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon, then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman, and he caused the gallows to be made.”
a. Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high.
The counsel given to Haman reveals the depth of their cruelty. It was not enough that the Jews were already condemned to destruction by royal decree. They desired a public, humiliating, and brutal execution of Mordecai himself. The gallows, standing approximately seventy five feet high, was intended to be a spectacle, a warning, and an outlet for vengeance. This was not justice, but sadistic hatred seeking satisfaction through public disgrace and suffering.
i. The structure described here was not a modern hanging apparatus, but an instrument of impalement and display. Victims were violently killed and left exposed as a sign of shame and terror. This horrific method demonstrates how unchecked pride and hatred dehumanize both the victim and the perpetrator. When God is removed from moral restraint, cruelty knows no bounds.
b. And the thing pleased Haman.
Haman delighted in this plan. Hatred had so consumed him that he found pleasure in the idea of Mordecai’s suffering and death. This moment marks the moral point of no return for Haman. His heart was fully given over to vengeance, and his joy was now tied to the destruction of another man. Scripture consistently shows that such hatred is self destructive. The same irrational, violent hatred that drove Haman to seek Mordecai’s death is the same sinful hatred that moved fallen mankind to crucify the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet in both cases, God used the wicked intentions of men to accomplish His sovereign purposes, bringing judgment upon the proud and deliverance to His people.
