Esther 5:3
New International Version
Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

New Living Translation
Then the king asked her, “What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”

English Standard Version
And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.”

Berean Standard Bible
“What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”

New American Standard Bible
Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Up to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.”

NASB 1995
Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.”

NASB 1977
Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it will be given to you.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.”

Amplified Bible
Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you, up to half of the kingdom.”

Christian Standard Bible
“What is it, Queen Esther? ” the king asked her. “Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be given to you.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked her. “Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be given to you."”

American Standard Version
Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the King said to her: “What do you have, Queen Esthir, and what is your request? Unto the half of my kingdom shall be given to you!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the king said, What wilt thou, Esther? and what is thy request? ask even to the half of my kingdom, and it shall be thine.

Contemporary English Version
the king said, "Esther, what brings you here? Just ask, and I will give you as much as half of my kingdom."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king said to her: What wilt then, queen Esther? what is thy request? if thou shouldst even ask one half of the kingdom, it shall be given to thee.

English Revised Version
Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the king asked her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? What would you like? Even if it is up to half of the kingdom, it will be granted to you."

Good News Translation
"What is it, Queen Esther?" the king asked. "Tell me what you want, and you shall have it--even if it is half my empire."

International Standard Version
The king asked her, "What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even if it's half of the kingdom, it will be given to you."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then said the king unto her: 'What wilt thou, queen Esther? for whatever thy request, even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be given thee.'

Literal Standard Version
And the king says to her, “What do you [want], Esther, O queen? And what [is] your request? To the half of the kingdom—and it is given to you.”

Majority Standard Bible
“What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.”

New American Bible
Then the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even if it is half of my kingdom, it shall be granted you.”

NET Bible
The king said to her, "What is on your mind, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even as much as half the kingdom will be given to you!"

New Revised Standard Version
The king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.”

New Heart English Bible
Then the king asked her, "What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom."

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said the king to her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

World English Bible
Then the king asked her, “What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.”

Young's Literal Translation
And the king saith to her, 'What -- to thee Esther, O queen? and what thy request? unto the half of the kingdom -- and it is given to thee.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Esther Goes Before the King
2As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3“What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.” 4“If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for the king.”…

Cross References
Mark 6:23
And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!"

Esther 5:4
"If it pleases the king," Esther replied, "may the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for the king."

Esther 5:6
And as they drank their wine, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled."

Esther 7:2
and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, "Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled."


Treasury of Scripture

Then said the king to her, What will you, queen Esther? and what is your request? it shall be even given you to the half of the kingdom.

What.

Esther 5:6
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.

Esther 7:2
And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

Esther 9:12
And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

to.

Esther 5:6
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.

Mark 6:23
And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

Jump to Previous
Desire Esther Half Kingdom Queen Request Troubling Whatever Wilt
Jump to Next
Desire Esther Half Kingdom Queen Request Troubling Whatever Wilt
Esther 5
1. Esther, adventuring on the king's favor, obtains the grace of the golden sceptre,
4. and invites the king and Haman to a banquet.
6. She, being encouraged by the king in her suit, invites them to another banquet.
9. Haman, proud of his advancement, repines at the contempt of Mordecai.
14. By the counsel of Zeresh he prepares for him a gallows.














(3) To the half of the kingdom.--This tremendous offer occurs in further promises of Ahasuerus (Esther 5:6; Esther 7:2). The same reckless promise is made by Herod Antipas to the daughter of Herodias (Mark 6:23).

Verse 3. - What is thy request? It shall be even given thee. The practice of granting requests beforehand is one common among Oriental monarchs. Sometimes no limit at all is placed to the petitioner's liberty of choice - seldom any less wide limit than that of the present passage. According to Herodotus (9:111), there was one day in the year on which the king was bound to grant any request made by a guest at his table. To the half of the kingdom. Compare Mark 6:23, where Herod Antipas makes the same limitation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“What
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

is it,
לָּ֖ךְ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

Queen
הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה (ham·mal·kāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4436: Queen -- a queen

Esther?”
אֶסְתֵּ֣ר (’es·têr)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 635: Esther -- 'star', Ahasuerus' queen who delivered Israel

the king
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

inquired.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“What [is]
וּמַה־ (ū·mah-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

your request?
בַּקָּשָׁתֵ֛ךְ (baq·qā·šā·ṯêḵ)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1246: Request, entreaty

Even up to
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

half
חֲצִ֥י (ḥă·ṣî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2677: The half, middle

the kingdom,
הַמַּלְכ֖וּת (ham·mal·ḵūṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4438: Royalty, royal power, reign, kingdom

it will be given
וְיִנָּ֥תֵֽן (wə·yin·nā·ṯên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

to you.”
לָֽךְ׃ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew


Links
Esther 5:3 NIV
Esther 5:3 NLT
Esther 5:3 ESV
Esther 5:3 NASB
Esther 5:3 KJV

Esther 5:3 BibleApps.com
Esther 5:3 Biblia Paralela
Esther 5:3 Chinese Bible
Esther 5:3 French Bible
Esther 5:3 Catholic Bible

OT History: Esther 5:3 Then the king asked her What would (Est Esth. Es)
Esther 5:2
Top of Page
Top of Page