Esther 5:1

_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._ ESTHER PUT ON HER ROYAL APPAREL. It was not only natural, but, on such occasions, highly proper and expedient, that the queen should decorate herself in a style becoming her exalted station. On ordinary occasions she might reasonably set off her charms to as much advantage as possible; but on the present occasion, as she was desirous to secure the favour of one who sustained the twofold character of her husband and her sovereign, public as well as private considerations-a regard to her personal safety, no less than the preservation of her doomed countrymen-urged upon her the propriety of using every legitimate means of recommending hersel...

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 ha...

CHAPTER V _Esther presents herself before the king, and finds favour in his_ _sight_, 1, 2. _He asks what her request is, and promises to grant it_, 3. _She invites him and Haman to a banquet, which they accept_, 4, 5. _He then desires to know her request; and she promises to make_ _it known on the morrow, if they will again come to her banquet_, 6-8. _Haman, though overjoyed at the manner in which he was received_ _by the queen, is indignant at the indifference with which he_ _is treated by Mordecai_, 9....

OVER AGAINST THE GATE - This is the usual situation of the throne in the “throne-room” of an Oriental palace. The monarch, from his raised position, can see into the court through the doorway opposite to him, which is kept open....

EXPOSITION AHASUERUS RECEIVING ESTHER FAVOURABLY, SHE INVITES HIM AND HAMAN TO A BANQUET. ALLOWED TO ASK WHATEVER BOON SHE LIKES, SHE INVITES THEM BOTH TO A SECOND BANQUET (Esther 5:1). Esther, we must suppose, kept her fast religiously for the time that she had specified (Esther 4:16), and then, "on the third day," made her venture. It has been asked, Why did she not request an a

NOW IT CAME TO PASS ON THE THIRD DAY,.... Of the fast; though the former Targum paraphrases it the third day of the passover, the sixteenth of Nisan, Esther 4:17, though it is probable this was nearer the time fixed for the destruction of the Jews, see Esther 8:9, yet the Jews have fixed the fast of Esther on that very day, the thirteenth of Adar f: THAT ESTHER PUT ON HER ROYAL APPAREL; in order to go in to the king, and appear before him; which to do in a mournful habit, such as she had on when fasting, was not proper; for then she put off her royal crown, as is intimated in the additions to the book of Esther, And upon the third day, when she had ended her prayers, she laid away her mourning garments, and put on her glorious apparel. (Esther 15:1) and as was usual for

ESTHER AND THE KING AND HAMAN'S DELUSION CHAPTER 5 _ 1. Esther before the king and her request (Esther 5:1)_ 2. Haman's delusion (Esther 5:9) Esther 5:1. On the third day Esther put on her royal apparel, a significant day in Scripture as we point out in the typical application of this chapter. The days of fasting and agony were passed and she is seen no longer attired in sackcloth but in royal garments. It is of great interest that Rabbinical exposition (Midrash) gives a tradition that in her great anxiety and anguish of soul she uttered the opening sentence of Psalms 22, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” She made use

ESTHER 5. ESTHER OBTAINS THE KING'S FAVOUR AND INVITES HIM WITH HAMAN TO A BANQUET. Haman's Elation is DASHED BY VEXATION AT MORDECAI'S REFUSAL TO HONOUR HIM. In Esther 5:1 to Esther 8:3 we read how these prayers are answered by blessing after blessing. The girl-queen is filled with purpose, courage, and ability. She enters the audience-hall trembling, but is welcomed by the king LXX gives a fine picture of this, saying that the king kissed his wife tenderly, and restored her when she fainted through excitement. The Heb. has excised that. Esther asks simply that Ahasuerus and his vizier, Haman, shall come to a drinking-feast (Esther 5:4). They come, but are only bidden to come again next day ...

ON THE THIRD DAY ESTHER PUT ON ROYAL APPAREL. On the third day from the commencement of the fast she attired herself in fitting robes to appear before the king. Whoever appears in. monarch's presence must wear. court dress. Nobody can be presented to Queen Victoria unless she complies with the regulation style of attire. It was needful that Esther wear the prescribed garments of. queen into the king's presence. STOOD IN THE INNER COURT. The inner court, we learn from chapter 4:11, was the sacred retreat that no one was permitted to approach under penalty of death. It seems to have been. place devoted to audiences of such as the king invited to his presence. An oriental monarch secluded himself from the public gaze as something too sacred to be seen by mortal eyes, and only admitted his confidential ministers and servants and such as he granted an audience. Here he sat on his throne "o...

THE THIRD DAY. The beginning of. new life for Israel. See App-10. INNER COURT. All houses had courts;. palace had several. OVER AGAINST. right opposite. UPON HIS ROYAL THRONE. To transact business. GATE. porch, or entrance. Hebrew. _pethah._...