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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 Defender's Study Bible Notes

5:3 it shall be even given thee. Esther had risked her life in approaching the king without being bidden, but the Lord providentially touched his heart. No doubt Esther, already having been recognized as the fairest in the kingdom and now dressed in her “royal apparel” (Esther 5:1), looking radiant after three days of prayer and fasting, made a striking appearance, and the king knew she must have come for some very good reason. Three times he promised to give her up to half the kingdom (see Esther 5:3,6; 7:2). This was probably a rhetorical exaggeration (note also Herod’s promise to Salome—Mark 6:23), but it does indicate the king’s sincere desire to please his queen.


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