Charles Ellicott Commentary Esther 5

The third day. —That is, of the fast. (See above, Esther 4:16).

Royal apparel. —Literally, royalty.

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).

Let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet. —It was natural enough that, with so much depending on her request, the queen should show some hesitation: if anything took an unfavorable turn (for, in spite of the king’s promise, she evidently felt uneasy) it might mean total ruin. She therefore temporizes; she at any rate gains time and secures a specially favorable opportunity for bringing forward the request, and the king clearly sees that she has kept her real petition in reserve by his own raising the question again.

It will be noticed that as long as Esther is working her way up to the due vantage point, the king is addressed in the third person, let the king come, but when she makes the decisive appeal, in the second person, in thy sight, O king.

The banquet of wine. —The continuation of the banquet of Esther 5:5: the dessert, so to speak.

He stood not up. — In Esther 3:2, we saw that Mordecai refused to bow or prostrate himself to Haman; here, he refuses even the slightest sign of respect. The honourable independence of the former case here becomes indefensible rudeness.