Esther 8:5
New International Version
“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.

New Living Translation
Esther said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the orders of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who ordered that Jews throughout all the king’s provinces should be destroyed.

English Standard Version
And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.

Berean Standard Bible
“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if I have found favor in his sight, and the matter seems proper to the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, may an order be written to revoke the letters that the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.

King James Bible
And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:

New King James Version
and said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

New American Standard Bible
Then she said, “If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him, and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to eliminate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

NASB 1995
Then she said, “If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

NASB 1977
Then she said, “If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then she said, “If it seems good to the king, and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am good in his eyes, let it be written to turn back the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to cause the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces to perish.

Amplified Bible
Then she said, “If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter is proper in the king’s view and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote [in order] to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

Christian Standard Bible
She said, “If it pleases the king and I have found favor with him, if the matter seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let a royal edict be written. Let it revoke the documents the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
She said, “If it pleases the king, and I have found approval before him, if the matter seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let a royal edict be written. Let it revoke the documents the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

American Standard Version
And she said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that are in all the king's provinces:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And she stood before the King, and she said: “If it is good unto the King, and the matter is pleasing before the King, and if I have found favor in his eyes, let him write and let him reverse the letters and the plots of Haman the Aggagite that he wrote to destroy all the Jews in all the provinces of the King.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Esther said, If it seem good to thee, and I have found favour in thy sight, let an order be sent that the letters sent by Aman may be reversed, that were written for the destruction of the Jews, who are in thy kingdom.

Contemporary English Version
and she got up and said, "Your Majesty, I know that you will do the right thing and that you really love me. Please stop what Haman has planned. He has already sent letters demanding that the Jews in all your provinces be killed,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And said: If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and my request be not disagreeable to him, I beseech thee, that the former letters of Aman the traitor and enemy of the Jews, by which he commanded that they should be destroyed in all the king's provinces, may be reversed by new letters.

English Revised Version
And she said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
She said, "Your Majesty, if it pleases you, and if I have found favor with you, if you consider my cause to be reasonable and if I am pleasing to you, cancel the official orders [concerning] the plot of Haman (who was the son of Hammedatha and was from Agag). He signed [the order] to destroy the Jews in all your provinces, Your Majesty.

Good News Translation
"If it please Your Majesty, and if you care about me and if it seems right to you, please issue a proclamation to keep Haman's orders from being carried out--those orders that the son of Hammedatha the descendant of Agag gave for the destruction of all the Jews in the empire.

International Standard Version
She said, "If it pleases the king, and if I've found favor with him, and if the matter is proper in the king's opinion, and if I'm pleasing to the king, let an order be issued revoking the letters devised by Hammedatha the Agagite's son Haman, which ordered the destruction of the Jewish people throughout the king's provinces.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And she said: 'If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that are in all the king's provinces;

Literal Standard Version
and says, “If to the king [it be] good, and if I have found grace before him, and the thing has been right before the king, and I [am] good in his eyes, let it be written to bring back the letters—a scheme of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite—that he wrote to destroy the Jews who [are] in all provinces of the king,

Majority Standard Bible
“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if I have found favor in his sight, and the matter seems proper to the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, may an order be written to revoke the letters that the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.

New American Bible
said: “If it seems good to the king and if I have found favor with him, if the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let a document be issued to revoke the letters that the schemer Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, wrote for the destruction of the Jews in all the royal provinces.

NET Bible
She said, "If the king is so inclined and if I have met with his approval and if the matter is agreeable to the king and if I am attractive to him, let an edict be written rescinding those recorded intentions of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote in order to destroy the Jews who are throughout all the king's provinces.

New Revised Standard Version
and Esther rose and stood before the king. She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have won his favor, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I have his approval, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote giving orders to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.

New Heart English Bible
She said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.

Webster's Bible Translation
And said, If it shall please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing shall seem right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces:

World English Bible
She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seems right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

Young's Literal Translation
and saith, 'If to the king it be good, and if I have found grace before him, and the thing hath been right before the king, and I be good in his eyes, let it be written to bring back the letters -- a device of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite -- that he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all provinces of the king,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Esther's Appeal for the Jews
4The king extended the gold scepter toward Esther, and she arose and stood before the king. 5“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if I have found favor in his sight, and the matter seems proper to the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, may an order be written to revoke the letters that the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. 6For how could I bear to see the disaster that would befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”…

Cross References
Esther 3:1
After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.

Esther 3:13
And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews--young and old, women and children--and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.

Esther 5:8
If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king's question."

Esther 7:3
Queen Esther replied, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my request.


Treasury of Scripture

And said, If it please the king, and if I have favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:

and, if I.

Esther 7:3
Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:

Exodus 33:13,16
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people…

1 Samuel 20:29
And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.

I be pleasing.

Esther 2:4,17
And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so…

letters.

Esther 3:12,13
Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring…

which he wrote.

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Agagite Destroy Devised Eyes Favor Favour Found Haman Hammedatha Jews King's Letters Please Pleases Pleasing Provinces Reverse Right Seem Sight Written Wrote
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Agagite Destroy Devised Eyes Favor Favour Found Haman Hammedatha Jews King's Letters Please Pleases Pleasing Provinces Reverse Right Seem Sight Written Wrote
Esther 8
1. Mordecai is advanced.
3. Esther makes suit to reverse Haman's letters.
7. Xerxes grants to the Jews to defend themselves.
15. Mordecai's honor, and the Jews' joy.














(5) To reverse.--Rather, to bring back, to recall. Esther shows considerable skill in wording her request. She avoids speaking of the king's letters, but calls them "the letters, the device of Haman, which he wrote." It is the king, however, to whom the injury is done--"to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces."

Verse 5. - If it please the king, etc. The long preface of four clauses, winding up with "If I be pleasing," is indicative of Esther's doubt how the king will receive her suggestion that it should be written to reverse the letters (comp. Esther 3:13) devised by Haman. To ask the king to unsay his own words was impossible. By representing the letters as devised by Haman, and written by Haman, Esther avoids doing so. But she thereby blinks the truth. In excuse she adds the striking distich contained in the next verse - "For how could I endure to see the evil that is coming on my people? or how could I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?"

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

it pleases
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

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

she said,
וַ֠תֹּאמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“and if I have found
מָצָ֧אתִי (mā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

favor
חֵ֣ן (ḥên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2580: Graciousness, subjective, objective

in his sight,
לְפָנָ֗יו (lə·p̄ā·nāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

and the matter
הַדָּבָר֙ (had·dā·ḇār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

[seems] proper
וְכָשֵׁ֤ר (wə·ḵā·šêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3787: To be advantageous, proper, or suitable, to succeed

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

and I
אֲנִ֖י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am pleasing
וְטוֹבָ֥ה (wə·ṭō·w·ḇāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

in his sight,
בְּעֵינָ֑יו (bə·‘ê·nāw)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

may an order be written
יִכָּתֵ֞ב (yik·kā·ṯêḇ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3789: To grave, to write

to revoke
לְהָשִׁ֣יב (lə·hā·šîḇ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

the letters
הַסְּפָרִ֗ים (has·sə·p̄ā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5612: A missive, document, writing, book

that the scheming
מַחֲשֶׁ֜בֶת (ma·ḥă·še·ḇeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4284: A contrivance, a texture, machine, intention, plan

Haman
הָמָ֤ן (hā·mān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2001: Haman -- to rage, be turbulent

son
בֶּֽן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Hammedatha,
הַמְּדָ֙תָא֙ (ham·mə·ḏā·ṯā)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4099: Hammedatha including the article

the Agagite,
הָאֲגָגִ֔י (hā·’ă·ḡā·ḡî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 91: Agagite -- a descriptive term for Haman

wrote
כָּתַ֗ב (kā·ṯaḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3789: To grave, to write

to destroy
לְאַבֵּד֙ (lə·’ab·bêḏ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish

the Jews
הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים (hay·yə·hū·ḏîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3064: Jews -- Jewish

in all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

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

provinces.
מְדִינ֥וֹת (mə·ḏî·nō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4082: A judgeship, jurisdiction, a district, a region


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OT History: Esther 8:5 She said If it pleases the king (Est Esth. Es)
Esther 8:4
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