וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַתִּלְבַּשׁ אֶסְתֵּר מַלְכוּת וַתַּעֲמֹד בַּחֲצַר בֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ הַפְּנִימִית נֹכַח בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַמֶּלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ בְּבֵית הַמַּלְכוּת נֹכַח פֶּתַח הַבָּיִת

It was on the third day; Esther donned royalty, royal apparel, and stood in the inner courtyard of the king’s palace, facing the king’s palace; the king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal palace, facing the entrance of the palace, where he could see who was present in the court.

וַיְהִי כִרְאוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה עֹמֶדֶת בֶּחָצֵר נָשְׂאָה חֵן בְּעֵינָיו וַיּוֹשֶׁט הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּר אֶת־שַׁרְבִיט הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ וַתִּקְרַב אֶסְתֵּר וַתִּגַּע בְּרֹאשׁ הַשַּׁרְבִיט

It was as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard that she found favor in his eyes; the affection that he had initially felt toward her when he chose her was rekindled, and consequently the king extended the golden scepter that was in his hand to Esther, thereby granting her official permission to enter. Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter, which was apparently the accepted ceremonial response to receiving royal permission to approach.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ מַה־לָּךְ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וּמַה־בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד־חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ

The king said to her: What is it with you, Queen Esther, and what is your request? You clearly want something. In my love for you I will grant it, up to half of the kingdom, and it will be granted to you. The king expresses in exaggerated terms his willingness to act for her sake.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר אִם־עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב יָבוֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן הַיּוֹם אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂיתִי לוֹ

Esther said, in the same formal manner: If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman, the most important man in the kingdom and the one closest to the king, come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him, the king.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ מַהֲרוּ אֶת־הָמָן לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־דְּבַר אֶסְתֵּר וַיָּבֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָה אֶסְתֵּר

The king said: Hasten Haman to do Esther’s bidding. The tone of this order is somewhat dismissive of Haman, as the king is treating him like a servant who must instantly obey any desire of the queen. The king and Haman, who was very pleased at this honor, came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּר בְּמִשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן מַה־שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ וּמַה־בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד־חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת וְתֵעָשׂ

Ahashverosh understood that this feast was not a celebration for its own sake, but rather was designed to create a favorable opportunity for the queen to state her request. Therefore the king said to Esther at the wine banquet: What is your wish? It will be granted to you. What is your request? Up to half of the kingdom, and it will be done.

וַתַּעַן אֶסְתֵּר וַתֹּאמַר שְׁאֵלָתִי וּבַקָּשָׁתִי

Esther answered and she said: My wish and my request is as follows:

אִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאִם־עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב לָתֵת אֶת־שְׁאֵלָתִי וְלַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־בַּקָּשָׁתִי יָבוֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר אֶעֱשֶׂה לָהֶם וּמָחָר אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ

If I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my wish and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will again prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do the king’s bidding. Despite the expressions of affection that she had heard from Ahashverosh, Esther still hesitated; she was not yet ready to present her request. She was unsure of her ability to take a drastic step immediately, and she knew that were she to fail, she would also place herself in danger.

וַיֵּצֵא הָמָן בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא שָׂמֵחַ וְטוֹב לֵב וְכִרְאוֹת הָמָן אֶת־מָרְדֳּכַי בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא־קָם וְלֹא־זָע מִמֶּנּוּ וַיִּמָּלֵא הָמָן עַל־מָרְדֳּכַי חֵמָה

Ahashverosh left the feast in a state of intense curiosity. Esther had approached him the previous day, against the rules. In light of her repeated deferrals, he realized that she was preparing herself to request something important. In contrast, Haman emerged on that day joyful and glad of heart. He felt that he had reached the pinnacle of his success, as he was now not only a confidant of the king, but the queen had also shown him special favor, and he considered this a clear sign of his exalted status. But upon Haman’s seeing Mordekhai at the king’s gate, where Mordekhai had returned in his usual apparel after the end of the fast, and he did not stand, and he did not move on his account, but ignored Haman completely, Haman’s mood changed for the worse; Haman became filled with fury against Mordekhai. The loftier his position in the kingdom, the more uncontrollable his anger over this act of disrespect.

וַיִּתְאַפַּק הָמָן וַיָּבוֹא אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ וַיִּשְׁלַח וַיָּבֵא אֶת־אֹהֲבָיו וְאֶת־זֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ

Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, as he could do nothing at that time, and he entered his house and brought, gathered, his supporters, and Zeresh, his influential wife.

וַיְסַפֵּר לָהֶם הָמָן אֶת־כְּבוֹד עָשְׁרוֹ וְרֹב בָּנָיו וְאֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר גִּדְּלוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר נִשְּׂאוֹ עַל־הַשָּׂרִים וְעַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ

Haman arranged a celebratory gathering of his supporters in order to tell them that he had been invited to the queen’s feast, and he related to them the honor of his wealth, and the multitude of his children, and all the ways that the king had promoted him, and that he had elevated him over the princes and servants of the king. It is mentioned later (9:7–10) that ten sons of Haman were hanged, and he might have had even more children from other wives.

וַיֹּאמֶר הָמָן אַף לֹא־הֵבִיאָה אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה עִם־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂתָה כִּי אִם־אוֹתִי וְגַם־לְמָחָר אֲנִי קָרוּא־לָהּ עִם־הַמֶּלֶךְ

Haman said: Indeed, Queen Esther did not bring anyone but me with the king to the banquet that she prepared; tomorrow too, I am invited to her with the king. This is the crowning glory. Not only am I the chief minister of the kingdom, but I have become the favorite in the royal household.

וְכָל־זֶה אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁוֶה לִי בְּכָל־עֵת אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי רֹאֶה אֶת־מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ

But all this is not worthwhile for me whenever I see Mordekhai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate. Yes, I have honor, wealth, and a bright future, but Mordekhai treats me with disrespect.

וַתֹּאמֶר לוֹ זֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ וְכָל־אֹהֲבָיו יַעֲשׂוּ־עֵץ גָּבֹהַּ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה וּבַבֹּקֶר אֱמֹר לַמֶּלֶךְ וְיִתְלוּ אֶת־מָרְדֳּכַי עָלָיו וּבֹא עִם־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה שָׂמֵחַ וַיִּיטַב הַדָּבָר לִפְנֵי הָמָן וַיַּעַשׂ הָעֵץ

Zeresh his wife and all his supporters said to him, all in agreement with each other: Let a gibbet be prepared, fifty cubits high; in the morning say to the king that they should hang Mordekhai upon it. Do not wait until the feast. Go to the king in the morning and tell him that there is someone who aggravates you and refuses to accept your authority. Request that that person be hanged even before the rest of the Jews are killed. And then, in the evening, you can come joyfully, with the king to the banquet. The matter, this idea, was pleasing to Haman, and he prepared the gibbet. He gave an order that a gibbet of this kind be built in preparation for Mordekhai’s hanging, paving the way for Haman’s ultimate triumph.