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:

Then Esther {H635} the queen {H4436} answered {H6030} and said {H559}, If I have found {H4672} favour {H2580} in thy sight {H5869}, O king {H4428}, and if it please {H2895} the king {H4428}, let my life {H5315} be given {H5414} me at my petition {H7596}, and my people {H5971} at my request {H1246}:

Ester the queen answered, "If I have won your favor, king, and if it pleases the king, then what I ask be given me is my own life and the lives of my people.

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.

Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor 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:

Context of Esther 7:3

Esther 7:3 marks the dramatic climax of Queen Esther's carefully orchestrated plan to save her people. This verse immediately follows King Ahasuerus's repeated offer to grant Esther "whatsoever thy petition, and whatsoever thy request" (see Esther 7:2), even "to the half of the kingdom." Having already hosted two banquets for the King and Haman, Esther finally seizes the opportune moment to reveal her desperate situation. The tension in the royal court is immense, as the fate of the Jewish people hangs precariously on her words.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Courageous Intercession: Esther, having risked her life to approach the king unbidden (a move detailed in Esther 4:16), now boldly speaks up for her own life and the lives of her people. Her petition is a profound act of intercession, placing herself between the king's power and her condemned nation.
  • Strategic Wisdom: Her opening words, "If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king," are a masterful display of humility and respect, designed to appeal to the king's goodwill before making an extraordinary request. By asking for her own life first, she personalizes the danger and then broadens it to her people, making the plea more impactful.
  • High Stakes and Divine Providence: This verse underscores the immense gravity of the situation. The survival of an entire ethnic group is at stake. While God's name is not explicitly mentioned in the Book of Esther, His providential hand is clearly at work, guiding Esther's actions and the timing of her appeal to avert catastrophe.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "If I have found favour in thy sight" (Hebrew: im matzati chen b'einecha) is a common biblical idiom used to express humility and seek goodwill or acceptance from a superior. It emphasizes Esther's deference to King Ahasuerus's authority and her reliance on his grace. Her direct request for "my life" (Hebrew: nafshi) and "my people" (Hebrew: ammi) conveys the extreme urgency and personal nature of her plea, highlighting that her very existence and that of her entire community are under threat.

Practical Application

Esther's plea in this verse offers profound lessons for today. It reminds us of the power of courageous advocacy for justice and the vulnerable. Like Esther, we may be called to speak up for others, even when it involves personal risk or requires careful, strategic communication. It highlights the importance of timing and wisdom in presenting critical matters. Furthermore, it serves as an enduring example of how God can use individuals, positioned in unique circumstances, to bring about His purposes and deliver His people, often through acts of profound intercession and bravery.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 38:26

    Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.

  • 2 Kings 1:13

    And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.

  • 1 Kings 20:31

    ¶ And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel [are] merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.

  • Job 2:4

    And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

  • Psalms 122:6

    ¶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

  • Psalms 122:9

    Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

  • Esther 4:8

    Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew [it] unto Esther, and to declare [it] unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.

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