“If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.”
My Notes
What Does Esther 5:8 Mean?
"If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said." Esther's SECOND delay: the king asks what she wants. She has the opening. She could reveal Haman's plot NOW. Instead, she invites the king and Haman to ANOTHER banquet — tomorrow. The request is delayed AGAIN. The petition is postponed. The revelation waits another day.
The phrase "let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare" invites the ENEMY alongside the KING: Esther keeps Haman CLOSE — included in the intimate dinner, seated at the queen's table, invited into the space where the trap will eventually spring. The hospitality is STRATEGIC. The inclusion is the setup. By keeping Haman comfortable and honored, Esther ensures he's positioned exactly where she needs him when the accusation comes.
The phrase "I will do to morrow as the king hath said" (machar e'eseh kidvar hammelekh — tomorrow I will do according to the word of the king) promises TOMORROW: the delay isn't hesitation. It's TIMING. Between this banquet and tomorrow's banquet, GOD will act — Haman will build his gallows (5:14), the king will have a sleepless night (6:1), the chronicles will be read (6:1-2), and Mordecai will be honored (6:10-11). The delay creates the space for divine reversal.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What delay is creating space for God to arrange circumstances before you speak?
- 2.What does Esther inviting the ENEMY to dinner teach about strategic hospitality?
- 3.How does the twenty-four-hour delay enabling the king's sleepless night describe how God uses the gaps you create?
- 4.What courage to DELAY (when you could act now) does your situation require?
Devotional
Esther has the OPENING — the king is asking 'what do you want?' — and she DELAYS. Again. Another banquet. Tomorrow. The petition waits one more day. The accusation is held for twenty-four more hours. And in those hours, EVERYTHING changes.
The delay is STRATEGIC, not fearful: between tonight and tomorrow, God orchestrates the reversal. The king can't sleep (6:1). The chronicles are read (6:1-2). Mordecai's unrewarded service is discovered (6:3). Haman arrives thinking he'll be honored — and is ordered to honor MORDECAI instead (6:10-11). The delay creates the space for divine setup. The postponement enables the providence.
Esther keeps Haman at the TABLE: she invites the enemy to dinner ALONGSIDE the king. The hospitality is the trap. The comfort is the setup. Haman leaves the first banquet 'joyful and with a glad heart' (5:9) — completely unaware that his hostess is about to destroy him. The queen feeds her enemy the night before she exposes him. The table is the stage for both the comfort and the accusation.
The 'TOMORROW' is Esther's faith in TIMING: she doesn't rush. She trusts that the right moment hasn't arrived yet. The courage to DELAY when you have the opportunity to ACT is its own kind of bravery. Esther could speak tonight. She chooses tomorrow. The restraint is the strategy. The patience is the weapon.
What 'tomorrow' are you waiting for — what delay is creating space for God to arrange the circumstances before you speak?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then went Haman forth that day, joyful, and with a glad heart,.... From court to his own house
but when Haman saw…
I will do to-morrow - She saw she was gaining on the king's affections; but she was not yet sufficiently confident; and…
Here is, I. Esther's bold approach to the king, Est 5:1. When the time appointed for their fast was finished she lost no…
Esther's form of reply suggests that for the moment she meant to declare her grief, but suddenly breaks off for some…