John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. Now it came to pass on the third day , etc.] Of the fast; though the former Targum paraphrases it the third day of the passover, the sixteenth of Nisan, (see Gill on “ Esther 4:17”), though it is probable this was nearer the time fixed for the destruction of the Jews, (see Esther 8:9), yet the Jews have fixed the fast of Esther on that very day, the thirteenth of Adar f132 : that Esther put on her royal apparel ; in order to go in to the king, and appear before him; which to do in a mournful habit, such as she had on when fasting, was not proper; for then she put off her royal crown, as is intimated in the additions to the book of Esther, And upon the third day, when she had ended her prayers, she laid away her mourning garments, and put on her glorious apparel. (Esther 15:1) and as was usual for princes to do in times of mourning f133 ; but now she put it on, as both Ben Gorion and the latter Targum affirm: and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house ; into which none might go but such as were called; yet Esther being queen, the keepers of the door could not forbid her, as Aben Ezra observes: and the king sat upon his royal throne, in the royal house, over against the gate of the house ; so that he could see whoever came in at it, into the inner court.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Esther having had power with God, and prevailing, like Jacob, had powe with men too. He that will lose his life for God, shall save it, or find it in a better life. The king encouraged her. Let us from this be encouraged to pray always to our God, and not to faint. Esther came to a proud, imperious man; but we come to the God of love and grace. Sh was not called, but we are; the Spirit says, Come, and the Bride says Come. She had a law against her, we have a promise, many a promise, i favour of us; Ask, and it shall be given you. She had no friend to go with her, or to plead for her; on the contrary, he that was then the king's favourite, was her enemy; but we have an Advocate with the Father, in whom he is well pleased. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. God put it into Esther's heart to delay her petition day longer; she knew not, but God did, what was to happen in that very night.
Original Hebrew ויהי1961 ביום3117 השׁלישׁי7992 ותלבשׁ3847 אסתר635 מלכות4438 ותעמד5975 בחצר2691 בית1004 המלך4428 הפנימית6442 נכח5227 בית1004 המלך4428 והמלך4428 יושׁב3427 על5921 כסא3678 מלכותו4438 בבית1004 המלכות4438 נכח5227 פתח6607 הבית׃1004
