The Meaning of Esther 8:5 Explained

Esther 8:5

KJV: 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:

YLT: 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,

Darby: and said, If it please the king and if I have found grace before him, and the thing seem right to the king, and I be pleasing in his sight, 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.

ASV: 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:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Esther 8:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 8:1-17 - Courage Rewarded
The ring symbolized royal power and authority; by this sign Mordecai was suddenly raised to the position formerly held by Haman. He also managed for Esther the large estate which had come into her possession. Because of the fixity of the customs and laws of the Medes, it was impossible to reverse the royal proclamation, which had decreed that the Hebrew people should be exterminated. So the king granted Mordecai permission to send letters to his people, allowing them to arm and defend themselves. The speed with which the circulation of the royal decree was carried out is a rebuke to the Church of God which has been entrusted with the gospel of salvation. More than eighteen hundred years have passed, and still immense multitudes have never heard the name of Christ or the love of God. Let us at least strain every nerve to pass on the joyful news, overtaking the tidings of death. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Esther 8:5 mean?

and said if on the king it pleases and if I have found favor in his sight and [seems] right the thing to the king and am pleasing I in his eyes let it be written to revoke - the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who [are] in all provinces of the king
וַ֠תֹּאמֶר אִם־ עַל־ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ ט֜וֹב וְאִם־ מָצָ֧אתִי חֵ֣ן לְפָנָ֗יו וְכָשֵׁ֤ר הַדָּבָר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְטוֹבָ֥ה אֲנִ֖י בְּעֵינָ֑יו יִכָּתֵ֞ב לְהָשִׁ֣יב אֶת־ הַסְּפָרִ֗ים מַחֲשֶׁ֜בֶת הָמָ֤ן בֶּֽן־ הַמְּדָ֙תָא֙ הָאֲגָגִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּתַ֗ב לְאַבֵּד֙ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּכָל־ מְדִינ֥וֹת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

וַ֠תֹּאמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
ט֜וֹב  it  pleases 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
וְאִם־  and  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
מָצָ֧אתִי  I  have  found 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
חֵ֣ן  favor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵן  
Sense: favour, grace, charm.
לְפָנָ֗יו  in  his  sight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְכָשֵׁ֤ר  and  [seems]  right 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּשֵׁר  
Sense: to succeed, please, be suitable, be proper, be advantageous, be right and proper to.
הַדָּבָר֙  the  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְטוֹבָ֥ה  and  am  pleasing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
בְּעֵינָ֑יו  in  his  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יִכָּתֵ֞ב  let  it  be  written 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
לְהָשִׁ֣יב  to  revoke 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַסְּפָרִ֗ים  the  letters 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
מַחֲשֶׁ֜בֶת  devised 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַחֲשָׁבָה  
Sense: thought, device.
הָמָ֤ן  by  Haman 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הָמָן  
Sense: chief minister of Ahasuerus, enemy of Mordecai and the Jews, who plotted to kill the Jews but, being foiled by Esther, was hanged, with his family, on the gallows he had made for Mordecai.
בֶּֽן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַמְּדָ֙תָא֙  of  Hammedatha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַמְּדָתָא  
Sense: father of Haman.
הָאֲגָגִ֔י  the  Agagite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲגָגִי  
Sense: said of Haman, Haman the Agagite.
כָּתַ֗ב  he  wrote 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
לְאַבֵּד֙  to  annihilate 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים  the  Jews 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
בְּכָל־  [are]  in  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מְדִינ֥וֹת  provinces 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.