From the early Church Fathers to now.
1 Jewish · 2 Reformed · 1 Methodist · 1 Catholic
“But she answered: If it please the king. I beseech thee to come to me this day, and Aman with thee to the banquet which I have prepared.”
“let the king and Haman come Our Sages stated many reasons for the matter. What did Esther see (i.e., what motivated her) to invite Haman? In order to make the king and the princes jealous of him, that the king should think that he desired her and kill him, and many other reasons. to the banquet Heb. (הַמִשְּׁתֶּה) lit. drinking feast. Every banquet is called (מִשְּׁתֶּה) on account of the wine, which is the principal feature.”
“And Esther answered, if it seem good unto the king,.... She humbly submits it to his pleasure, suggesting it would be exceeding grateful to her, could it be granted: let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him; for the king; and supposing it would be acceptable to him, and the rather engage him to come to it, she invited his favourite; and chiefly, that she might have an opportunity of accusing him before the king to his face, and when alone.”
“Let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet - It was necessary to invite Haman to prevent his suspicion, and that he might not take any hasty step which might have prevented the execution of the great design.”
“Prepared. It was not prudent to declare her request, when many improper persons were present; and Aman was not there. (Menochius) — She thought that the hilarity, occasioned by innocent feasting, (Haydock) might be a means of obtaining more effectually what she wanted. (Menochius) — If the prudence of this world suggest much address, why may not virtue employ the same arts for good purposes? Esther had to obtain two great points; to make the king retract his edict, and to abandon his favourite. She is afraid therefore of being too hasty, (Calmet) and invites the king again, to increase by this delay his desire of knowing her request, and that he might bind himself to grant it more effectually. (Worthington) — She invites Aman alone, who would thus be more envied by the other courtiers; (Lyranus) while she manifested an open dispostion, and disdained to accuse the absent. (Tirinus)”
“let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him--There was great address in this procedure of Esther's; for, by showing such high respect to the king's favorite, she would the better insinuate herself into the royal affections; and gain a more suitable opportunity of making known her request.”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.