The interpretation timeline

Esth 7:5

How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.

From the early Church Fathers to now.

1 Jewish · 1 Reformed · 1 Methodist · 1 Catholic

Esth 7:5 · Douay-Rheims
“And king Assuerus answered and said: Who is this, and of what power, that he should do these things?”
Scholastic c. 1100 – 1500
1105
A.D.
Rashi Jewish
1040–1105
“And King Ahasuerus said, and he said to Queen Esther Wherever it says, “And he said, and he said,” twice, it is to be expounded upon, and the midrashic interpretation of this is: Originally, he would speak to her by messenger, but now that he knew that she was of a royal family, he spoke to her personally.”
666 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
Post-Reformation c. 1650 – 1900
1771
A.D.
John Gill Reformed
1697–1771
“Then the King Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen,.... The words in the original text lie thus, "and the King Ahasuerus said, and he said to Esther the queen"; which doubling of the word does not signify, as Jarchi suggests, that before he spoke to her by a messenger, or middle person, but, now he knew she was of a royal family, he spoke to her himself; but it is expressive of the ruffle of his mind, and the wrath and fury he was in, that he said it again and again, with a stern countenance and great vehemence of speech: who is he? and where is he? who is the man? and where does he live? that durst presume in his heart to do so; that has boldness, impudence, and courage enough to perpetrate so vile an action: or "that has filled his heart" (i); the devil no doubt filled his heart to do it, see Act 5:3, but the king had either forgot the decree he had granted, and the countenance he had given him to execute it; or, if he remembered it, he was now enraged that he should be drawn in to such an action by him; and perhaps till now was ignorant of Esther's descent, and knew not that she would be involved in the decree. (i) "qui replevit cor suum", Drusius; "implevit", De Dieu.”
Source
1832
A.D.
Adam Clarke Methodist
1762–1832
“Who is he, and where is he - There is a wonderful abruptness and confusion in the original words, highly expressive of the state of mind in which the king then was: מי הוא זה ואי זה הוא אשר מלאו לבו לעשות כן mi hu zeh veey zeh hu asher melao libbo laasoth ken. "Who? He? This one? And where? This one? He? Who hath filled his heart to do thus?" He was at once struck with the horrible nature of a conspiracy so cruel and diabolic.”
Source
1849
A.D.
1774–1849
“What. Hebrew, “where, who durst entertain this design?” (Haydock)”
Modern · 1953 →

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.