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The Book of Esther

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- Chapter 6 -

The king honors Mordecai

1
The king passed that night without sleep, and so he ordered the histories and chronicles of former times to be brought to him. And when they were reading them before him,
2
they came to that place where it had been written, how Mordecai had reported the treachery of Bigthan and Teresh the eunuchs, who desired to cut the throat of king Artaxerxes.(a)
3
When the king had heard this, he said, “What honor and reward has Mordecai been given for this fidelity?” His servants and ministers said to him, “He has received no compensation at all.”(b) (c)
4
And immediately the king said, “Who is in the atrium?” For, you see, Haman was entering the inner atrium of the king’s house to suggest to the king that he should order Mordecai to be hanged on the gallows, which had been prepared for him.
5
The servants answered, “Haman is standing in the atrium.” And the king said, “Let him enter.”
6
And when he had entered, he said to him, “What ought to be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?” But Haman, thinking in his heart and supposing that the king would honor no one else but himself,(d)
7
answered, “The man whom the king wishes to honor,
8
ought to be clothed with the king’s apparel, and be set upon the horse that the king rides, and receive the royal crown upon his head.
9
And let the first of the king’s rulers and sovereigns hold his horse, and, as they advance through the street of the city, proclaim before him and say, ‘Thus shall he be honored, whom the king decides to honor.’ ”
10
And the king said to him, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse, and do as you have said to Mordecai the Jew, who sits in front of the gate of the palace. Be careful not to omit any of those things which you have mentioned.”
11
And so Haman took the robe and the horse, and arraying Mordecai in the street of the city, and setting him on the horse, he went before him and cried out, “He is worthy of this honor, whom the king has decided to honor.”
12
And Mordecai returned to the palace door. And Haman hurried to go to his house, mourning and hiding his head.
13
And he explained to Zeresh his wife and to his friends all that had happened to him. And the wise men, whom he held in counsel, and his wife, answered him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is from the offspring of the Jews, you will not be able to withstand him, but you will fall in his sight.”
14
As they were still speaking, the king’s eunuchs arrived and compelled him to go quickly to the feast, which the queen had prepared.

Footnotes

(a)10:2 The word “iugulare” means to kill someone by cutting their throat. “Jugulare” refers to the throat. The English word jugular, as in the jugular vein, is derived from the Latin.(Conte)
(b)10:3 Compensation, or reward, or gift.(Conte)
(c)6:3 No reward at all:He received some presents from the king, chap. 12.5; but these were so inconsiderable in the opinion of the courtiers, that they esteemed them as nothing at all.(Challoner)
(d)10:6 Interestingly, the author of this book uses “vir” when the king is speaking, because he is referring to Mordecai. The word “vir” has a generally positive connotation, not unlike the word “gentleman.” But, in the next verse, the author has Haman use the word “homo,” meaning merely “man,” because Haman is referring to himself. The author puts the less complementary word in Haman’s mouth to show that Haman is not worthy to be called “vir.” Haman is not a gentleman, but merely a man.(Conte)

The king honors Mordecai

1
On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king.
2
It was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were doorkeepers, who had tried to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
3
The king said, “ What honor and dignity has been given to Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “ Nothing has been done for him.”
4
The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king’s house, to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5
The king’s servants said to him, “ Behold, (a) Haman stands in the court.” The king said, “Let him come in.”
6
So Haman came in. The king said to him, “ What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” Now Haman said in his heart, “ Who would the king delight to honor more than myself?”
7
Haman said to the king, “ For the man whom the king delights to honor,
8
let royal clothing be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on, and on the head of which a royal crown is set.
9
Let the clothing and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man whom the king delights to honor with them, and have him ride on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘ Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’”
10
Then the king said to Haman, “ Hurry and take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do this for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Let nothing fail of all that you have spoken.”
11
Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “ Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”
12
Mordecai came back to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
13
Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “ If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him.”
14
While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came, and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Footnotes

(a)6:5 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
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