King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Then Mordekhai returned to the King's Gate; but Haman rushed home with his head covered in mourning.
Berean Standard Bible:
Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
American Standard Version:
And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Mordecai{H4782} came again{H7725} to the king's{H4428} gate{H8179}. But Haman{H2001} hasted{H1765} to his house{H1004} mourning{H57}, and having his head{H7218} covered{H2645}.
Cross-References (KJV):
2 Samuel 15:30
- And David went up by the ascent of [mount] Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that [was] with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
Jeremiah 14:3
- And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, [and] found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.
Jeremiah 14:4
- Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
Job 20:5
- That the triumphing of the wicked [is] short, and the joy of the hypocrite [but] for a moment?
1 Kings 21:4
- And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
Psalms 131:1
- ¶ A Song of degrees of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
Psalms 131:2
- Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul [is] even as a weaned child.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Esther 6:12
Esther 6:12 captures a pivotal moment in the biblical book of Esther, which is set in the Persian Empire during the reign of King Ahasuerus (commonly identified as Xerxes I, reigning approximately 486-465 BCE). The verse occurs at the climax of a dramatic reversal of fortune for the story's two main characters, Mordecai and Haman.
In the narrative, Mordecai is a Jew who has risen to a position of influence in the king's court but has incurred the enmity of Haman, the king's advisor, by refusing to bow to him. Haman, in turn, is a high-ranking official who becomes incensed by Mordecai's insubordination and plots to destroy not only Mordecai but all the Jews throughout the empire.
The events leading up to Esther 6:12 involve a series of coincidences orchestrated by Providence: the king, unable to sleep, has the royal records read to him and learns that Mordecai had previously exposed a plot to assassinate the king, yet had never been rewarded. The next day, as Haman arrives at the palace to request Mordecai's execution, the king instead asks Haman to honor someone who has pleased him. Assuming the king means him, Haman suggests an elaborate public display of honor. To Haman's dismay, the king instructs him to bestow this honor on Mordecai.
Esther 6:12 specifically depicts Mordecai's return to the king's gate after being publicly honored by Haman, in accordance with the king's command. In stark contrast, Haman rushes home in mourning, with his head covered as a sign of humiliation and distress, realizing that his own demise is imminent. This verse encapsulates the themes of divine providence, the reversal of fortune, and the ultimate triumph of righteousness over malevolence, as well as the precariousness of life in the royal court where favor and disfavor can shift rapidly. The historical context reflects the vulnerability of Jewish communities in diaspora, living under foreign rule and subject to the whims of powerful officials, a situation that resonates with the broader Jewish historical experience of exile and redemption.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H4782
There are 52 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מׇרְדְּכַי
Transliteration: Mordᵉkay
Pronunciation: mor-dek-ah'-ee
Description: of foreign derivation; Mordecai, an Israelite; Mordecai. - Strong's Number: H7725
There are 952 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׁוּב
Transliteration: shûwb
Pronunciation: shoob
Description: a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw. - Strong's Number: H4428
There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
Transliteration: melek
Pronunciation: meh'-lek
Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal. - Strong's Number: H8179
There are 302 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שַׁעַר
Transliteration: shaʻar
Pronunciation: shah'-ar
Description: from שָׁעַר in its original sense; an opening, i.e. door or gate; city, door, gate, port ([idiom] -er). - Strong's Number: H2001
There are 45 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הָמָן
Transliteration: Hâmân
Pronunciation: haw-mawn'
Description: of foreign derivation; Haman, a Persian vizier; Haman. - Strong's Number: H1765
There are 4 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דָּחַף
Transliteration: dâchaph
Pronunciation: daw-khaf'
Description: a primitive root; to urge, i.e. hasten; (be) haste(-ned), pressed on. - Strong's Number: H1004
There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּיִת
Transliteration: bayith
Pronunciation: bah'-yith
Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). - Strong's Number: H57
There are 2044 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָבֵל
Transliteration: ʼâbêl
Pronunciation: aw-bale'
Description: from אָבַל; lamenting; mourn(-er, -ing). - Strong's Number: H7218
There are 548 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רֹאשׁ
Transliteration: rôʼsh
Pronunciation: roshe
Description: from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.); band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top. - Strong's Number: H2645
There are 10 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָפָה
Transliteration: châphâh
Pronunciation: khaw-faw'
Description: a primitive root (compare חָפָא, חׇפַף); to cover; by implication, to veil, to encase, protect; ceil, cover, overlay.