King Ahasuerus's sleepless night leads to the discovery that Mordecai saved his life but was never rewarded. Coincidentally, Haman arrives to request Mordecai's execution. The king, unaware of Haman's intent, asks him how to honour a man, leading Haman to unwittingly propose the very honours Mordecai receives, forcing Haman to publicly exalt his adversary.
And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
¶ And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:
And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.
Study Notes for Esther 6
Verse 1
The king's insomnia is often viewed as a key example of divine providence working behind the scenes. This seemingly random event sets the stage for the dramatic reversal of fortune in the narrative.
Verse 2
The reading of the chronicles confirming Mordecai's loyalty ensures that the ensuing honor is based on documented merit, justifying the favor shown to a marginalized Jew.
Verse 3
The fact that 'nothing' had been done for Mordecai is crucial to the plot’s irony, ensuring his long-delayed reward happens at the exact moment Haman is present to facilitate it.
Verse 4
This verse sets up profound dramatic irony: Haman enters the court seeking permission to kill Mordecai, unaware that the king is about to intercept him and elevate his enemy instead.
Verse 6
Haman’s extreme pride leads him to assume the honor must be for him. This self-absorption causes him to suggest the maximal honors, which he is then forced to bestow upon his rival.
Verse 8
Requesting the king's own clothing and horse was an extremely high honor in Persian culture, temporarily conferring an aura of royal authority and symbolizing supreme favor.
Verse 10
This command marks the critical turning point (peripeteia) of the book. The king explicitly commands Haman to perform the honors for 'Mordecai the Jew,' sealing Haman's humiliation.
Verse 12
Mordecai demonstrates humility by returning to his post. Haman’s 'mourning' and covered head signify profound shame and the crushing of his spirit and ambitious plans.
Verse 13
Zeresh and the wise men correctly interpret this event not merely as bad luck, but as a sign that Haman has begun a fatal conflict against a protected people, predicting his ultimate defeat.
Verse 14
The immediate arrival of the chamberlains underscores the swiftness of Haman’s fate. He is allowed no time to process his humiliation or formulate a counter-strategy before facing Esther at the banquet.
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The Calling of Disciples
19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
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