Esther 5:14

14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said, "Build a gallows seventy-five feet high. First thing in the morning speak with the king; get him to order Mordecai hanged on it. Then happily go with the king to dinner." Haman liked that. He had the gallows built.

Esther 5:14 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 5:14

Then said Zeresh his wife, and all his friends, unto him
His wife very probably first moved it, and all his friends present approved of it and united in it:

let a gallows be made, of fifty cubits, high;
that the person hanged thereon might be seen at a distance, and so be a greater reproach to him, and a terror to others, to take care they were not guilty of the same offence: Cartalo was ordered by his father to be fixed to the highest cross in the sight of the city F12; and it was usual for crosses to be erected very high F13 both for that purpose, and for greater infamy and disgrace F14:

and tomorrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged
thereon;
get a grant from him for it; of which they made no doubt, since Haman had such an interest in him, and had already obtained an order to destroy all Jews in his dominions:

then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet;
eased of the burden of his mind, and honoured to be a guest with the royal pair:

and the thing pleased Haman, and he caused the gallows to be made;
but it was for himself, as it proved in the issue. See ( Esther 7:10 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F12 Justin e Trogo, l. 18. c. 7. Vid. l. 22. c. 7.
F13 Vid. Lipsium de Cruce, l. 3. c. 13.
F14 Suetonius in Galba, c. 9.

Esther 5:14 In-Context

12 "On top of all that," Haman continued, "Queen Esther invited me to a private dinner she gave for the king, just the three of us. And she's invited me to another one tomorrow.
13 But I can't enjoy any of it when I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King's Gate."
14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said, "Build a gallows seventy-five feet high. First thing in the morning speak with the king; get him to order Mordecai hanged on it. Then happily go with the king to dinner." Haman liked that. He had the gallows built.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.