Esther 8:1-6

Mordecai Promoted

1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, ¹the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had disclosed ²what he was to her.

2 ³The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3 Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews.

4 ⁴The king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king.

5 Then she said, "⁵If it pleases * the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the ⁶letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.

6 "For ⁷how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?"

Esther 8:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 8

This chapter relates the gifts Ahasuerus gave to Esther and Mordecai, Es 8:1,2, the suit Esther made to him to reverse the letters for the destruction of the Jews, Es 8:3-6, which, though it could not be formally granted, was in effect done by letters sent to the Jews, giving them power to rise in their own defence, and slay their enemies, Es 8:7-14, the consequence of which, and the advancement of Mordecai, were matter of great joy to the Jews, Es 8:15-17.

Cross References

• 1. Esther 7:6
• 2. Esther 2:7, 15
• 3. Esther 3:10
• 4. Esther 4:11; Esther 5:2
• 5. Esther 5:8; Esther 7:3
• 6. Esther 3:13
• 7. Esther 7:4; Esther 9:1