Esther 6:1-9

The King Plans to Honor Mordecai

1 During that night the king ¹could not sleep so he gave an order to bring ²the book of records, the chronicles *, and they were read before the king.

2 It was found written what ³Mordecai had reported concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.

3 The king said, "What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing * has been done for him."

4 So the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just ⁴entered the outer court of the king's palace in order to speak to the king about ⁵hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had prepared for him.

5 The king's servants said to him, "Behold, Haman is standing in the court." And the king said, "Let him come in."

6 So Haman came in and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man ⁶whom the king desires to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?"

7 Then Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king desires to honor,

8 let them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and ⁷the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head ⁸a royal crown has been placed;

9 and let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble princes and let them array the man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square, ⁹and proclaim before him, 'Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.' "

Esther 6:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 6

Ahasuerus, not being able to sleep in the night, ordered the book of records to be brought and read to him, where a fact of Mordecai's was registered, and, upon inquiry, it appeared that nothing had been done to him for it, Es 6:1-3 and Haman being in the outward court, was ordered in, with whom the king consulted what should be done to the man the king delighted to honour; to which Haman gave answer, and was bid to do as he said, Es 6:4-10, which he did, but went home after it confounded and sorrowful, and told his mournful case to his wife and friends, who plainly foresaw his downfall, Es 6:11-14.

Cross References

• 1. Daniel 6:18
• 2. Esther 2:23; Esther 10:2
• 3. Esther 2:21, 22
• 4. Esther 4:11
• 5. Esther 5:14
• 6. Esth 6:7, 9, 11
• 7. 1 Kings 1:33
• 8. Esther 1:11; Esther 2:17
• 9. Genesis 41:43

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "the king's sleep fled"
• [b]. Lit "in his heart"