Esther 2:23

23 The matter was investigated and found to be true, so the two men were impaled on pointed poles.^[a] A report about the event was written in the royal record with the king present.

Esther 2:23 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 2:23

And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out,
&c.] That these two men had entered into a conspiracy to take away the king's life; full proof and evidence were given of it:

therefore they were both hanged on a tree;
Josephus ^F5 says they were crucified; but hanging was frequent among the Persians, as Grotius observes, and better agrees with the word here used:

and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king;
in a diary kept by the king's order, in which memorable events were set down, and might be done in the presence of the king, as well as the book lay open before him to read at any time; and this is observed to agree with the manner of Xerxes, who is reported ^F6 to sit on a throne of gold to behold a sea fight between the Grecians and Persians, and had several scribes by him to take down whatever was done in the fight.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Ibid. (Antiqu. l. 11. c. 6. sect. 4.)
F6 Plutarch. in Themistocle.

Esther 2:23 In-Context

21 At that time, as Mordecai continued to work at the King's Gate, two royal eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, became angry with King Ahasuerus. They were among the guards protecting the doorway to the king, but they secretly planned to kill him.

22 When Mordecai got wind of it, he reported it to Queen Esther. She spoke to the king about it, saying the information came from Mordecai.

23 The matter was investigated and found to be true, so the two men were impaled on pointed poles. A report about the event was written in the royal record with the king present.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or hanged the two men on gallows