Esther 6

CHAPTER 6

Mordecai Honored (6:1–14)

1–5 In these verses, the writer describes a series of seemingly disconnected “coincidences”: the king can’t sleep; he asks to read the record of his reign; he “happens” to read about Mordecai exposing an assassination plot five years earlier; he discovers Mordecai has not been honored for this; and just as the king is considering what to do about it, Haman enters the court to ask for the king’s permission to hang Mordecai!

6–9 Not knowing why Haman had come, the king asked him what should be done for someone the king wanted to honor. The proud Haman thought the king was referring to him! So Haman gave the king some suggestions—suggestions that Haman was imagining would come true for himself! He imagined himself being led through the streets of Susa wearing the king’s robe and riding the king’s horse¹³—and being led by one of the king’s most noble princes as well (verse 9).

10–14 Imagine Haman’s mortification when he discovered it wasn’t he whom the king wanted to honor but the very man he had planned to hang that morning! Imagine Haman’s humiliation as he himself led the honored Mordecai through the streets of Susa!

After his ordeal, Haman rushed home in grief. If he had hoped for some encouragement from his wife and friends, he certainly didn’t get any; they told him he would surely come to ruin (verse 13). The reason they gave was that Mordecai was of Jewish origin; now Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews would be exposed. And while his friends were still talking to him, Haman was taken away to attend Esther’s second banquet.