Esther 2:23

23 And it was sought, and it was found sooth, and either of them was hanged in a gibbet; and this was commanded to be written in [the] stories, and it was betaken to the books of [the] years, before the king. (And it was sought into, and found to be true, and both of the guards were hanged on the gallows; and all of this was commanded to be written down in The Books of the Years, that is, in The Official Annals, in the sight of the king.)

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 Then in that time, wherein Mordecai dwelled at the gate of the king, Bigthan(a) and Teresh, two servants of the king, were wroth (against the king), that were porters, and sat in the first threshold of the palace; and they would rise (up) against the king, and slay him. (Now one day, when Mordecai was in attendance at the royal court, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who were guards, or doorkeepers, guarding the first threshold of the palace, became hostile toward the king, and plotted to kill him.)

22 Which thing was not hid from Mordecai, and anon Mordecai told this to the queen Esther, and she told it to the king, in the name of Mordecai, that had told that thing to her. (And this thing was not hid from Mordecai, who at once told this to Queen Esther, and she told it to the king, in the name of Mordecai, who had told that thing to her.)

23 And it was sought, and it was found sooth, and either of them was hanged in a gibbet; and this was commanded to be written in [the] stories, and it was betaken to the books of [the] years, before the king. (And it was sought into, and found to be true, and both of the guards were hanged on the gallows; and all of this was commanded to be written down in The Books of the Years, that is, in The Official Annals, in the sight of the king.)