Esther — Chapter 6
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1On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
3And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
4And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5And the king’s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
7And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
8Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:
9And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
10Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king’s gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
11Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
12And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
13And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
14And while they were yet talking with him, came the king’s chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.
1On that night could not the king sleep; and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
2And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king`s chamberlains, of those that kept the threshold, who had sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.
3And the king said, What honor and dignity hath been bestowed on Mordecai for this? Then said the king`s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
4And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king`s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5And the king`s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor? Now Haman said in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?
7And Haman said unto the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honor,
8let royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and on the head of which a crown royal is set:
9and let the apparel and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king`s most noble princes, that they may array the man therewith whom the king delighteth to honor, and cause him to ride on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor.
10Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king`s gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
11Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and caused him to ride through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor.
12And Mordecai came again to the king`s gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
13And Haman recounted unto Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai, before whom thou hast begun to fall, be of the seed of the Jews, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
14While they were yet talking with him, came the king`s chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.
1Throughout that night the king was unable to sleep, so he asked for the book containing the historical records to be brought. As the records were being read in the king’s presence,
2it was found written that Mordecai had disclosed that Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, had plotted to assassinate King Ahasuerus.
3The king asked, “What great honor was bestowed on Mordecai because of this?” The king’s attendants who served him responded, “Not a thing was done for him.”
4Then the king said, “Who is that in the courtyard?” Now Haman had come to the outer courtyard of the palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had constructed for him.
5The king’s attendants said to him, “It is Haman who is standing in the courtyard.” The king said, “Let him enter.”
6So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?” Haman thought to himself, “Who is it that the king would want to honor more than me?”
7So Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king wishes to honor,
8let them bring royal attire which the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden—one bearing the royal insignia.
9Then let this clothing and this horse be given to one of the king’s noble officials. Let him then clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor, and let him lead him about through the plaza of the city on the horse, calling before him, ‘So shall it be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!’”
10The king then said to Haman, “Go quickly! Take the clothing and the horse, just as you have described, and do as you just indicated to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Don’t neglect a single thing of all that you have said.”
11So Haman took the clothing and the horse, and he clothed Mordecai. He led him about on the horse throughout the plaza of the city, calling before him, “So shall it be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!”
12Then Mordecai again sat at the king’s gate, while Haman hurried away to his home, mournful and with a veil over his head.
13Haman then related to his wife Zeresh and to all his friends everything that had happened to him. These wise men, along with his wife Zeresh, said to him, “If indeed this Mordecai before whom you have begun to fall is Jewish, you will not prevail against him. No, you will surely fall before him!”
14While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived. They quickly brought Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
1On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king.
2It was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were doorkeepers, who had tried to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
3The king said, “What honor and dignity has been given to Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
4The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king’s house, to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5The king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman stands in the court.” The king said, “Let him come in.”
6So Haman came in. The king said to him, “What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” Now Haman said in his heart, “Who would the king delight to honor more than myself?”
7Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor,
8let royal clothing be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on, and on the head of which a crown royal is set.
9Let the clothing and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man whom the king delights to honor with them, and have him ride on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’”
10Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry and take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do this for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Let nothing fail of all that you have spoken.”
11Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”
12Mordecai came back to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
13Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him.”
14While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came, and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
Summary
In a providential sleepless night, the king has the royal chronicles read and discovers Mordecai was never honored for saving his life. Haman, arriving to request Mordecai's execution, is instead forced to publicly honor him—a stunning reversal that foreshadows his downfall.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Susa (Shushan) — the Persian royal capital and winter residence, located in modern southwestern Iran.
- The story takes place entirely within the Persian palace/citadel complex — throne room, inner court, royal garden, and the king's gate.
- The Persian Empire stretched from India to Ethiopia (Cush) — 127 provinces (1:1), the largest empire the world had yet seen.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik calls this chapter "the greatest example of dramatic irony in all of Scripture." He emphasizes that every element was natural yet providential: insomnia, a random reading selection, an overlooked reward, coincidental timing of Haman's arrival. God orchestrated salvation through entirely ordinary means — no miracle required when providence directs every detail.
- Charles Spurgeon: "The king could not sleep. One wakeful night, and a nation is saved! How small the hinge upon which great events turn. God did not send an angel; He sent insomnia. He did not thunder from heaven; He rustled the pages of a forgotten book. The mightiest deliverances often come through the humblest means. A sleepless night, a dusty chronicle, an overlooked reward — and suddenly the gallows built for Mordecai becomes the throne of his honor. Never despise small providences, believer. The God who governs galaxies also governs the eyelids of kings. When He wills to save, He needs no spectacular intervention — a single restless hour is sufficient."
Reflection
- 1. God works through the smallest details (v.1). A sleepless night, a random page in a book, an overlooked reward — these "small" things triggered the salvation of an entire nation. Never dismiss the small events of your life as insignificant. The traffic delay, the conversation overheard, the schedule change — any of these could be God's providence at work.
- 2. Faithfulness is eventually rewarded, though the timing is God's (vv.2-3). Mordecai waited years with no recognition for saving the king's life. Then, in a single night, his faithfulness was remembered and lavishly honored. If your faithful service seems forgotten, trust God's timing. He keeps perfect records and His rewards come at the perfect moment.
- 3. Pride designs its own humiliation (v.6). Haman designed the honor he wanted for himself — and was forced to bestow it on his enemy. When you obsess over your own recognition, you may be crafting the very scenario of your embarrassment. Pursue faithfulness over honor, and let God determine who receives public recognition.
- 4. God can reverse any situation overnight (vv.1-11). In a single night, Haman went from plotting Mordecai's death to leading Mordecai's triumph. No situation is too desperate for God to reverse. Whatever darkness tonight holds, God can transform it by morning. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalm 30:5).
- 5. Even the ungodly recognize God's protective hand (v.13). Haman's pagan wife and advisors recognized that opposing "the seed of the Jews" meant certain fall. God's protection of His people is visible even to those outside the covenant. If God is for you, even your enemies will eventually acknowledge that you cannot be defeated.