Esther — Chapter 7
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1So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
3Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
4For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.
5Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
6And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
8Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.
10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.
1So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.
3Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
4for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king`s damage.
5Then spake the king Ahasuerus and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
6And Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7And the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine [and went] into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
8Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the couch whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he even force the queen before me in the house? As the word went out of the king`s mouth, they covered Haman`s face.
9Then said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains that were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who spake good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him thereon.
10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king`s wrath pacified.
1So the king and Haman came to dine with Queen Esther.
2On the second day of the banquet of wine the king asked Esther, “What is your request, Queen Esther? It shall be granted to you. And what is your petition? Ask for up to half the kingdom, and it shall be done.”
3Queen Esther replied, “If I have met with your approval, O king, and if the king is so inclined, grant me my life as my request, and my people as my petition.
4For we have been sold—both I and my people—to destruction and to slaughter and to annihilation. If we had simply been sold as male and female slaves, I would have remained silent, for such distress would not have been sufficient for troubling the king.”
5Then King Ahasuerus responded to Queen Esther, “Who is this individual? Where is this person to be found who is presumptuous enough to act in this way?”
6Esther replied, “The oppressor and enemy is this evil Haman!”Then Haman became terrified in the presence of the king and queen.
7In rage the king arose from the banquet of wine and withdrew to the palace garden. Meanwhile, Haman stood to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king had now determined a catastrophic end for him.
8When the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet of wine, Haman was throwing himself down on the couch where Esther was lying. The king exclaimed, “Will he also attempt to rape the queen while I am still in the building?”As these words left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Indeed, there is the gallows that Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke out on the king’s behalf. It stands near Haman’s home and is 75 feet high.”The king said, “Hang him on it!”
10So they hanged Haman on the very gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. The king’s rage then abated.
1So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2The king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition, queen Esther? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”
3Then Esther the queen answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
4For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for male and female slaves, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king’s loss.”
5Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen, “Who is he, and where is he who dared presume in his heart to do so?”
6Esther said, “An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman!” Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden. Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
8Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in front of me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were with the king said, “Behold, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, is standing at Haman’s house.” The king said, “Hang him on it!”
10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.
Summary
At the second banquet, Esther reveals her Jewish identity and exposes Haman's plot to destroy her people. The enraged king has Haman hanged on the very gallows he built for Mordecai, and God's people are delivered through complete reversal.
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 emphasizes the completeness of the reversal: Haman began chapter 5 at the height of honor and ends chapter 7 on his own gallows. He notes that Esther's courage reached its culmination here — revealing her identity after years of concealment — and that Harbonah's mention of the gallows at exactly the right moment demonstrates that even minor characters in the story serve providential purposes.
- Charles Spurgeon: "Haman hanged upon his own gallows — what a text for a sermon on divine justice! He who erected a tree seventy-five feet high for the man of God now swings from it himself. The pit he digged has swallowed him; the sword he drew has pierced his own heart. Tremble, thou enemy of God's people! The weapon thou forgest against Zion shall be turned against thine own breast. Every scheme against the righteous carries within itself the seed of the schemer's destruction. The wicked man's plot is his own gallows in disguise. Let the saints take comfort: God needs no new instrument to destroy their foes — He uses the enemy's own weapons, turned round upon their makers."
Reflection
- 1. There comes a time to speak truth regardless of cost (v.3). Esther had been silent for years about her identity. But the moment arrived when silence was no longer acceptable — her people's lives depended on her voice. In your life, when injustice demands a response, speak. The courage you developed in private must eventually manifest in public.
- 2. Evil always contains the seed of its own destruction (v.10). Haman's gallows became Haman's death. The very weapon he designed for the righteous became the instrument of his own judgment. This is God's consistent pattern: evil is self- defeating. When you face opponents who scheme against you, remember that their plans carry within them the mechanism of their own undoing.
- 3. God's timing brings all threads together (vv.1-10). The chapter's ten verses contain the convergence of years of preparation: Esther's positioning, Mordecai's unrewarded loyalty, Haman's overreach, the king's insomnia, Harbonah's memory. God weaves countless threads into a single moment of justice. Trust that He is weaving your story with similar precision, even when individual threads seem disconnected.
- 4. Identification with God's people costs something (v.3). Esther said "my people" — publicly claiming the condemned. This cost her the safety of hiddenness forever. Following God sometimes requires identifying with the unpopular, the persecuted, the endangered. Whose cause should you publicly claim, even at personal risk?
- 5. Justice may come suddenly after long delay (v.10). Haman's evil operated unchecked for months — yet his destruction came in a single afternoon. Do not lose faith because injustice persists. God's justice, when it arrives, is swift and complete. Wait patiently for the Lord's timing, knowing that delayed judgment is not absent judgment.