Esther 6:4

Esther 6:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

Context of Esther 6:4

2The history book included a report of how two of the king's eunuchs wanted to kill King Xerxes. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. The report said that Mordecai had told the king about this. 3When the king heard this, he asked his servant, ‘When Mordecai saved my life, what great honour did we give to him?’ The king's servants replied, ‘We did not do anything for him.’ The king said, ‘Who is now in the palace yard?’ Haman had just arrived at the palace. His men had built the wooden tower. Now he wanted to ask the king to hang Mordecai on it to kill him. 5The king's servants said to the king, ‘Haman is in the palace yard.’ The king said, ‘Bring him here to me.’ 6Haman came in to the king's room. The king asked him, ‘If I want to give great honour to a man, what should we do for that man?’ Haman thought to himself, ‘I am sure that I am that man. The king must want to give me honour.’

Esther 6:4 word by word

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מִ֣י בֶחָצֵ֑ר וְהָמָ֣ן בָּ֗א לַחֲצַ֤ר בֵּית־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַחִ֣יצוֹנָ֔ה לֵאמֹ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ לִתְלוֹת֙ אֶֽת־מָרְדֳּכַ֔י עַל־הָעֵ֖ץ אֲשֶׁר־הֵכִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• in the courtחָצֵרchâtsêr · courtH2691
• Now Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
• was comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into the outwardחִיצוֹןchîytsôn · outerH2435
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• to hangתָּלָהtâlâh · to hangH8518
• Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
• on the gallowsעֵץ‛êts · tree: stakeH6086
• that he had preparedכּוּןkûn · to establish: prepareH3559

Cross-references for Esther 6:4

• Proverbs 3:27Do not refuse to help those people who need help. If you are able to help them, do it!
• Ecclesiastes 9:10Use all your strength to do the work that you are doing. One day you will die and you will go into your grave. Then you will not have any work, or ideas, or knowledge or wisdom. So do your work well while you are alive.
• Esther 4:11‘Everybody knows the law. People cannot go to meet the king in his own part of the palace unless the king asks them to come. All the king's officers and all his people know that that is the law. If somebody decides to go to the king when the king has not asked to see him, that person must die. He will only stay alive if the king holds out his gold sceptre towards him. As for me, the king has not asked me to go to him for the last 30 days.’
• Esther 5:1After they had fasted for three days, Esther put on her royal clothes. She went to King Xerxes' part of the palace. She stood in the yard outside his rooms. The king was sitting on his royal throne. He could see through the door of the room where he sat.
• Esther 3:8Then Haman said to King Xerxes, ‘There is a group of people who live in many regions of your kingdom. They have different customs to all the other people. They refuse to obey the laws of your kingdom. It is not good for you to let them live among all the other people in your kingdom.
• Esther 5:14Haman's wife and all his friends said to him, ‘This will make you happy. Tell your men to build a wooden tower that is 22 metres high. In the morning, tell the king to hang Mordecai on the tower to kill him. Then you will enjoy Queen Esther's special meal.’ Haman liked their idea very much. So he told his men to build the tall tower.
• Esther 7:9One of the king's eunuchs, Harbona, said, ‘There is a wooden tower near Haman's home. It is 22 metres high. His men built it so that he could hang Mordecai on it. Mordecai is the man who saved the king's life.’ The king said, ‘Hang Haman on the tower until he is dead.’
• Job 5:13When wise people try to do clever things, he causes those things to give them trouble. He quickly stops their clever ideas.
• Psalms 2:4The Lord who sits on his throne in heaven laughs at them. He says that their plans are useless.
• Psalms 33:19They trust him to keep them safe from death, and to keep them alive during a time of famine.

Commentaries on Esther 6:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Who is in the court? - This accords with the dream mentioned by the Targum; and given above. Now Haman was come - This must have been very early in the morning. Haman's pride and revenge were both on the tenters to be gratified.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-11Verses 4-11 See how men's pride deceives them. The deceitfulness of our own hearts appears in nothing more than in the conceit we have of ourselves and our own performances: against which we should constantly watch and pray. Haman thought the king loved and valued no one but himself, but he was deceived. We should suspect that the esteem which others profess for us, is not so great as it seems to be, that we may not think too well of ourselves, nor trust…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-6As the king thought about how to honor Mordecai, Haman came to request Mordecai's death. Ironically, the king asked Haman for advice on how to reward Mordecai.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Now Haman was come into the outward court--This was early in the morning. It is the invariable custom for kings in Eastern countries to transact business before the sun is hot, often in the open air, and so Haman was in all probability come officially to attend on his master.Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 6:4

• Civil Service
• Gallows
• Mordecai

In the dictionaries

• Mordecai
• Gallows
• Esther, Book of
• Hanging
• Punishments
• Dress

Commentaries on Esther 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings