Esther 7:9

Esther 7:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Impale him on it!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, "Moreover, the gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, is standing at Haman's house, fifty cubits high." And the king said, "Hang him on that."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, “Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.” Then the king said, “Hang him on it!”

Context of Esther 7:9

7The king was very angry and he stood up. He left his wine and he went into the palace garden. Haman realized that the king wanted to destroy him. So he stayed with Queen Esther and he asked her to save his life. 8Queen Esther was lying down on a bed. Haman threw himself down beside her. At that moment, the king returned from the garden. The king shouted, ‘What is this man doing? He even attacks the queen when she is with me in my palace!’ While the king was still saying this, his servants covered Haman's head. One 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.’ 10So they took Haman and they hanged him on the tower until he was dead. It was the same tower that Haman had wanted to kill Mordecai on. After that, the king did not feel so angry.

Esther 7:9 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חַ֠רְבוֹנָה אֶחָ֨ד מִן־הַסָּרִיסִ֜ים לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ גַּ֣ם הִנֵּה־הָעֵ֣ץ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֪ה הָמָ֟ן לְֽמָרְדֳּכַ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר דִּבֶּר־ט֣וֹב עַל־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ עֹמֵד֙ בְּבֵ֣ית הָמָ֔ן גָּבֹ֖הַּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ תְּלֻ֥הוּ עָלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Harbonahחַרְבוֹנָאcharbônâ' charbônâh · HarbonaH2726
• oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• of the chamberlainsסָרִיסsârîys sâris · eunuchH5631
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• Behold also, the gallowsעֵץ‛êts · tree: stakeH6086
• fiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
• cubitsאַמָּה'ammâh · cubitH520
• highגָּבֹהַּgâbôhha gâbôhha · highH1364
• which Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
• had madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• for Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
• who had spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• standethעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• in the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• Hangתָּלָהtâlâh · to hangH8518

Cross-references for Esther 7:9

• Esther 1:10On the seventh day of the feast, King Xerxes was feeling happy, because he had drunk so much wine. He had seven eunuchs who served him in the palace. Their names were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas.
• Esther 6:14While they were speaking, the king's eunuchs arrived. Very quickly they took Haman to the special meal that Esther had prepared.
• 2 Kings 9:32Jehu looked up at the window and he saw her. Then he shouted, ‘Who wants to help me? Anyone there?’ Two or three eunuchs looked out though a window at him.
• 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.
• Job 27:20Troubles come to them like a flood of water, and they are very afraid. A storm comes in the night to carry them away.
• Psalms 7:15Wicked people want to hurt people. They are digging a deep hole for people to fall into. But they fall into the hole themselves!
• Psalms 35:8Surprise my enemies and destroy them! Let their own traps catch them! Let them fall to their own death!
• Psalms 141:10May those bad people fall into their own traps! Then I will be free from their power.
• Proverbs 11:5An honest man who is righteous has a straight path to walk on. But the sins of a wicked person will cause him to fall down.
• Esther 2:21One day, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. While he was there, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh, became angry with King Xerxes. They decided that they would kill the king.
• Esther 6:2The 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.
• Esther 9:25But Esther went to tell the king what Haman was doing. Then the king stopped the evil thing that Haman wanted to do against the Jews. The king wrote a command to say that Haman should die. The same thing that Haman wanted to do to the Jews should happen to him instead. The bodies of Haman and his sons hung on the wooden tower that his men had built.
• 1 Samuel 17:51David then ran and stood over Goliath. He pulled Goliath's sword out and he killed him. Then he used it to cut off Goliath's head. The Philistines saw that their best soldier was now dead. So they ran away.
• Psalms 9:15Into the deep hole that they dug, the nations themselves fell. The net that they hid to catch me, caught their own feet!
• Psalms 37:35I have seen cruel, wicked people become very powerful, like trees that grow well in good soil.
• Psalms 73:19It will take just a moment to destroy them! Great fear will sweep them away!

Commentaries on Esther 7:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Behold also, the gallows - As if he had said, Besides all he has determined to do to the Jews, he has erected a very high gallows, on which he had determined, this very day, to hang Mordecai, who has saved the king's life. Hang him thereon - Let him be instantly impaled on the same post. "Harm watch, harm catch," says the proverb. Perillus was the first person burnt alive in the brazen bull which he had made for the punishment of others; hence the poet…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-10Verses 7-10 The king was angry: those that do things with self-will, reflect upon them afterward with self-reproach. When angry, we should pause before we come to any resolution, and thus rule our own spirits, and show that we are governed by reason. Those that are most haughty and insolent when in power and prosperity, commonly, like Haman, are the most abject and poor-spirited when brought down. The day is coming when those that hate and persecute God's…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9He had it built for Mordecai: Harbona, one of the king’s seven eunuchs (Esther 1:10), did not seem to be Haman's friend and already knew about Haman’s plot. Hang him on it!: This major reversal of fortunes shows God's guiding hand. For more on impalement, see study note on Esther 2:23.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows--This eunuch had probably been the messenger sent with the invitation to Haman, and on that occasion had seen the gallows. The information he now volunteered, as well it may be from abhorrence of Haman's cold-blooded conspiracy as from sympathy with his amiable mistress, involved with her people in imminent peril.Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 7:9

• Gallows
• Harbona
• Readings, Select

In the dictionaries

• Mordecai
• Banquet
• Esther
• Harbona
• Chamberlain
• Esther, Book of
• Hanging
• Harbona; Harbonah
• Persians
• Punishments

Commentaries on Esther 7

• 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