New American Standard Bible 2020
Esther 5:14
14Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “1Have a wooden gallows 2fifty cubits high made, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the 3advice pleased Haman, so he had the wooden gallows made.
Esther 5:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
- New International Version (NIV)His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast." This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.
Context of Esther 5:14
12Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one except me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king. 13Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a wooden gallows fifty cubits high made, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the wooden gallows made.
Read all of Esther 5Esther 5:14 word by word
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לוֹ֩ זֶ֨רֶשׁ אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ וְכָל־אֹֽהֲבָ֗יו יַֽעֲשׂוּ־עֵץ֮ גָּבֹ֣הַּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּה֒ וּבַבֹּ֣קֶר׀ אֱמֹ֣ר לַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וְיִתְל֤וּ אֶֽת־מָרְדֳּכַי֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבֹֽא־עִם־הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה שָׂמֵ֑חַ וַיִּיטַ֧ב הַדָּבָ֛ר לִפְנֵ֥י הָמָ֖ן וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָעֵֽץ׃ פRead the interlinear
- Then Zereshזֶ֫רֶשׁzeresh · ZereshH2238
- his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- and allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- his friendsאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: friendH157
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Have a woodenעֵץ‛êts · tree: stakeH6086
- fiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
- cubitsאַמָּה'ammâh · cubitH520
- highגָּבֹהַּgâbôhha gâbôhha · highH1364
- madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- and in the morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- to have Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
- hangedתָּלָהtâlâh · to hangH8518
- on it; then goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- joyfullyשָׂמֵחַώâmêach · gladH8056
- to the banquetמִשְׁתֶּהmishteh · feastH4960
- adviceדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- pleasedיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
Cross-references for Esther 5:14
- 2 Samuel 13:3But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very clever man.
- 1 Kings 21:7Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
- 2 Chronicles 22:3He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to act wickedly.
- Mark 6:19And Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death, and could not do so;
- Esther 7:9Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who stood before the king, said, “Indeed, behold, the wooden gallows standing at Haman’s house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good in behalf of the king!” And the king said, “Hang him on it.”
- Esther 3:8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not comply with the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain.
- Esther 6:4So the king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just entered the outer courtyard of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for him.
- Esther 3:15The couriers went out, speeded by the king’s order while the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was agitated.
- Amos 6:4Those who lie on beds of ivory, And lounge around on their couches, And eat lambs from the flock, And calves from the midst of the fattened cattle,
- Revelation 11:10And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth.
- 2 Samuel 16:21Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Have relations with your father’s concubines, whom he has left behind to take care of the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.”
- 2 Samuel 17:1Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men and let me set out and pursue David tonight.
- Mark 14:10Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.
- Acts 23:14They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have put ourselves under an oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
- Romans 1:32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
- Esther 7:10So they hanged Haman on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.
Commentaries on Esther 5:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high - The word עץ ets, which we translate gallows, signifies simply wood, a tree, or pole; and this was to be seventy-five feet high, that he might suffer the greater ignominy, and be a more public spectacle. I believe impaling is here also meant. See the note, Esther 2:23; (note). In former times the Jews were accustomed to burn Haman in effigy; and with him a wooden cross, which they pretended to be in memory of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14A gallows, in the ordinary sense, is scarcely intended, since hanging was not a Persian punishment. The intention, no doubt, was to crucify (see the Esther 2:23 note) or impale Mordecai; and the pale or cross was to be 75 feet high, to make the punishment more conspicuous. Speak thou unto the king - Requests for leave to put persons to death were often made to Persian kings by their near relatives, but only rarely by others.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-14Verses 9-14 This account of Haman is a comment upon Pr 21:24. Self-admirers and self-flatterers are really self-deceivers. Haman, the higher he is lifted up, the more impatient he is of contempt, and the more enraged at it. The affront from Mordecai spoiled all. A slight affront, which a humble man would scarcely notice, will torment a proud man, even to madness, and will mar all his comforts. Those disposed to be uneasy, will never want something to be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14A sharpened pole was a common execution device (see also Esther 2:23; Genesis 40:19, 22; Joshua 8:29). Seventy-five feet (fifty cubits) is very high, but Haman wanted to make an example of Mordecai, allowing everyone to see his body. The number might be an exaggeration for effect—fifty cubits is a round number—or it might mean a stake placed high on the city wall for public viewing.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-141. Esther put on her royal apparel--It was not only natural, but, on such occasions, highly proper and expedient, that the queen should decorate herself in a style becoming her exalted station. On ordinary occasions she might reasonably set off her charms to as much advantage as possible; but, on the present occasion, as she was desirous to secure the favor of one who sustained the twofold character of her husband and her sovereign, public as well as…Read the comment
Topics related to Esther 5:14
In the dictionaries
Notes
Commentaries on Esther 5
- 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
New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries