New English Translation
Esther 5:14
14Haman’s wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows seventy-five feet high built, and in the morning tell the king that Mordecai should be hanged on it. Then go with the king to the banquet contented.” It seemed like a good idea to Haman, so he had the gallows built.
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 said, “Furthermore, Queen Esther invited only me to accompany the king to the banquet that she prepared! And also tomorrow I am invited along with the king. 13Yet all of this fails to satisfy me so long as I have to see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” Haman’s wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows seventy-five feet high built, and in the morning tell the king that Mordecai should be hanged on it. Then go with the king to the banquet contented.” It seemed like a good idea to Haman, so he had the gallows built.
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Zereshזֶ֫רֶשׁzeresh · ZereshH2238
- his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- and all his friendsאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: friendH157
- unto him, Let a gallowsעֵץ‛êts · tree: stakeH6086
- be madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- of fiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
- cubitsאַמָּה'ammâh · cubitH520
- highגָּבֹהַּgâbôhha gâbôhha · highH1364
- and to morrowבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
- thou unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- that Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
- may be hangedתָּלָהtâlâh · to hangH8518
- thereon: then goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- thou in merrilyשָׂמֵחַώâmêach · gladH8056
- unto the banquetמִשְׁתֶּהmishteh · feastH4960
- And the thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- pleasedפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- pleasedיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
- Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
Cross-references for Esther 5:14
- 2 Samuel 13:3Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very crafty man.
- 1 Kings 21:7His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel! Get up, eat some food, and have a good time. I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
- 2 Chronicles 22:3He followed in the footsteps of Ahab’s dynasty, for his mother gave him evil advice.
- Mark 6:19So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not
- Esther 7:9Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Indeed, there is the gallows that Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke out in the king’s behalf. It stands near Haman’s home and is seventy-five feet high.” The king said, “Hang him on it!”
- Esther 3:8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a particular people that is dispersed and spread among the inhabitants throughout all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws differ from those of all other peoples. Furthermore, they do not observe the king’s laws. It is not appropriate for the king to provide a haven for them.
- Esther 6:4Then 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.
- Esther 3:15The messengers scurried forth with the king’s order. The edict was issued in Susa the citadel. While the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in an uproar!
- Amos 6:4They lie around on beds decorated with ivory, and sprawl out on their couches. They eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the middle of the pen.
- Revelation 11:10And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
- 2 Samuel 16:21Ahithophel replied to Absalom, “Have sex with your father’s concubines whom he left to care for the palace. All Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. Then your followers will be motivated to support you.”
- 2 Samuel 17:1Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me pick out twelve thousand men. Then I will go and pursue David this very night.
- Mark 14:10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus into their hands.
- Acts 23:14They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to partake of anything until we have killed Paul.
- Romans 1:32Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.
- Esther 7:10So they hanged Haman on the very gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. The king’s rage then abated.
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
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
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