New English Translation
Esther 6:12
12Then Mordecai again sat at the king’s gate, while Haman hurried away to his home, mournful and with a veil over his head.
Esther 6:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
- New International Version (NIV)Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief,
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Afterward Mordecai went back to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.
Context of Esther 6:12
10The king then said to Haman, “Go quickly! Take the clothing and the horse, just as you have described, and do as you just indicated to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king’s gate. Don’t neglect a single thing of all that you have said.” 11So Haman took the clothing and the horse, and he clothed Mordecai. He led him about on the horse throughout the plaza of the city, calling before him, “So shall it be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!” Then Mordecai again sat at the king’s gate, while Haman hurried away to his home, mournful and with a veil over his head. 13Haman then related to his wife Zeresh and to all his friends everything that had happened to him. These wise men, along with his wife Zeresh, said to him, “If indeed this Mordecai before whom you have begun to fall is Jewish, you will not prevail against him. No, you will surely fall before him!” 14While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived. They quickly brought Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
Read all of Esther 6Esther 6:12 word by word
וַיָּ֥שָׁב מָרְדֳּכַ֖י אֶל־שַׁ֣עַר הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְהָמָן֙ נִדְחַ֣ף אֶל־בֵּית֔וֹ אָבֵ֖ל וַחֲפ֥וּי רֹֽאשׁ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
- came againשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- to the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- But Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
- hastedדָּחַףdâchaph · to hastenH1765
- to his houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- mourningאָבֵל'âbêl · mourningH57
- and having his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- coveredחָפָהchâphâh · to coverH2645
Cross-references for Esther 6:12
- Esther 2:19Now when the young women were being gathered again, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.
- 1 Samuel 3:15So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.
- Psalms 131:1O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor do I have a haughty look. I do not have great aspirations, or concern myself with things that are beyond me.
- 2 Samuel 17:23When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and returned to his house in his hometown. After setting his household in order, he hanged himself. So he died and was buried in the grave of his father.
- 1 Kings 20:43The king of Israel went home to Samaria bitter and angry.
- 1 Kings 21:4So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, pouted, and would not eat.
- 2 Chronicles 26:20When Azariah the high priest and the other priests looked at him, there was a skin disease on his forehead. They hurried him out of there; even the king himself wanted to leave quickly because the Lord had afflicted him.
- Job 20:5that the elation of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.
- Esther 7:8When 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.
- 2 Samuel 15:30As David was going up the Mount of Olives, he was weeping as he went; his head was covered and his feet were bare. All the people who were with him also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went up.
- Job 9:24If a land has been given into the hand of a wicked man, he covers the faces of its judges; if it is not he, then who is it?
- Jeremiah 14:3The leading men of the cities send their servants for water. They go to the cisterns, but they do not find any water there. They return with their containers empty. Disappointed and dismayed, they bury their faces in their hands.
Commentaries on Esther 6:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Mordecai came again to the king's gate - He resumed his former humble state; while Haman, ashamed to look up, covered his face, and ran home to hide himself in his own house. Covering the head and face was a sign of shame and confusion, as well as of grief, among most people of the earth.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12It is quite consonant with Oriental notions that Mordecai, after receiving the extraordinary honors assigned him, should return to the palace and resume his former humble employment.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-14Verses 12-14 Mordecai was not puffed up with his honours, he returned to his place and the duty of it. Honour is well bestowed on those that do not think themselves above their business. But Haman could not bear it. What harm had it done him? But that will break a proud man's heart, which will not break a humble man's sleep. His doom was, out of this event, read to him by his wife and his friends. They plainly confessed that the Jews, though scattered…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-12do just as you proposed...to Mordecai the Jew: Haman, completely shocked by this reversal, could only obey the king's command in full detail.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-141. the king ... commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles--In Eastern courts, there are scribes or officers whose duty it is to keep a journal of every occurrence worthy of notice. A book of this kind, abounding with anecdotes, is full of interest. It has been a custom with Eastern kings, in all ages, frequently to cause the annals of the kingdom to be read to them. It is resorted to, not merely as a pastime to while away the tedium of an…Read the comment
Topics related to Esther 6:12
In the dictionaries
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries