The Book of Esther

Chapter 6
Psalm
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

Verses 1-2
1. “On that night could not the king sleep” (verse 1). “That night” was a most significant night.
• It was the night the first banquet.
• It was also the night Haman had the gallows built on which he wanted to hang Mordecai.
2. We are told what God used to keep Ahasuerus awake.
3. The important reading of the Persian chronicles to King Ahasuerus—which led not only to the honoring of Mordecai
but also to the saving of Mordecai's life—occurred because of the king's insomnia (verses 1-2).
• The phrase, “It was found written” (verse 2), speaks the same providential language as “on that night”
(verse 1).
• guided Ahasuerus to request that someone read to him, and that it be from the Persian
chronicles. guided the readers to read about Mordecai.
• “Mordecai... told of Bigthana and Teresh... who sought to lay hands on the king” (verse 2) - Mordecai
was specific in that he named names and named deeds when he reported this evil.

Verses 3-6
1. “The king said, What honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this?” (verse 3)
• The king showed responsible action by asking about what had been given
Mordecai for his saving the king's life.
• The Persian government placed the names of people who did courageous acts on a special roll and great care
was taken that they should be properly recompensed.
2. “Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him” (verse 3).
• This oversight was a breach of Persian law, and a great to the king.
• The compensation for Mordecai for his loyal deed of saving the king's life from an assassination finally came
to him as a result of the king having some records from the Persian chronicles read to him.
3. With the honor of the king involved, King Ahasuerus wanted to do things .
4. Not knowing what best to do, he sought advice as to what to do. In seeking advice, he asked his attendants, “
is in the court?” (verse 4).
• The was where advisors and attendants would be waiting to see and serve the king.
• Seeking and listening to advice was not uncommon with Ahasuerus.
5. “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. And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the
court. And the king said, Let him come in” (verses 4-5).
• Being in the court at this time emphasized Haman's to hang Mordecai,
for it was an early hour in the morning.
• The of God is again so very noticeable here: insomnia of Ahasuerus,
what events were read from the Persian chronicles, and in Haman being the one who was in the court.
• Haman became the of the recommendation on how to honor “the man whom the
king delighteth to honor” (verse 6).
6. “Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?” (verse 6).
• With his causing him to think that it was he whom the king wanted to honor,
Haman was inspired to recommend the highest possible honor the king could give to a person.
• Earlier did not tell the king who the people were he wanted to kill (Esther 3:8),
now the does not tell Haman the person he wants to honor (verse 6).

Verses 7-9
1. “Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear... that they may array the man withal whom the
king delighteth to honor” (verses 8-9).
• A royal was to be put on the man whom the king wanted to honor.
• Haman realized the royal robe would honor the man and envisioned himself wearing the king's robe.
2. “Let... the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head... and bring him on
horseback through the street of the city” (verses 8-9).
• Haman recommended that the honored one be given a ride on the king's .
• The horse being decorated with a special “ ” would signify it as the king's horse.
3. “Let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they [he] may
array the man withal” (verse 9).
• Haman did not want just anyone being the attendant. He wanted one of the highest ranking princes.
• Haman was a such a man that he wanted to lord it over his rivals and rub their
noses in the dirt by having them serve him.
4. “Proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor” (verse 9).
• The attendant was to be the who would go before the horse and honored rider
and to the people that this man was being honored by the king.
• Having a herald go before an important person and announce his coming and other important information
concerning the person was the custom of the time.

Verses 10-11
1. “Then the king said to Haman... do even so to Mordecai the Jew” (verse 10).
• When announcing that was to be honored, the king designated Haman
as the supervisor for honoring Mordecai.
• While this complimented Haman as “one of the king's most noble princes,” Haman would not enjoy the
compliment.
2. The king informed Haman that the man selected to receive the honors was - “Do even
so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate” (verse 10).
3. In telling Haman who the man was who was to be honored, the king gave some very specific facts about Mordecai so
there would be no mistaking who the honored person was.
• The king gave his (Mordecai).
• The king gave his (Jews).
• The king gave his (sitteth in the king's gate).
4. “Make haste” (verse 10) expressed the of the king to give high honors to Mordecai.
5. “Let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken” (verse 10) – Haman is ordered to fulfill every
of the honors he recommended for the man “whom the king delighteth to honor.”
6. Haman did exactly as he had recommended and as the king ordered (verse 11).
• The emotions in this scene of Mordecai receiving honors for saving the king's life have to be very great.
• Haman's humiliation had to be extremely great.

Verses 12-14
1. “And Mordecai came again to the king's gate” (verse 12).
• Mordecai's response to the compensation was to return to his post of duty
• Mordecai, unlike many people, did not let it go to his head.
2. “But Haman hasted to his house mourning” (verse 12).
• Haman had to be very upset about the fact that the honoring of Mordecai ended any plans Haman had for
hanging Mordecai.
• Haman himself was embarrassed by having to be the person to supervise all the honoring.
3. “Haman hasted to his house mourning, having his head covered” (verse 12).
• Unlike Mordecai, Haman did not return to any post of duty.
• Haman wanted to get away from further humiliation.
• When Haman came home, he had “his head covered” (verse 12) because of grief and shame.
4. “Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen him” (verse 13).
5. “Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou
hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him” (verse 13).
• Haman's wife and wise men a very grim future for Haman after hearing his report.
• Haman's wife and wise men offered him no .
6. “And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the
banquet that Esther had prepared” (verse 14).