Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Esther 6:11

Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor.

11. Then took Haman etc. ] Haman, as the most prominent man in the king’s court, was compelled, through the irony of fate, to carry out to the letter in his enemy’s case the proposals which he had made on his own behalf.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

He proclaimed this either himself, or by the officer.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

11. Then Haman took, &c.Thissudden reverse, however painful to Haman as an individual, isparticularly characteristic of the Persian manners.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Then took Haman the apparel, and the horse,…. The one out of the wardrobe, the other out of the stable, and the crown also no doubt, though no mention is made of it, since the king made no objection to it, yea, commanded that nothing fail of what had been spoken; but this was included in the pomp and state of the led horse: and brought him on horseback through the street of the city; the most grand and public part of it, thus arrayed, and in this state: and proclaimed before him, thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour; [See comments on Es 6:9].

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(11) Then took Haman . . .It would be a grim and curious study to analyse Hainans feelings at this juncture. Various thoughts were mingled there. Self-reproach, perhaps, that he had so thoughtlessly been the cause of the present display, bitter hatred of his rival now multiplied a thousandfold, and the evident knowledge that the game was played out, and that he was ruined. The more subtle the brain, the more truly must he have known this.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Est 6:11. Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, &c. When I read Pitt’s account of the cavalcade at Algiers upon a person’s turning Mahommedan, and which is apparently designed to do him, as well as their law, honour, I cannot forbear thinking of the manner in which Haman proposed to do a person honour, and which Mordecai actually received. I will not repeat the passage, as the following extract from Pitt will bring it sufficiently to mind: “The apostate is to get on horseback on a stately steed, with a rich saddle and fine trappings: he is also richly habited, and hath a turban on his head; but nothing of this is to be called his own; only there is given to him about two or three yards of broad cloth, which is laid before him on the saddle. The horse, with him on his back, is led all around the city, which is several hours in doing. The apostate is attended with drums and other music, and twenty or thirty vekil harges, or stewards, who are under the Otho, Bashees, or serjeants. These march in order on each side of the horse, with naked swords in their hands. The cryer goes before with a loud voice, giving thanks to God for the proselyte that is made,” &c. Strange as the method may appear to us, of honouring a person by putting vestments upon him above his degree, and which it is not designed he should keep, together with the carrying him thus equipped about a large town on horseback, attended by a cryer; yet Africans, we find, concur with Asiaticks in it. It is no wonder then to find Haman propose a thing of or sort, or that Ahasuerus easily assented to it. See Observations, p. 283.

REFLECTIONS.1st, How vain are all human contrivances! How easily can God disappoint the devices of his enemies, to their confusion! He has access to the spirits of men; and by means unseen, but irresistible, can accomplish all his pleasure. Mordecai as little dreamt of the honour which was designed him, as of the destruction threatened him; and Haman as little suspected that his morning-visit to court would be attended with such consequences. We have here,

1. The king, restless on his bed; his sleep was fled; for he who seals up the eye-lids had forbidden his to close.
2. To amuse the tedious hour, and perhaps to try an expedient to lull his wakeful eyes to lost repose, he calls for the book of records; and God so ordained, that the portion fixed upon was the detection of that dangerous conspiracy to which Mordecai had been so instrumental. Note; The minutest circumstances may be pregnant with the greatest events; the opening at a particular leaf of this book conduced eminently to the preservation of the Jewish people, and, in them, of God’s whole church in all future ages.

2nd, Probably, when the design of God’s providence was answered; the king slept in peace; but no sooner awaked in the morning, than he is solicitous to honour the neglected Mordecai.
1. He makes inquiry who was in the court; and who should be there but Haman, early attending on the king, big with impatience to see Mordecai on the gallows, and not doubting to succeed easily in his petition: him the king commands to be introduced, little suspecting the design of his master, and probably counting it a happy circumstance that he was called for.
2. No sooner is Haman introduced, than the king proposes a question to him, which self-love strongly interpreted in his own favour; and therefore, he lavishly advises to heap the most signal distinctions on the man whom the king delighted to honour. Note; (1.) Pride and ambition are never satisfied with the most accumulated honours. (2.) Self-conceit, and a high opinion of ourselves, is a most dangerous rock, against which we cannot too carefully guard. (3.) It should be the delight of kings, and of all in authority, to bestow honour on the deserving, and to encourage those who do well.

3. The king expressed his approbation of the advice, and Haman expected with rapture the issue; but how astonished was he to hear the name of Mordecai as the honoured person, and himself fixed on to lead his horse, and proclaim his high deserts.
4. The mandate must be obeyed; and Haman, however stung with envy and grief, is obliged to comply. Mordecai is apparelled, his horse ready, and Haman the herald of his honour. If such be the dignity of him whom man will have exalted, what shall be their portion whom the eternal king delights to honour?

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Est 6:11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.

Ver. 11. Then took Haman the apparel, &c. ] Full sore against stomach be sure, but how could he help it? Thus God compelleth the devil and his limbs sometimes, though against their wills, to serve him as his servants. Canes lingunt ulcers Lazari. Dogs licked the sores of Lazarus, Saul pronounceth David more righteous than he. Judas and Pilate gave testimony to Christ’s innocency. These are the servants of the High God, which show unto us the way of salvation, said the Pythoness concerning Paul and his companions, Act 16:17 .

And arrayed Mordecai ] Whose heart he could rather have torn out, and eaten it with salt. But courtiers are usually notable dissemblers, cunning politicians, &c. How busy is Haman now about Mordecai to array him, to mount him, and to attend upon him, whom yet he hated, and inwardly cursed to the pit of hell! Cavete ab osculo Iscariotico, ab officio Hamanitico. Beware of the eys of Judas and the office of hamen. Beware of men, Mat 10:17 Josephus telleth us, that when Haman came to do those things to Mordecai, he (thinking that he had mocked him) answered with indignation, Thou most wicked man, dost thou thus insult over the miserable? But when he had told him, that indeed it was the king’s pleasure, he suffered him to do it. But what shall we say to reconcile those cross passions in Ahasuerus? Before he signed that decree of killing all the Jews, he could not but know that a Jew had saved his life; and now, after that he had enacted the slaughter of all the Jews as rebels, he giveth order to honour a Jew as his preserver. It were strange (saith a right reverend writer hereupon, Dr Hall) if great persons, in the multitude of their distractions, should not let fall some incongruities.

And brought him on horseback ] Whom before he could not endure to see sitting at the court’s gate. A great trouble it was to Haman to lead Mordecai’s horse, which another man would not have thought so: the moving of a straw troubleth proud flesh, &c.

Through the streets of the city ] Where all men were now in an amazement at that sudden glory of Mordecai, and study how to reconcile this day with the thirteenth of Adar.

And proclaimed before him ] Not without an honourable mention made of his loyalty and fidelity to the king, the cause of that great honour. This Haman was forced to proclaim, and that on foot, as a servant; when Mordecai, as a prince in his state, was on horseback. It is probable that Haman thought within himself that he should shortly have his penny worths of that vile varlet, whom now he thus far honoured, and that haply ere night yet, at the feast, he might prevail with the king to do by Mordecai as once Xerxes did by his steersman, when he came back with shame and loss from his wars with Greece. Xerxes was forced, saith the history, to flee back in a poor fisher’s boat; which, being over loaded, had sunk all, if the Persians by casting away themselves had not saved the life of their king; the loss of which noble spirits so vexed him, that having given the steersman a golden coronet for preserving his own life, he commanded him to execution as a co-author of the death of his servants.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

took Haman: Ezr 6:13, Isa 60:14, Luk 1:52, Rev 3:9

and arrayed: Est 8:15, Est 9:3

the street: Pitts gives a similar account of the mode of honouring a person who turns a Mohammedan, at Algiers: “The apostate is to get on a stately steed, with a rich saddle and fine trappings: he is also richly habited, and has a turban on his head, but nothing of this is to be called his own; only there are given him about two or three yards of broad cloth, which is laid before him on the saddle. The horse, with him on his back, is led all round the city, which he is several hours in doing. The apostate is attended with drums and other music, and twenty or thirty serjeants. They march in order on each side of the horse, with naked swords in their hands. The crier goes before, with a loud voice giving thanks to God for the proselyte that is made.

Reciprocal: 2Ki 8:5 – the woman Est 6:7 – whom the king Psa 112:10 – wicked

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Est 6:11-12. Then Haman took the apparel The kings words undoubtedly produced great commotion in his breast, but he durst not dispute, nor so much as seem to dislike the kings order; but, though with the greatest regret and reluctance imaginable, brings the apparel, &c, to Mordecai, who, we may suppose, did no more cringe to Haman now than he did before, valuing his counterfeit respects no more than he had valued his concealed malice. And arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback, &c. It is hard to say which of the two put a greater force upon himself: proud Haman, in giving this honour to Mordecai, or humble Mordecai, in accepting it. Upon one account, no doubt, it was agreeable to Mordecai, as it was an indication of the kings favour, and gave ground to hope that Esther would prevail for the reversing of the edict against the Jews. Mordecai came again to the kings gate To his former place, showing that, as he was not overwhelmed with Hamans threats, so he was not puffed up with this honour. Besides, he came thither to attend the issue of the business he had most at heart, respecting the Jews; and to be at hand, if need were, to assist or encourage the queen, which he was now more capable of doing than heretofore he had been. Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered In token of his shame and grief for his unexpected disappointment, and for the great honour done to his abhorred adversary, by his own hands, and with his own public disgrace.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Haman’s humiliation 6:11-14

Haman covered his head (Est 6:12; cf. Est 4:1-2) as a sign of his grief (cf. 2Sa 15:30; 2Sa 19:4; Jer 14:3-4; Eze 24:17). His friends evidently realized that unseen forces were maintaining the blessing that they had observed following the Jews (cf. Num 23:9; Num 23:21; Num 23:23; Num 24:9; Num 24:17; Num 24:19; Jos 2:9-13). They saw in Haman’s humiliation before Mordecai, the powerful honored Jew, an omen of even worse defeat to come. The tide had turned.

Est 6:14 means that Haman hastened to go to the banquet. He did not want to be late. It does not mean that he was reluctant to go and that the eunuchs needed to hurry him along. He evidently looked forward to the banquet as an opportunity to lift his spirits, little realizing that it would be the scene of his exposure and condemnation.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)