Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Esther 7:9

And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

Verse 9. Behold also, the gallows] As if he had said, Besides all he has determined to do to the Jews, he has erected a very high gallows, on which he had determined, this very day, to hang Mordecai, who has saved the king’s life.

Hang him thereon.] Let him be instantly impaled on the same post. “Harm watch, harm catch,” says the proverb. Perillus was the first person burnt alive in the brazen bull which he had made for the punishment of others; hence the poet said: –

____ Nec lex est justior ulla,

Quam necis artifices arte perire sua.

“Nor can there be a juster law than that the artificers of death should perish by their own invention.”

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Harbonah knew this either by his own observation, or by the information of some of his brethren, who were lately sent to Hamans house, Est 6:14, where they might easily see it, or at least hear of it. And this he said, either out of a distaste which he had taken against Haman for his great insolency and barbarous cruelty; or in compliance with the kings inclinations, and the queens desires.

Had spoken good for the king, even to the saving of the kings life, Est 2:21-23, and therefore deserved a better requital than this even from Haman, if he had not basely preferred the satisfaction of his own revenge before the preservation of the kings life.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

9. Harbonah, one of thechamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallowsThiseunuch had probably been the messenger sent with the invitation toHaman, and on that occasion had seen the gallows. The information henow volunteered, as well it may be from abhorrence of Haman’scold-blooded conspiracy as from sympathy with his amiable mistress,involved with her people in imminent peril.

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

And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king,…. One of the seven chamberlains, see Es 1:10, his name, with Josephus y, is Sabouchadas.

Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. This man, perhaps, had seen it there, when he went with others to fetch Haman to the banquet, Es 6:14. The sin of Haman is aggravated by preparing a gallows for a man before he was accused to the king, or condemned, or had a grant for his execution, and for a man that had well deserved of the king for discovering a conspiracy against him, and whom now the king had delighted to honour:

then the king said, hang him thereon; immediately, being ready prepared, the king’s word was enough, being a sovereign and tyrannical prince.

y Antiqu. l. 11. c. 6. sect. 11.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(9) Harbonah.See Est. 1:10.

One of the chamberlains. . . .Translate, one of the chamberlains [who stood, or served] before the king, said.

Hang him.In the LXX., let him be crucified. The climax of the story is now reached in the pithy words, They hanged Haman upon the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. In his own house (Est. 7:9), that is, probably, in some court or garden belonging to it, in the sight doubtless of his own children and his own servants, and the wife who had given him such cold comfort, did the unfortunate man meet his fate. Thus not only does God vouchsafe to deliver his people, but He brings on the enemy the very destruction he had devised for his adversary: He hath fallen himself into the pit that he digged for other. Our Saviour has rescued us from our enemy who was too mighty for us, and has trodden down our foe, to be destroyed for ever in His own good time. So may we Christians see in the dangers threatening the Jews throughout this book a picture of our own, and in Hamans discomfiture a type of the victory of the Lamb over sin and Satan.

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

9. Harbonah said This eunuch had been many years in Xerxes’ service. Comp. Est 1:10.

Behold also the gallows “We are not told that the king said, Who is in the court? and they answered, Mordecai is in the outer court; and he said, Let him come in: nor that the king said, What shall be done to the man who has dishonoured the king and sought the life of the queen? and Mordecai said, Let him be hanged on a gallows fifty cubits high. Nothing of this kind happened. Haman resented the conduct of Mordecai in refusing him the honours of which he was so covetous. But Mordecai never touched a hair of his head. It was not he, but one of those who had been most lavish of their adulations, and had fawned most servilely upon him, who moved his death, and pointed to the mode of its execution.” M’Crie. In all the range of literature we find no more signal display of righteous retribution than in the death of Haman.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

(9) And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. (10) So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.

It is not the smallest evidence of the general worthlessness of Haman’s character, that this Harbonah was so ready to suggest to the king the gallows Haman had erected to hang Mordecai upon. Thus he fell into his own snare. And the very method he had taken for the destruction of a man who had never injured him, proved his own death. Pause, and contemplate the sure end of the ungodly. And what a display is made of the Lord’s providential superintendence through all. So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord. But let them that love thee be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Est 7:9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

Ver. 9. And Harbonah, one of the king’s chamberlains, &c.] See Est 6:14 . See Trapp on “ Est 6:14 “

Said before the king ] Not a man opens his mouth to speak for Haman, but all against him. Had the cause been better, thus it would have been. Every cur is ready to fall upon the dog that he seeth worried; every man ready to pull a branch from the tree that is falling ( ). Cromwell had experience of this when once he fell into displeasure, by speaking against the king’s match with Lady Catherine Howard, in defence of Queen Anne, of Cleve, and discharge of his conscience, for the which he suffered death, Stephen Gardiner being the chief engineer. Had Haman’s cause been like his, albeit he had found as few friends to intercede for him as Cromwell, yet he might have died with as much comfort as he did. But he died more like to the Lord Hungerford, of Hatesby, who was beheaded together with the noble Cromwell, but neither so Christianly suffering, nor so quietly dying for his offence committed against nature, viz. buggery. (sodemy?) Cromwell exhorted him to repent, and promised him mercy from God; but his heart was hardened, and so was this wicked Haman’s. God, therefore, justly set off all hearts from him in his greatest necessity; and now, to add to his misery, brings another of his foul sins to light, that he might the more condignly be cut off.

Behold also the gallows, fifty cubits high ] See Est 5:14 . This the queen knew not of when she petitioned against Haman. But now they all hear of it, for Haman’s utter confusion.

Which he had prepared for Mordecai ] At a time when the king had done him greatest honour, as preserver and near ally by marriage, as now it appeared. This must needs reflect upon the king, and be a reproach to him. Besides, the king looked upon him as one that went about either to throttle the queen (as some understand the words, Est 7:8 ), or to ravish her; and this was just upon him, say some interpreters, eo quo aliis virginibus et matronis vini intulisset, because it was common with him to ravish other maids and matrons, and hence the king’s suspicion and charge, whereof before.

Who had spoken good for the king ] All is now for Mordecai, but not a word for Haman; the rising sun shall be sure to be adored. And the contrary, Sejanus’s friends showed themselves most passionate against him when once the emperor frowned upon him, saying, that if Caesar had clemency, he ought to reserve it for men, and not use it towards monsters. This is courtiers’ custom, ad quamlibet auram sese inclinare, to shift their sails to the sitting of every wind, to comply with the king which way soever he inclineth. It is better, therefore, to put trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes, Psa 118:8-9 . If Harbonah spake this out in hatred of Haman’s insolence, and in favour of Mordecai’s innocence and loyalty, he deserved commendation. However, God’s holy hand was in it for the good of his people and overthrow of their enemy; and little did this night-sprung-mushroom Haman (that sucked the earth’s fatness from far better plants than himself) take notice till now of the many hands ready to pluck him up by the roots, when the season should serve to clear the land of such weeds.

Standeth in the house of Haman ] Or, by the house of Haman, that he might feed his eyes with that delightful sight, and cry out, as Hannibal did when he saw a ditch filled with man’s blood, O iucundum spectaculum, O pleasant spectacle. The story of that king of France is well known, who vowed to see a certain martyr executed; but before that could be done had his eye put out at a joust, whereof not long after also he died. And that of Sir Ralph Ellerker, governor of Calais in King Henry VIII’s time, who, at the death of Adam Damlip, martyr, called to the executioner, saying, Dispatch the knave, have done, I will not away before I see the traitor’s heart out. But shortly after, in a skirmish between the French and us at Bullen, this knight was not only slain among others, but stripped, dismembered, and his heart ripped out, and so left a terrible example, saith Mr Fox, of God’s justice to all bloody and merciless men. “Thou shouldest not have looked,” &c., Oba 1:12 . See the note there.

Then the king said, Hang him thereon ] The kings of Persia had absolute and unquestionable power to do whatsoever they wished, Quicquid libuit, licuit. All their subjects, except their queens, were no better than their slaves: whom they would they slew, and whom they would they kept alive; whom they would they set up, and whom they would they put down, Dan 5:19 . Haman is here, without order of law, more than the king’s command, adjudged to be hanged. The truth is, it was a clear case, and the malefactor was self condemned; hang him, therefore, saith the king; a short and just sentence, and soon executed.

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

gallows. See note on Est 5:14.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Harbonah: Est 1:10, Harbona

one of the chamberlains: Est 6:14, 2Ki 9:32

Behold: Est 5:14, Job 27:20-23, Psa 7:15, Psa 7:16, Psa 35:8, Psa 141:10, Pro 11:5, Pro 11:6

gallows: Heb. tree

who had spoken: Est 2:21-23, Est 6:2

Hang him thereon: Est 9:25, 1Sa 17:51, Psa 7:15, Psa 7:16, Psa 9:15, Psa 9:16, Psa 35:8, Psa 37:35, Psa 37:36, Psa 73:19, Pro 11:5, Pro 11:6, Dan 6:7, Dan 6:24

Reciprocal: Num 22:17 – I will promote Num 24:20 – his latter end Num 25:4 – and hang Jos 10:26 – hanged Est 6:4 – to speak Psa 37:15 – sword Pro 11:8 – General

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Est 7:9. And Harbonah said The courtiers that adored Haman when he was rising, set themselves as much against him now he is falling, and are glad of an opportunity to sink him lower: so little sure can proud men be of the interest they think they have in others. Behold also the gallows, &c., standeth in the house of Haman He had probably observed it, or been informed of it by some of his brethren, who were lately sent to Hamans house: and this he said, either out of a dislike he had taken to Haman, for his great insolence and barbarous cruelty, or in compliance with the king and queens inclinations. Which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king And, therefore, deserved a better requital than this, even from Haman, if he had not basely preferred the satisfaction of his own revenge before the kings life. Now Mordecai is the favourite, and Haman being in disgrace, every thing is taken notice of that was to his disadvantage, or that might incense the king more against him. Then the king said, Hang him thereon He takes no time to deliberate, but instantly passes sentence, without so much as asking Haman what he had to say in his own defence, or to offer why this judgment should not be passed upon him, and execution awarded.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

7:9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken {f} good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

(f) Who discovered the conspiracy against the king, Ezr 2:21-22.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes