Bible Commentaries

The same night that Haman had had a gallows made on which to hang Mordecai, the Lord intervened in a most amazing way, causing the king to be unable to sleep and moving him to have the book of records of the kingdom brought to him (v.1).When some of the records were read to him, one of these awakened his attention, for it told that Mordecai had virtually saved the king's life when he informed him of the plot against him by two of his doorkeepers. In asking about this he found that Mordecai had been given no recognition at all for this very real kindness.

God's working behind the scenes is further evident when the king asked who happened to be in the court.Haman had just entered with the intention of asking permission to hang Mordecai (v. 4), so the king had him brought in, asking him what he thought should be done to the man whom the king delighted to honor (v. 6).Haman's pride was such that he considered himself the man the king referred to. What a blunder! But he wanted the popular acclaim of all the people, so suggested that the man to be honored should be clothed in a royal robe which the king himself had worn, and placed on a horse that the king had ridden, which had a royal crest on its forehead, then led by one of the king's most noble princes through the city square with a proclamation to the effect that this was done to the man whom the king delighted to honor (vv. 7-9).

What a shock it must have been to Haman to have the king tell him to take the robe and horse and do all that he had suggested to Mordecai the Jew! (v. 10). It seems that up to this time the king did not realize that the people whose destruction he had approved were Jews. Haman had not told him this, though the letters sent by the couriers throughout all the land had stated it in no uncertain terms (ch. 3:13), for the king had told Haman to do as he pleased about that matter, so there was no need for the king to ever read the proclamation.

What could Haman do?His hands were tied. He could only obey the word of the king in spite of his bitter hatred against Mordecai.In parading Mordecai through the city square, it must have been extremely gallingto Haman to have to proclaim before him, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor" (v. 11).

After this Haman could hardly ask the king's permission to hang Mordecai!He returned to his house in grief, utterly humiliated.But he found no consolation from his friends or his wife.They knew that since Mordecai was a Jew and exalted by the king to great honor, this presaged worse trouble yet for Haman, who had plotted the destruction of all Jews.

But this day was that on which Esther had planned a banquet for the king and Haman.He must go immediately to the banquet.Likely he would go with some ray of hope that Esther's invitation would prove helpful in resolving the matter of his serious problem as regards Mordecai, for he did not know that Esther was a Jewess and also related to Mordecai.