Harbona

Biblical Record

Harbona appears twice in the book of Esther. The meaning of his name is uncertain.

• Esther 1:10: On the seventh day of the feast, when the heart of King Ahasuerus was merry with wine, he commanded the seven chamberlains who served in his presence (court officials who attended the king personally) to bring Queen Vashti before him. Harbona is listed as one of these seven, but only his name is given.
• Esther 7:9: At the second banquet held by Esther, Haman's plot is exposed, and the king is enraged. At this point Harbona speaks to the king, telling him that Haman had prepared a gallows fifty cubits high (just over 22 meters, or about 75 feet) on which to hang Mordecai, and that it was standing at Haman's house. Harbona described Mordecai as one "who had spoken good for the king." This refers to Mordecai's exposure of the plot by Bigthan and Teresh to assassinate the king (Esther 2:21–23). The king ordered Haman to be hanged on that gallows, and Haman was executed accordingly (Esther 7:10).

Significance Within Scripture

Through a single remark by Harbona, the punishment Haman intended for Mordecai falls upon Haman himself. The book of Esther never mentions God by name. For this reason, timely events such as Harbona's statement are read as scenes that reveal God's providence. Harbona is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretations and Debates

The text does not explain how Harbona knew about the gallows. Some interpreters connect his knowledge with the account of the king's chamberlains going to Haman's house to bring him to the banquet (Esther 6:14). In Jewish tradition, a song sung after the reading of the book of Esther at Purim is said to include the line "May Harbona be remembered for good." Rabbinic literature also preserves stories that Harbona was originally on Haman's side, or that another figure appeared in his guise. These stories, however, are later traditions not found in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Harbona is rarely treated as a subject in his own right in the Korean church. He is mentioned chiefly in sermons on Esther 7, in connection with the scene in which the wicked fall into the trap they themselves have set, or in explanations of God's providence.