Bigthan and Teresh

Biblical Account

The two men appear in Esther 2:21–23. They were eunuchs (attendant officials who served in the royal palace) who kept the door in the palace of King Ahasuerus. They bore a grudge against the king and sought to kill him, but Mordecai, who was sitting in the king's gate, learned of the plot. Mordecai told Queen Esther, and Esther reported it to the king in Mordecai's name. When the matter was investigated, the conspiracy was confirmed, and the two men "were both hanged on a tree" (Esther 2:23). The incident was recorded in the book of the chronicles before the king. The text does not explain why they were angry with the king.

The incident is mentioned again in Esther 6:2. In this verse the Korean Revised Version spells Bigthan as "Bigdana," much as the King James Version gives the name as "Bigthana." Unable to sleep, the king has the book of the chronicles read and comes upon the record of Mordecai's exposure of the plot. Learning that Mordecai has not yet received any reward, the king resolves to honor him.

Significance Within Scripture

The incident serves as foreshadowing in the narrative of Esther. Mordecai's service is recorded and then forgotten, only to come to light at the very moment when Haman is seeking to harm him; as a result, the situation is reversed. Because the Book of Esther never mentions the name of God directly, many interpreters read this convergence of seemingly coincidental events as a portrayal of God's providence. The New Testament does not mention the two men.

Interpretation and Issues

• Their method of execution, being "hanged on a tree," is understood by some as hanging and by others, in light of Persian custom, as impalement on a stake.
• Jewish tradition (including the Talmud) is said to preserve an account in which the two men plotted to poison the king while speaking in a foreign language, which Mordecai understood. This detail is not found in the biblical text.
• The additions attached to the Septuagint version of Esther include a second account of the two eunuchs' conspiracy near the beginning of the book. The Catholic Church includes these additions in Scripture, while Protestants do not regard them as canonical.

In the Korean Church

The two men are discussed mainly in expository sermons on Esther. They are often mentioned in connection with "the night the king could not sleep" in chapter 6 and are frequently used to illustrate the theme that forgotten good deeds come to light in God's time. They are not central characters in the story, and in Sunday school they are introduced briefly as part of the story of Mordecai and Esther.