Esther 6

This chapter, at the very center of the book of Esther, marks the point at which the story turns. In the preceding chapter, chapter 5, Haman followed the advice of his wife and friends and set up a gallows on which to hang Mordecai. This chapter relates what happened that same night.

Outline

• Verses 1–3: Unable to sleep, the king orders the "book of records of the chronicles" (the official court record) to be read to him. The record tells how Mordecai had exposed a plot by two chamberlains to assassinate the king. The king learns that Mordecai has received no reward for this deed.
• Verses 4–9: At that moment Haman has come into the outer court to ask permission to hang Mordecai on the gallows. The king asks him how the man whom the king wishes to honor should be treated. Assuming that he himself is that man, Haman proposes that the man be honored with the royal apparel, the king's horse, and the royal crown, and that his honor be proclaimed publicly through the streets of the city.
• Verses 10–11: The king commands Haman to do for Mordecai exactly as he has proposed. Haman personally clothes Mordecai in the royal apparel, sets him on the horse, and honors him in the streets.
• Verses 12–14: Mordecai returns to the king's gate. Haman hurries home mourning, with his head covered. His wife Zeresh and his wise men tell him that he will fall before Mordecai. While they are still speaking, the king's chamberlains arrive to bring Haman to Esther's banquet.

Key Verses

• Esther 6:1 "On that night could not the king sleep" — a seemingly chance event becomes the starting point for the reversal of the entire story.
• Esther 6:6 "To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?" — a scene in which Haman's pride leads to his own humiliation.
• Esther 6:13 "Thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him" — words that foreshadow Haman's downfall in chapter 7.

People and Places

• Ahasuerus: King of Persia.
• Mordecai: A Jew, the cousin and adoptive father of Esther. His exposure of the plot against the king is recorded in 2:21–23.
• Haman: A high official favored by the king, who seeks to destroy the Jews.
• Bigthan and Teresh: The two chamberlains who plotted to kill the king. In this chapter the Korean Revised Version spells the first name "Bigthana."
• Zeresh: Haman's wife.
• Esther: The queen, who hosted the banquet.
• Shushan the palace: The royal palace where the story takes place.

Points for Reflection

• The name of God never appears in the Hebrew text of the book of Esther. For this reason, a widely known interpretation in both Protestant and Jewish traditions reads the "sleepless night" and the "timely" coincidences of this chapter as evidence of hidden providence.
• The Greek translation, the Septuagint, is known to render 6:1 to the effect that "the Lord took sleep from the king." The Septuagint also contains additions not found in the Hebrew text. The Catholic Church accepts these additions as deuterocanonical (books and portions included in the Old Testament canon at a later stage), and the Common Translation includes them. Protestant Bibles do not include these portions.
• The Hebrew syntax of verse 8 also allows a reading in which the crown is placed on the horse's head, so translations differ in their wording.
• The reversal in which one who sought exaltation is brought low is often read alongside the teaching of Proverbs 16:18 and Luke 14:11. The chapter is also the turning point of the Esther narrative, which Jews read at Purim.

In the Korean Church

This chapter is frequently cited in sermons on God's providence and on the dangers of pride. The "sleepless night" of verse 1 is a favorite theme in sermons and Sunday school lessons.