Esther 7:9
in Esther 7Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: “There is a gallows fifty cubits high at Haman’s house. He had it built for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king.” “Hang him on it!” declared the king.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains that were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who spake good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him thereon.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Esther 7
Commentary
8 notes on this verseIt is written in Proverbs: "He who digs a pit will fall into it; and when one starts a stone rolling it will roll back upon him" (Proverbs 26). So too Haman was forced to suffer the cross he had prepared for Mordecai. We might, …
This site's exposition
Harbonah, one of the chamberlains
Harbonah, a chamberlain otherwise unnamed anywhere else in the story, supplies the detail that ends it: the gallows fifty cubits high, built for Mordecai who had spoken good for the king, standing that very hour in Haman's own house. The king's answer is four words, hang him thereon, and the instrument built for another closes on its builder first.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
It is written in the book of Proverbs: "Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling." So also Haman was forced to support the cross that he had prepared for Mordecai.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king,.... One of the seven chamberlains, see Est 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, Est 6:
1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. 2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
The king gave orders that he should be hanged upon his own gallows, which was done accordingly, nor was he so much as asked what he had to say why this judgment should not be passed upon him and execution awarded. The sentence is short-- Hang him thereon; and the execution speedy-- So they hanged Haman on the gallows,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The information he now volunteered, as well it may be from abhorrence of Haman's cold-blooded conspiracy as from sympathy with his amiable mistress, involved with her people in imminent peril.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Moreover, there is the gallows. He “also” committed another evil, that he prepared the gallows to hang the king’s friend, who saved the king from [being] poison[ed].
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Haman had fallen. The angel pushed him. 3 Ibid. The literal translation is “and Haman was falling,” meaning that he tried to rise but the angel kept pushing him onto the couch and into a compromising position, which infuriated the king even more.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| חַ֠רְבוֹנָה | charvonah | Harbona | H2726 → | |
| אֶחָ֨ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מִן־ | min- | of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַסָּרִיסִ֜ים | hasarisim | the eunuchs | H5631 → | 42 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| גַּ֣ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| הִנֵּה־ | hineh- | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הָעֵ֣ץ | haetz | the gallows | H6086 → | 328 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂ֪ה | ʾasah | he has made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הָמָ֟ן | haman | Haman | H2001 → | 54 times |
| לְֽמָרְדֳּכַ֞י | lemaredokhai | for Mordecai | H4782 → | 60 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֧ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּר־ | diber- | he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| ט֣וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| עֹמֵד֙ | ʾomed | [is] standing | H5975 → | 521 times |
| בְּבֵ֣ית | beveit | at [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הָמָ֔ן | haman | Haman | H2001 → | 54 times |
| גָּבֹ֖הַּ | gavoah | high | H1364 → | |
| חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים | chamishim | fifty | H2572 → | |
| אַמָּ֑ה | ʾamah | cubit[s] | H520 → | |
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| תְּלֻ֥הוּ | teluhu | hang him | H8518 → | 27 times |
| עָלָֽיו׃ | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
חַ֠רְבוֹנָהHarbona
charvonahH2726 →
אֶחָ֨דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
מִן־of
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַסָּרִיסִ֜יםthe eunuchs
hasarisimH5631 →42 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
גַּ֣םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
הִנֵּה־there!
hineh-H2009 →843 times
הָעֵ֣ץthe gallows
haetzH6086 →328 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עָשָׂ֪הhe has made
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
הָמָ֟ןHaman
hamanH2001 →54 times
לְֽמָרְדֳּכַ֞יfor Mordecai
lemaredokhaiH4782 →60 times
אֲשֶׁ֧רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּר־he spoke
diber-H1696 →1141 times
ט֣וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
עֹמֵד֙[is] standing
ʾomedH5975 →521 times
בְּבֵ֣יתat [the] house of
beveitH1004 →2046 times
הָמָ֔ןHaman
hamanH2001 →54 times
גָּבֹ֖הַּhigh
gavoahH1364 →
חֲמִשִּׁ֣יםfifty
chamishimH2572 →
אַמָּ֑הcubit[s]
ʾamahH520 →
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
תְּלֻ֥הוּhang him
teluhuH8518 →27 times
עָלָֽיו׃on it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 35:8May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.
it leads to
- Psalms 141:9–10
Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the lures of evildoers.
- Luke 21:34
But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
- Psalms 9:15
The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
- Proverbs 5:22
The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
- Psalms 141:9–10
Through
Esther 5:14His wife Zeresh and all his friends told him, “Have them build a gallows fifty cubits high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go to the…
it leads to
- Esther 6:4
“Who is in the court?” the king asked. Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him.
- Esther 7:9–10
Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: “There is a gallows fifty cubits high at Haman’s house. He had it built for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king.”…
- Esther 6:4
Through
Esther 1:10On the seventh day, when the king’s heart was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—
it leads to
- Judges 16:25
And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars.
- Judges 16:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Esther
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther and Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 10.