Esther 5:11
in Esther 5Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other officials and servants.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Haman recounted unto them the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
KJV
And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
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This verse in Esther 5
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The multitude of his children - Herodotus tells us that, next to prowess in arms, it was regarded as the greatest proof of manly excellence in Persia to be the father of many sons.” Haman had ten sons (see the margin reference).
This site's exposition
Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself
on Esther 5:10-12
Haman empties his heart at home, counting his riches, his many sons, and every mark of promotion above the king's own princes and servants. He closes with the one honor that outranks the rest in his own eyes, being the queen's sole guest besides the king, twice running.
This site's exposition
Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth
Haman recounted his many sons beside his wealth and the favor of the king. Barnes cites Herodotus: in Persia, many sons counted as the highest proof of manhood after prowess in arms. Haman had ten sons, named at 9:7-9.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 6 And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. 7 Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is;
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And Haman told them of the glory of his riches,....
He took notice of his own riches and honours, the numerousness of his family, and the high posts to which he was advanced, that he was the darling of the prince and the idol of the court; and yet all this avails him nothing as long as Mordecai is unhanged.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The multitude of his children - The Asiatic sovereigns delight in the number of their children; and this is one cause why they take so many wives and concubines.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר | vaysaper | and he recounted | H5608 → | |
| לָהֶ֥ם | lahem | to them | ||
| הָמָ֛ן | haman | Haman | H2001 → | 54 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> [about] | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כְּב֥וֹד | kevod | [the] splendor of | H3519 → | |
| עָשְׁר֖וֹ | ashero | wealth his | H6239 → | |
| וְרֹ֣ב | vero | and [the] multitude of | H7230 → | |
| בָּנָ֑יו | banav | sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וְאֵת֩ | veet | and <obj.> [about] | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| גִּדְּל֤וֹ | gidelo | he had made great him | H1431 → | 117 times |
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְאֵ֣ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | this: | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִשְּׂא֔וֹ | niseo | he had exalted him | H5375 → | 656 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | above | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַשָּׂרִ֖ים | hasarim | the officials | H8269 → | 421 times |
| וְעַבְדֵ֥י | veavdei | and [the] servants of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַיְסַפֵּ֨רand he recounted
vaysaperH5608 →
לָהֶ֥םto them
lahem
הָמָ֛ןHaman
hamanH2001 →54 times
אֶת־<obj.> [about]
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כְּב֥וֹד[the] splendor of
kevodH3519 →
עָשְׁר֖וֹwealth his
asheroH6239 →
וְרֹ֣בand [the] multitude of
veroH7230 →
בָּנָ֑יוsons his
banavH1121 →4930 times
וְאֵת֩and <obj.> [about]
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
גִּדְּל֤וֹhe had made great him
gideloH1431 →117 times
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְאֵ֣תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רthis:
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נִשְּׂא֔וֹhe had exalted him
niseoH5375 →656 times
עַל־above
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַשָּׂרִ֖יםthe officials
hasarimH8269 →421 times
וְעַבְדֵ֥יand [the] servants of
veavdeiH5650 →799 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 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
1 Timothy 6:17Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us…
it leads to
- Proverbs 11:28
He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like foliage.
- Acts 14:17
Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”
- Matthew 19:23
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
- 1 Timothy 4:10
To this end we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe.
- James 1:9–10
The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
- Proverbs 11:28
Through
Esther 3:1After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.
it leads to
- Numbers 24:7
Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed will have abundant water. His king will be greater than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted.
- Daniel 6:2
and over them three administrators, including Daniel, to whom these satraps were accountable so that the king would not suffer loss.
- Numbers 24:7
Through
Genesis 31:1Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 4:4
I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
- Ecclesiastes 4:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Esther

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
