Esther 6:4
in Esther 6“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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
KJV
And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
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This verse in Esther 6
Commentary
7 notes on this verseMordecai was also persecuted as Jesus was persecuted. Mordecai was persecuted by the wicked Haman; and Jesus was persecuted by the rebellious people. Mordecai by his prayer delivered his people from the hands of Haman; and Jesus by his prayer delivered his people from the hands of Satan. Mordecai was delivered from the hands of his persecutor; and Jesus was rescued from the hands of his persecutors.
This site's exposition
Who is in the court
on Esther 6:4-5
Haman is already in the outer court at dawn, come to ask the king's leave to hang Mordecai on the gallows built the night before. The chapter's irony sits in the timing: the man come to destroy Mordecai walks in just as the king is deciding how to reward him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Haman - Early in the morning, because his malice would not suffer him to sleep; and he was impatient 'till he had executed his revenge; and was resolved to watch for the very first opportunity of speaking to the king, before he was engaged in other matters.
And the king said, who is in the court?.... Being in haste to confer some honour on Mordecai for what he had done: now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house; though it was early in the morning, being eager to get to the speech of the king before he was engaged in any business, to obtain a grant from him: to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him; of which he made no doubt of having, and therefore had prepared for it.
The king is so impatient to have Mordecai honoured that he sends to know who is in the court that is fit to be employed in it. Word is brought him that Haman is in the court,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Now Haman was come into the outward court--This was early in the morning. It is the invariable custom for kings in Eastern countries to transact business before the sun is hot, often in the open air, and so Haman was in all probability come officially to attend on his master.
Who is in the court? - This accords with the dream mentioned by the Targum; and given above. Now Haman was come - This must have been very early in the morning. Haman’s pride and revenge were both on the tenters to be gratified.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| מִ֣י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| בֶחָצֵ֑ר | vechatzer | [is] in the court | H2691 → | 191 times |
| וְהָמָ֣ן | vehaman | and Haman | H2001 → | 54 times |
| בָּ֗א | ba' | he had come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לַחֲצַ֤ר | lachatzar | to [the] court of | H2691 → | 191 times |
| בֵּית־ | beit- | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| הַחִ֣יצוֹנָ֔ה | hachitzonah | <the> outer | H2435 → | |
| לֵאמֹ֣ר | lemor | to speak | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | lamelekh | to the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| לִתְלוֹת֙ | litlot | to hang | H8518 → | 27 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מָרְדֳּכַ֔י | maredokhai | Mordecai | H4782 → | 60 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָעֵ֖ץ | haetz | the gallows | H6086 → | 328 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֵכִ֥ין | hekhin | he had prepared | H3559 → | |
| לֽוֹ׃ | lo | for him |
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
מִ֣יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
בֶחָצֵ֑ר[is] in the court
vechatzerH2691 →191 times
וְהָמָ֣ןand Haman
vehamanH2001 →54 times
בָּ֗אhe had come
ba'H935 →2568 times
לַחֲצַ֤רto [the] court of
lachatzarH2691 →191 times
בֵּית־[the] house of
beit-H1004 →2046 times
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
הַחִ֣יצוֹנָ֔ה<the> outer
hachitzonahH2435 →
לֵאמֹ֣רto speak
lemorH559 →5305 times
לַמֶּ֔לֶךְto the king
lamelekhH4428 →2525 times
לִתְלוֹת֙to hang
litlotH8518 →27 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מָרְדֳּכַ֔יMordecai
maredokhaiH4782 →60 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָעֵ֖ץthe gallows
haetzH6086 →328 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הֵכִ֥יןhe had prepared
hekhinH3559 →
לֽוֹ׃for him
lo
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 2:4The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them.
it leads to
- Psalms 37:13
but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.
- Psalms 59:8
But You, O LORD, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations.
- Proverbs 1:26
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
- Isaiah 40:22
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
- Psalms 11:4
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.
- Psalms 37:13
Through
Job 5:13He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.
it leads to
- Psalms 9:15–16
The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
- 1 Corinthians 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
- Psalms 7:15–16
He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making.
- Psalms 9:15–16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this chapter
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; Aphrahat the Persian Sage, DEMONSTRATIONS 21.20; 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 and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).