Esther 9:25
in Esther 9But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but when the matter came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
KJV
But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
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This verse in Esther 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseVery often people's evil schemes turn out differently than they had hoped and the trap they had placed to capture others ensnares them, as the Scripture confirms, "The wicked are ensnared in their traps. And whoever digs a pit will fall into it." Therefore also …
This site's exposition
had cast the Pur
on Esther 9:24-28
The feast takes its name from the plot's tool: Haman "had cast the Pur (that is, the lot) to crush and destroy them". The custom binds the Jews, their descendants "and all who join them," so the charter admits converts. Purim is still kept, with this book read aloud.
This site's exposition
But when it came before the king
The recap folds the story into one sentence, from the plot reaching the king to Haman and his sons hanged. Gill's text makes Esther the one who came before the king, and the Berean reads the plot as coming before him. Rabanus cites the pit that catches its own digger.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
For wicked men often find that their desires are fulfilled in ways they had not expected to happen; and they are caught in the same traps they set to ensnare others, as the Scripture shows when it says: "The wicked are caught in their traps; …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Good deeds done for the Israel of God ought to be remembered, for the encouragement of others to do the like. God will not forget them, and therefore we must not. (3.) Their own prayers, and the answers given to them (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
But when Esther came before the king,....
How the passage was read
On Esther 9:20-32On Esther 9:20-32
The feast this book founds
These verses are the founding charter of Purim, the one feast instituted inside the canon's own narrative books. Its name comes from the “pur,” the lot Haman cast for Israel's destruction. The text itself names the three practices that still define the day: feasting and gladness, sending portions of food to one another, and gifts to the poor (9:22). To this day the whole book of Esther, called the Megillah (“scroll”), is read aloud in the synagogue, with the congregation drowning out Haman's name with noisemakers; the day is kept with costumes, feasting, food baskets to friends, and charity.
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.
Sources: Mishnah Megillah 1:1 (the scroll reading) · Esther 9:22 (the three practices, in the text itself)
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבְבֹאָהּ֮ | uvevoah | and when came it | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַמֶּלֶךְ֒ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| הַסֵּ֔פֶר | hasefer | the letter | H5612 → | 186 times |
| יָשׁ֞וּב | yashuv | let it return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| מַחֲשַׁבְתּ֧וֹ | machashavto | plan his | H4284 → | 56 times |
| הָרָעָ֛ה | haraah | <the> evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| חָשַׁ֥ב | chashav | he had planned | H2803 → | 124 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹאשׁ֑וֹ | rosho | own head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וְתָל֥וּ | vetalu | and people will hang | H8518 → | 27 times |
| אֹת֛וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בָּנָ֖יו | banav | sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָעֵֽץ׃ | haetz | the gallows | H6086 → | 328 times |
וּבְבֹאָהּ֮and when came it
uvevoahH935 →2568 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַמֶּלֶךְ֒the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אָמַ֣רhe said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
הַסֵּ֔פֶרthe letter
haseferH5612 →186 times
יָשׁ֞וּבlet it return
yashuvH7725 →1056 times
מַחֲשַׁבְתּ֧וֹplan his
machashavtoH4284 →56 times
הָרָעָ֛ה<the> evil
haraahH7451 →662 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
חָשַׁ֥בhe had planned
chashavH2803 →124 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֖יםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹאשׁ֑וֹown head his
roshoH7218 →599 times
וְתָל֥וּand people will hang
vetaluH8518 →27 times
אֹת֛וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
בָּנָ֖יוsons his
banavH1121 →4930 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָעֵֽץ׃the gallows
haetzH6086 →328 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
Matthew 21:44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 8:14–15
And He will be a sanctuary—but to both houses of Israel a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, to the dwellers of Jerusalem a trap and a snare.
- 1 Peter 2:8
and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.
- Daniel 2:34–35
As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.
- Daniel 2:44–45
In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms…
- Romans 9:33
as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”
- Isaiah 8:14–15
Through
Psalms 7:16His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.
it leads to
- Psalms 37:12–13
The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
- 1 Kings 2:32
The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to…
- Psalms 37:12–13
Through
Psalms 140:9May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.
it leads to
- Psalms 7:16
His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.
- Psalms 7:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Esther

This page draws on Alfred Edersheim, Bible History: Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 13 and Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther.
