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The Agora
Bible Commentary
Esther

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Esther 6

Est 6:1

THE BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES: Typ the "book of life": cp Mal 3:16; Phi 4:3; Rev 3:5; 20:12.

Est 6:4

HAMAN HAD JUST ENTERED THE OUTER COURT... TO SPEAK TO THE KING ABOUT HANGING MORDECAI: What an astounding misfortune of timing! Evidently Haman comes very early in the morning, after the king has spent a sleepless night thinking of how to REWARD Mordecai -- and Haman is about to ask for him to be killed. Here -- in a stupendous reversal of form -- the "early bird" is eaten by the "worm"!

Est 6:6

WHAT WOULD BE DONE FOR THE MAN THE KING DELIGHTS TO HONOR?: The thought of even greater honor for Haman (!) drives all thoughts of vengeance upon Mordecai totally out of his mind! But Haman's pride preceded his fall (Pro 16:18). He wanted to appear as much like the king himself as possible in the honors he recommended for the person he thought would be himself (v 8; cp Gen. 41:39-45; 1 Sam. 18:4; 1 Kings 1:33).

Est 6:10

FOR MORDECAI THE JEW: The king knew by now that Mordecai was a Jew. However the writer did not say Ahasuerus understood that Haman had aimed his pogrom against the Jews until Esther revealed that fact (Est 7:4). Of course he may have known it already. It seems incredible that Ahasuerus would issue such a decree without finding out whom it would eliminate. Perhaps he planned to make Mordecai an exception and spare his life.

Est 6:12

WITH HIS HEAD COVERED IN GRIEF: Cp 2Sa 15:30; 19:4; Jer 14:3,4; Eze 24:17.

Est 6:13

SINCE MORDECAI, BEFORE WHOM YOUR DOWNFALL HAS STARTED, IS OF JEWISH ORIGIN, YOU CANNOT STAND AGAINST HIM -- YOU WILL SURELY COME TO RUIN!: His friends evidently realized that unseen forces were maintaining the blessing that they had observed following the Jews (cp Num 23:9,21,23; 24:9,17,19; Jos 2:9-13). They saw in Haman's humiliation before Mordecai, the powerful honored Jew, an omen of even worse defeat to come. The tide had turned.

Est 6:14

AND HURRIED HAMAN AWAY TO THE BANQUET ESTHER HAD PREPARED: Haman hastened to go to the banquet; he did not want to be late. This does not mean that he was reluctant to go and that the eunuchs needed to hurry him along. He evidently looked forward to the banquet as an opportunity to lift his spirits -- little realizing that it would be the scene of his final and absolute condemnation.

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