Esther 5:11 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.
Esther 5:11 nkjv
Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king.
Esther 5:11 niv
Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials.
Esther 5:11 esv
And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king.
Esther 5:11 nlt
and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials.
Esther 5 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. | Warns against pride's outcome |
| Prov 18:12 | Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty... | Precedes humbling or destruction |
| Prov 29:23 | A man's pride will bring him low... | Consequences of pride |
| Dan 4:30-31 | "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built... by the might of my power..." | Nebuchadnezzar's boasting and immediate humbling |
| Obad 1:3 | The pride of your heart has deceived you... | Deceiving nature of pride |
| Jas 4:6 | God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. | Divine opposition to pride |
| 1 Jn 2:16 | For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh... and the pride of life... | The fallen nature of worldly pride |
| Jer 9:23-24 | Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Nor let the mighty man glory in his might... but glory in this, that he understands... the LORD. | Contrast boasting in earthly vs. divine things |
| Ps 49:16-17 | Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich... for when he dies he will carry nothing away. | Emphasizes fleeting nature of wealth |
| Eccl 5:13-14 | There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt... they perish in misfortune. | Wealth can be detrimental and lost quickly |
| Lk 12:16-21 | The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully... "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you..." | Parable of rich fool, vanity of earthly security |
| 1 Tim 6:7-10 | For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. But godliness with contentment is great gain. | Detachment from worldly possessions |
| Matt 6:19-21 | Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. | Superiority of heavenly treasures |
| Ps 127:3-5 | Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward... Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. | Sons as a blessing in ancient culture |
| Ps 75:6-7 | For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west... But God is the Judge: He puts down one and exalts another. | God as the ultimate source of promotion |
| 1 Sam 2:7-8 | The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust... | God's sovereignty over status and wealth |
| Jas 4:10 | Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. | Pathway to true elevation |
| 1 Pet 5:6 | Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. | Divine exaltation through humility |
| Matt 23:12 | And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. | Universal principle of humbling the proud |
| Phil 2:3 | Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. | Contrasts Haman's self-centeredness |
| Exod 17:14-16 | "...blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget." | Connection to Haman's Amalekite lineage |
| Deut 25:17-19 | "Remember what Amalek did to you... when you were weary and worn out..." | God's specific decree against Amalekites |
| Rom 1:30 | ...proud, boastful, inventors of evil... | General warning against boasting character |
Esther 5 verses
Esther 5 11 Meaning
Esther 5:11 details Haman's extravagant boasting to his friends and his wife, Zeresh. He proudly listed the great "glory of his riches," emphasizing his vast wealth, and highlighted the "multitude of his children," which in that culture signified great blessing and a secure future. Furthermore, he grandiosely recounted "all the things in which the king had promoted him" and "how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king." This verse paints a clear picture of Haman's immense pride and reliance on earthly status, wealth, and offspring as sources of his identity and perceived security. It foreshadows his impending fall by illustrating his excessive hubris just before the narrative pivots towards his downfall.
Esther 5 11 Context
Esther Chapter 5 begins with Esther bravely approaching the king, risking her life for her people. King Ahasuerus extends the golden scepter, saving her and granting her favor. Esther invites the king and Haman to a banquet, and then to a second one the following day. This sequence elevates Haman, increasing his sense of importance and vindication, especially since he is the only one invited with the king. However, despite this outward success, Haman encounters Mordecai at the palace gate who refuses to bow to him. This seemingly minor slight greatly irritates Haman, spoiling all his joys and revealing a deep insecurity and obsessive pride. Esther 5:11 details his boasting session at home, immediately after this encounter and before the second banquet, exposing the emptiness of his glory in the face of Mordecai's perceived defiance. Historically, Persian society placed immense value on wealth, royal favor, and numerous male heirs as indicators of social standing and divine blessing. Haman's recitation reflects this cultural context, amplifying his inflated self-worth.
Esther 5 11 Word analysis
- And Haman recounted: The Hebrew word for "recounted" implies a full, detailed, and even boastful declaration. Haman isn't just informing; he's celebrating and reveling in his perceived achievements before an audience designed to affirm him (his wife and friends). This shows his need for external validation. Haman's name is associated with the Amalekites, a long-standing enemy of Israel (Exod 17:16). This lineage often implied an ingrained hostility, which underpins his hatred for Mordecai, a Jew.
- to them: Refers to Zeresh his wife and his friends, a sympathetic audience selected by Haman. This is a private, unreserved outpouring of his inflated ego.
- the glory (כָּבוֹד - kavod): This term, often used for God's glory or magnificent display, here applies to Haman's worldly possessions. Kavod implies weightiness, substance, and honor. Here, it is ironically applied to something transient, setting up the contrast with true glory. For Haman, his worth is directly tied to visible, earthly splendor.
- of his riches (עשֶׁר - osher): Refers to his great wealth and material possessions. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, wealth was often seen as a sign of divine blessing, but in Haman's case, it became a source of pride and idolatry, replacing reliance on divine providence.
- and the multitude (רֹב - rov): Denotes an abundance or great quantity.
- of his children (בָּנִים - banim): Specifically "sons" (plural). Having many sons was a sign of great blessing, strength, and security in ancient society, guaranteeing a legacy and continuing the family name (Ps 127:3-5). Haman boasts of ten sons (Est 9:10), a substantial number indicating prestige and future influence.
- and all the things in which the king had promoted him (גָּדַל - gadal): The verb gadal means to make great, grow, or magnify. It refers to the elevation of Haman's status by the king. This highlights that Haman's power derived from human authority, contrasting with true, divine promotion (Ps 75:6-7).
- and how he had advanced him (נִשָּׂא - nissa): This verb means to lift up, raise, or exalt. It further emphasizes his elevated position and the king's favor. Haman delights in this human recognition and perceives it as the pinnacle of his achievements.
- above the princes and servants of the king: This detail specifies the absolute height of his rank, surpassing all other high-ranking officials and royal employees. Haman views this hierarchical superiority as ultimate validation.
Words-group analysis:
- "glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children": These represent the two pillars of ancient earthly success and blessing – material prosperity and a thriving lineage. Haman combines these, presenting them as the indisputable proof of his favored status. This also suggests his core identity is wrapped in these external markers rather than any internal virtue or true godliness.
- "all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king": This emphasizes Haman's preoccupation with his elevated status and royal favor. His success is contingent on the king's goodwill, highlighting a dependency that his pride ironically masks. This group of phrases sets the stage for the dramatic irony, as this human-bestowed promotion is about to lead to a swift, divinely ordained fall.
Esther 5 11 Bonus section
The detailed recitation of Haman's boasting contrasts sharply with the often-hidden providence of God throughout the book of Esther, where His name is not explicitly mentioned but His hand is evident. Haman's overt pride highlights the subtle but powerful theme of reversal in the narrative – what man intends for evil, God sovereignly turns for good. His perceived blessing of "multitude of his children" eventually becomes a source of deeper suffering, as they too will be put to death alongside him (Est 9:10). This emphasizes that human boasting about worldly blessings is fleeting and can quickly turn into curse without divine foundation. His specific pride in being "above the princes" sets him up for a greater fall, illustrating the vulnerability of human-granted status.
Esther 5 11 Commentary
Esther 5:11 reveals the profound vanity and self-delusion inherent in Haman. His meticulous enumeration of his "glory," riches, numerous sons, and supreme elevation by the king underscores a man who derives his entire worth from outward, earthly possessions and positions. This public display of private self-glorification, happening immediately after the humiliating encounter with Mordecai, acts as a crucial plot point. It showcases Haman's profound insecurity, where one defiant individual can spoil all his earthly joys, compelling him to seek extreme measures. This moment of maximum pride precedes Haman's swift and dramatic downfall, embodying the biblical principle that pride precedes destruction. His reliance on mutable human power and fleeting possessions sets a stark contrast to true security found in divine favor. The scene is imbued with dramatic irony, as Haman, blinded by his arrogance, unknowingly praises the very instruments (his status and proximity to the king) that will lead to his ultimate demise, orchestrated through Esther and Mordecai. This serves as a timeless caution against seeking identity and value solely in temporal achievements.