Esther 5 14

Esther 5:14 kjv

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

Esther 5:14 nkjv

Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet." And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.

Esther 5:14 niv

His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself." This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.

Esther 5:14 esv

Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast." This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.

Esther 5:14 nlt

So Haman's wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, "Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king." This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up.

Esther 5 verses

Esther 5 14 Meaning

Esther 5:14 depicts the chilling counsel given to Haman by his wife Zeresh and his friends, advising him to construct an exceedingly tall gallows for Mordecai. Their intent was to secure Mordecai's swift execution the very next morning, thus removing Haman's obstacle before he attended Queen Esther's second banquet with the King. This verse reveals the depth of Haman's vengeful hatred and his perverse desire to enjoy festivity immediately following a heinous act. The immediate and affirmative response by Haman to erect the gallows highlights his unbridled pride, malice, and self-assured delusion, setting the stage for divine reversal.

Esther 5 14 Context

Esther chapter 5 describes Queen Esther's bold and risky decision to approach King Ahasuerus without being summoned, a transgression punishable by death. Miraculously, the King extends his golden scepter, saving her life and granting her favor. Esther invites the King and Haman to two separate banquets. At the first banquet, when the King offers to grant any request, Esther surprisingly defers her petition to the second banquet. This unexpected delay further inflames Haman's pride and rage. Despite being in high favor with the king and queen, seeing Mordecai at the king's gate, refusing to bow to him, overshadowed all his joy and honor. This uncontained fury led him home to share his grievance with his wife Zeresh and his friends, setting the immediate stage for their malevolent counsel in verse 14. Historically, the Persian court was known for its lavishness and strict protocols, with the King holding absolute power. Banquets (mishteh) were central to social and political life, often serving as settings for plots, alliances, and declarations. The cultural emphasis on public honor and shaming fueled Haman's desire for an overtly humiliating punishment for Mordecai, leading to the suggestion of a fifty-cubit-high gallows, ensuring everyone could witness Mordecai's ignominious end. The absence of divine name in the Book of Esther, though subtly woven, emphasizes that human events, even banquets and petty vendettas, are within God's providential orchestration.

Esther 5 14 Word analysis

• Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him,: This indicates a united counsel. Zeresh (זֶרֶשׁ, `Zeresh`), Haman's wife, appears to be an influential figure, offering the most definitive and destructive advice. Her involvement highlights the corrupting influence of intimate advisors. The "friends" add weight and approval to the scheme.
• Let a gallows be made: The Hebrew word for gallows here is עץ (`'ets`), which literally means "tree" or "wood." In this context, it refers to an upright post or stake on which a person would be impaled or hung. It was a common method of public execution and humiliation in ancient Persia.
• of fifty cubits high,: Fifty cubits (`'ammāh`) is approximately 75 feet or 23 meters. This is an extraordinarily excessive height. It underscores the monumental scale of Haman's hatred and his desire for Mordecai's utter public humiliation and the gruesome display of his demise. It signifies the extreme nature of his vengeance and overweening pride.
• and to morrow speak thou unto the king: The urgency reflects Haman's immediate and desperate need to remove Mordecai, as he cannot tolerate Mordecai's presence even before attending another royal banquet. The counsel advises swift, decisive action by appealing to royal authority.
• to hang Mordecai thereon: The Hebrew verb is תלה (`talah`), meaning "to hang" or "to suspend." This refers to public execution by suspending the condemned body from a tree or pole, often after death, for public display of shame.
• then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet.: "Merrily" (שָׂמֵחַ, `sameach`) signifies a state of joy and celebration. This phrase reveals Haman's perverse mindset: he could only enjoy his elevated status and the Queen's favor after witnessing Mordecai's public execution. His inner peace was contingent upon his enemy's demise, showing deep spiritual and emotional sickness.
• And the thing pleased Haman;: The Hebrew word for "pleased" is טוב (`tov`), meaning "good" or "right" or "satisfactory." It indicates Haman's full approval and enthusiastic acceptance of the wicked counsel. His immediate gratification signals his utter lack of conscience.
• and he caused the gallows to be made.: This demonstrates Haman's prompt action and capability in fulfilling this malicious plot, indicating the full weight of his authority and determination behind his hateful design. The immediacy of construction foreshadows the immediacy of divine intervention.

• Zeresh his wife and all his friends...Let a gallows be made...then go thou in merrily...: This sequence highlights a concerted effort of malicious counsel that seeks immediate and extreme public shaming as a prerequisite for personal happiness. It reveals the corrupting influence within Haman's closest circle, feeding his pride and rage.
• fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king to hang Mordecai thereon: The sheer height, combined with the eagerness to immediately involve the king, showcases the audacious and cruel nature of the plot. This specific instruction emphasizes the desire not just for Mordecai's death, but for it to be a spectacle of shame.
• then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet: This phrase chillingly links an act of extreme malice with an act of supposed joyous celebration. It vividly portrays Haman's moral depravity and spiritual blindness, valuing vengeance over all other pleasures, unable to enjoy good things without the accompanying downfall of his adversary.
• And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made: This concluding statement demonstrates Haman's instant embrace and practical implementation of the evil advice. It serves as a stark depiction of unchecked wickedness swiftly putting its plans into action, underscoring Haman's readiness for evil.

Esther 5 14 Bonus section

The "gallows" being "fifty cubits high" is not just arbitrary. In a practical sense, it ensures the visibility of Mordecai's shaming execution from a great distance across the city of Susa, fulfilling Haman's desire for extreme public spectacle and terror. Symbolically, its immense height also signifies the immense arrogance and disproportionate hatred within Haman. The very word for "gallows," עץ ('ets), meaning "tree" or "wood," can also subtly foreshadow a different "tree" on which One greater than Mordecai would be "hanged," drawing connections to the cross and the curse associated with it, only to bring about salvation and reverse judgment, a grander reversal than even Haman's. This entire episode showcases human evil's intensity, contrasted with God's hidden but active hand, demonstrating that even the most elaborate human schemes of destruction cannot thwart His ultimate purpose. The swift action to "cause the gallows to be made" (Esther 5:14) emphasizes Haman's overconfidence, completely oblivious to the unseen divine force orchestrating events in the background, making this verse a critical point of dramatic irony.

Esther 5 14 Commentary

Esther 5:14 serves as a pivot point in the Book of Esther, encapsulating the epitome of Haman's pride, hatred, and self-delusion, meticulously guided by evil counsel. His perceived slight by Mordecai's refusal to bow consumed him, rendering all his vast wealth and power meaningless. The advice from Zeresh and his friends was tailored to his ego, proposing an excessively high gallows—not merely for execution, but for monumental public humiliation. The desire to "merrily" proceed to a banquet after orchestrating such a death reveals Haman's twisted priorities and moral bankruptcy. This verse sets in motion the visible apparatus of Haman's scheme, physically manifesting his malice, and subtly highlighting the divine irony at play. What Haman constructs for Mordecai will ultimately become the instrument of his own poetic justice, a testament to the biblical principle that those who dig a pit for others often fall into it themselves (Psalm 7:15). It underlines that even when wicked plots seem fully formed and unstoppable, God's providence quietly works to bring about reversal and justice.For instance, in everyday life, this verse can serve as a cautionary tale: succumbing to unchecked anger and allowing others to fuel destructive impulses often leads to self-destruction, rather than resolution or joy. It illustrates how true peace and happiness cannot be found through harming others but only by right relationship with God.