Esther 6 4

Esther 6:4 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.

Esther 6:4 nkjv

So the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

Esther 6:4 niv

The king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.

Esther 6:4 esv

And the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

Esther 6:4 nlt

"Who is that in the outer court?" the king inquired. As it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to impale Mordecai on the pole he had prepared.

Esther 6 verses

Esther 6 4 meaning

Esther 6:4 vividly captures a pivotal moment of dramatic irony in the narrative. At the precise instant King Ahasuerus inquires about someone to consult concerning the king's newfound desire to honor Mordecai, Haman — Mordecai's sworn enemy — fortuitously arrives in the outer court. Unaware of the king's true thoughts, Haman's sole intent for coming to the king at this early hour is to obtain permission to execute Mordecai on the very gallows he meticulously prepared for him. This synchronicity is not mere chance but a masterful orchestration of divine providence, setting the stage for Haman's swift and ironic downfall and Mordecai's exaltation.

Esther 6 4 Context

Esther chapter 6 serves as the climactic turning point of the book. Preceding this verse, in Esther 5, Haman's arrogance reaches its peak after Esther invites him to two private banquets, making him believe he is supremely favored. Despite his elevation, Haman is consumed by wrath and envy because Mordecai refuses to bow to him. Influenced by his wife and friends, Haman builds a 50-cubit (approx. 75 feet) high gallows with the express purpose of executing Mordecai. In chapter 6, the king experiences a sleepless night. To pass the time, he has the royal chronicles read aloud, a seemingly mundane act. However, the exact portion read details how Mordecai had previously exposed a plot against the king, for which Mordecai received no reward. This discovery prompts the king's urgent inquiry, leading directly to the events of Esther 6:4. The verse, therefore, places Haman at the critical juncture of divine intervention, unknowingly poised to assist in his own ruin and Mordecai's elevation.

Esther 6 4 Word analysis

• Then the king said, Who is in the court? (וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ מִי בֶחָצֵ֑ר - vayyomer hammalekh mi bāḥātsêr)

  • "King" (מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ - melekh): Denotes the highest earthly authority in Persia, yet in this narrative, even his authority is subject to a higher, unseen power.
  • "Said" (וַיֹּ֣אמֶר - vayyomer): Simple verb, but its suddenness highlights the king's urgency and immediate concern following his realization about Mordecai.
  • "Who is in the court?" (מִי בֶחָצֵ֑ר - mi bāḥātsêr): A direct question indicating the king's immediate need for counsel regarding the newly discovered obligation to Mordecai. "Court" (חָצֵ֑ר - ḥātsêr) here refers to the open area surrounding the inner palace. The query is simple but the timing makes it profound.

• 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. (וְהָמָ֣ן בָּא֮ לַחֲצַ֤ר בֵּֽית־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַחִיצוֹנָה֙ לֵאמֹ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ לִתְל֞וֹת אֶת־מָרְדְּכַי֮ עַל־הָעֵץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵכִ֣ין לוֹ֒)

  • "Now Haman was come" (וְהָמָ֣ן בָּא֮ - vehāmān bā’): The conjunctive "now" (וְ - ve) creates a strong sense of immediate, perfectly timed arrival, pivotal to the dramatic irony. "Bā’" means "he came/arrived," conveying direct entry.
  • "Outward court" (לַחֲצַ֤ר... הַחִיצוֹנָה֙ - laḥaṣar... haḥîṣônāh): Specificity denotes the formal public entrance area, where those seeking an audience would await permission to approach the king's inner presence.
  • "To speak unto the king" (לֵאמֹ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ - lēʼmōr lammeleḵ): Indicates Haman's clear intention to present his request directly to the king.
  • "To hang Mordecai" (לִתְל֞וֹת אֶת־מָרְדְּכַי֮ - litlôt ’et-mordekhay): "Litlot" means "to hang" or "to impale." This reveals Haman's murderous, unyielding hatred. The very reason for his early morning visit is a dark one, making his ensuing humiliation all the more fitting.
  • "On the gallows" (עַל־הָעֵץ֙ - ʿal-hāʿēṣ): The word ʿēṣ means "tree" or "wood." While translated "gallows" here, it often implies a crude, hastily erected wooden structure or stake, underscoring the personal vengeance and brutal nature of Haman's planned execution.
  • "That he had prepared for him" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵכִ֣ין לוֹ֒ - ’ăšer hēkhîn lô): "Prepared" (hēkhîn) emphasizes the deliberate, malicious premeditation behind Haman's scheme. This phrase is the pinnacle of the irony, indicating the instrument of Mordecai's intended demise would become Haman's.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "Then the king said, Who is in the court?" / "Now Haman was come...": This juxtaposition creates powerful dramatic irony. The king is thinking about honoring Mordecai, while Haman is thinking about annihilating him. Their perfectly synchronized entrance is portrayed as an extraordinary coincidence, a hallmark of divine orchestration in a book where God is not explicitly mentioned. It highlights the principle of precise divine timing, often imperceptible to human actors.
  • "To speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.": This phrase encapsulates Haman's pride, hatred, and the elaborate nature of his evil plot. The meticulous preparation of the gallows (referencing a previous verse where he constructs it) deepens the later ironic twist where he is hanged on his own instrument of death. It underlines the theme that evil intentions often boomerang on their perpetrators, illustrating the Biblical concept of "reaping what you sow."

Esther 6 4 Bonus section

The Book of Esther, notably, does not explicitly mention God's name, His attributes, or direct miraculous intervention. However, the events described in Esther 6:4 and the surrounding chapters serve as one of the Bible's most potent demonstrations of divine providence (hashgachah pratit in Hebrew) working through seemingly random human decisions and coincidences. The rapid sequence of the king's insomnia (Esth 6:1), the selection of the precise historical record concerning Mordecai (Esth 6:2), and Haman's "chance" arrival at dawn (Esth 6:4) are not accidents. Instead, they represent God's unseen hand orchestrating human affairs to protect His people and fulfill His purposes. This verse perfectly sets up the "irony of reversals," where Haman's hubris is used to humble him and exalt Mordecai, affirming the sovereign will of the God who is quietly but powerfully at work behind the scenes of history.

Esther 6 4 Commentary

Esther 6:4 is the narrative's central turning point, showcasing profound dramatic irony and the principle of quid pro quo justice without overt divine intervention. It perfectly aligns the king's timely discovery of Mordecai's past good deed with Haman's appearance, utterly ignorant of the unfolding divine counter-plot. Haman's arrival is depicted not as chance, but as a meticulously orchestrated moment where his ambition to inflict death on Mordecai places him directly in the king's path, ready to unwittingly pronounce his own judgment. This precise timing, the king's sleeplessness, the reading of the records, and Haman's early approach to demand Mordecai's death, are all portrayed as seemingly natural events that nevertheless coalesce into an unmistakable pattern of providential reversal. It reveals that while humanity proposes, the Almighty disposes, turning the adversary's weapons against themselves. The meticulous detail about the "gallows he had prepared for him" reinforces the exact justice that will soon be served, a vivid illustration that those who dig a pit for others often fall into it themselves.