The Book of Esther

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 6 -

The king honors Mordecai

The king passed that night without sleep, and so he ordered the histories and chronicles of former times to be brought to him. And when they were reading them before him,

they came to that place where it had been written, how Mordecai had reported the treachery of Bigthan and Teresh the eunuchs, who desired to cut the throat of king Artaxerxes.(a)

When the king had heard this, he said, “What honor and reward has Mordecai been given for this fidelity?” His servants and ministers said to him, “He has received no compensation at all.”(b)

(c)

And immediately the king said, “Who is in the atrium?” For, you see, Haman was entering the inner atrium of the king’s house to suggest to the king that he should order Mordecai to be hanged on the gallows, which had been prepared for him.

The servants answered, “Haman is standing in the atrium.” And the king said, “Let him enter.”

And when he had entered, he said to him, “What ought to be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?” But Haman, thinking in his heart and supposing that the king would honor no one else but himself,(d)

answered, “The man whom the king wishes to honor,

ought to be clothed with the king’s apparel, and be set upon the horse that the king rides, and receive the royal crown upon his head.

And let the first of the king’s rulers and sovereigns hold his horse, and, as they advance through the street of the city, proclaim before him and say, ‘Thus shall he be honored, whom the king decides to honor.’ ”

And the king said to him, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse, and do as you have said to Mordecai the Jew, who sits in front of the gate of the palace. Be careful not to omit any of those things which you have mentioned.”

And so Haman took the robe and the horse, and arraying Mordecai in the street of the city, and setting him on the horse, he went before him and cried out, “He is worthy of this honor, whom the king has decided to honor.”

And Mordecai returned to the palace door. And Haman hurried to go to his house, mourning and hiding his head.

And he explained to Zeresh his wife and to his friends all that had happened to him. And the wise men, whom he held in counsel, and his wife, answered him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is from the offspring of the Jews, you will not be able to withstand him, but you will fall in his sight.”

As they were still speaking, the king’s eunuchs arrived and compelled him to go quickly to the feast, which the queen had prepared.

Footnotes

(a)10:2 The word “iugulare” means to kill someone by cutting their throat. “Jugulare” refers to the throat. The English word jugular, as in the jugular vein, is derived from the Latin.(Conte)

(b)10:3 Compensation, or reward, or gift.(Conte)

(c)6:3 No reward at all:He received some presents from the king, chap. 12.5; but these were so inconsiderable in the opinion of the courtiers, that they esteemed them as nothing at all.(Challoner)

(d)10:6 Interestingly, the author of this book uses “vir” when the king is speaking, because he is referring to Mordecai. The word “vir” has a generally positive connotation, not unlike the word “gentleman.” But, in the next verse, the author has Haman use the word “homo,” meaning merely “man,” because Haman is referring to himself. The author puts the less complementary word in Haman’s mouth to show that Haman is not worthy to be called “vir.” Haman is not a gentleman, but merely a man.(Conte)