Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Esther 6:1

Clarke's Commentary

CHAPTER VI

That night the king, not being able to sleep, orders the

chronicles of the kingdom to be read to him; and finds there

the record concerning the discovery of the treason of the two

eunuchs, made by Mordecai, 1, 2.

He inquires whether Mordecai had been rewarded, and was answered

in the negative, 3.

At this time Haman arrives, in order to request the king's

permission to hang Mordecai; and being suddenly asked what

should be done to the man whom the king delighted to honour,

supposing that himself must be meant, presented the ceremonial,

4-9.

The king orders him to give Mordecai those honours; which he

performs, to his extreme mortification, 10, 11.

He informs his wife Zeresh of these transactions, who predicts

his downfall, 12-13.

He is hurried by the eunuchs to the queen's banquet, 14.

NOTES ON CHAP. VI

Verse Esther 6:1. On that night could not the king sleep — The Targum says the king had a dream, which was as follows:-"And the king sat one in the similitude of a man who spoke these words to him: Haman desireth to slay thee, and to make himself king in thy stead. Behold, he will come unto thee early in the morning, to ask from thee the man who rescued thee from death, that he may slay him: but say thou unto Haman, What shall be done for the man whose honour the king studieth? And thou wilt find that he will ask nothing less from thee than the royal vestments, the regal crown, and the horse on which the king is wont to ride."

The records of the chronicles — It may be well asked, Why should the king, in such a perturbed state of mind, wish such a dry detail, as chronicles afford, to be read to him? But the truth is, as chronicles were composed among the Persians, he could not have brought before him any work more instructive, and more entertaining; because they were all written in verse, and were generally the work of the most eminent poets in the empire. They are written in this way to the present time; and the famous epic poem of the finest Persian poet, Ferdusi, the Homer of India, is nothing else than a collection of chronicles brought down from the creation to the reign of Mohammed Ghezny, in the beginning of the tenth century. After thirty years' labour, he finished this poem, which contained one hundred and twenty thousand lines, and presented it to the Sultan Mahmoud, who had promised to give him a dinar (eight shillings and sixpence) for every line. The poem was finished A.D. 984; and was formed out of compositions of a similar nature made by former poets. This chronological poem is written in all the harmony, strength, and elegance of the most beautiful and harmonious language in the universe; and what adds greatly to its worth is, that it has few Arabic words, with which the beautiful Persian tongue was loaded, and in my opinion corrupted, after the conquest of the major part of Asia by the Mohammedans. The pedants of Hindoostan, whether they speak or write, in prose or in verse, affect this commixture of Arabic words; which, though they subjugate them to Persian rules, are producing a ruggedness in a language, which in Ferdusi, flows deep and strong like a river of oil over every kind of channel. Such, I suppose, was the chronicle that was read to Ahasuerus, when his distractions prevented his sleep, and his troubled mind required that soothing repose which the gentle though powerful hand of poetry is alone, in such circumstances, capable of affording. Even our rough English ancestors had their poetic chronicles; and, among many, the chronicle of Robert of Gloucester is proof in point. I need not add, that all that is real in Ossian is of the same complexion.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Haman’s humiliation and defeat (5:1-7:10)

After three days Esther approached the king and invited him and Haman to dinner (5:1-4). She was so pleased with their friendly response that she decided to invite them again the next day, in the hope that they would be even more favourable to her (5-8). Haman thought that the honour given him by the queen showed that she, as well as the king, was pleased with him and agreed with his anti-Jewish policy. He decided to take the opportunity of this royal favour to arrange for a decree from the king to have chief enemy Mordecai executed immediately (9-14).
Early next morning, Haman went to ask the king for Mordecai’s execution. But the king had just spent the night reviewing some official records, where he was reminded that Mordecai had saved his life several years earlier. Knowing nothing of the hatred that Haman and Mordecai had for each other, the king decided that Mordecai must be rewarded (6:1-5).
The king consulted Haman about the matter, but did not tell Haman the name of the person who was to receive the proposed royal honour. Haman, thinking that the honour was for himself, suggested an extravagant public show of the king’s favour (6-9). The king agreed, with the result that Haman, instead of executing Mordecai, had to carry out the king’s command to honour Mordecai before the people (10-11). Haman’s humiliation appeared to his family and friends as a foreshadowing of worse to come (12-13).
When the king and Haman joined Esther for dinner that night, the circumstances were entirely favourable for Esther to put her case to the king (14-7:2). The king showed no anger when he found out that Esther was Jewish, but he burst into fury when told that Haman had planned the destruction of the queen and her people. Haman threw himself down on the couch before Esther to cry for mercy, but the king, in his rage, interpreted Haman’s action as an attempt at rape. He then learnt that Haman had prepared to execute the man who had saved the king’s life. The king had heard enough; he condemned Haman to immediate death (3-10).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE KING’S DECISION TO REWARD MORDECAI

“On that night could not the king sleep; and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains of those that kept the threshold, who had sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus. And the king said, What honor and dignity hath been bestowed on Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.”

The king was resolved to reward Mordecai; but even before he had time to announce his decision, Haman had arrived for the purpose of asking the king’s permission to hang Mordecai! What an inopportune moment for Haman’s request!

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 6

Now that night king Ahasuerus couldn't go to sleep ( Esther 6:1 ),

He's lying there restless. No doubt God was in the restlessness. And so he said,

bring to me the chronicles [the history]; read to me ( Esther 6:1 ).

What's more boring than history? "Read to me the history books." Probably figured he'd go to sleep while they were reading. And as they were reading the history, the records, he came to the place where Mordecai had warned him of the assassination plot. And he said, "What was done to reward that man who warned me of the assassination?" And they said, "Nothing." He said, "Well, surely he should be rewarded."

And so in the morning, when Haman came whistling in, the king said to Haman,

Haman, what should the king do for the man that he seeks to honor very highly? ( Esther 6:6 )

Man, I love the way God turns the tables!

And Haman thought, Who would the king want to honor more than me? ( Esther 6:6 )

You know, this time he was really pride, puffed-up, and blind. "Who does the king want to honor more than me?" And so, thinking that the king was referring to him, he sort of expressed what was in his heart, really.

Let the king's royal robes be put upon him, and the king's crown upon his head and let him be driven in the king's chariot through the city, and send the couriers before him crying out, Behold the man whom the king delights to honor ( Esther 6:8 , Esther 6:9 ).

And so the king said, "Good idea. You make the arrangements,"

and do all that you've said for Mordecai: see that nothing is lacking ( Esther 6:10 ).

So Mordecai had the king's robe put on him, the king's crown, and he went through the streets in the chariot as they cried out, "Behold the man whom the king delights to honor." And Haman headed for home. He said, "You can't believe what's happened to me." And, of course, his counselors said, "Hey, you know, this is a bad day. Your star is in a bad position, man. You know, this doesn't look good. Your star is descending"

And so while he was there and just, you know, talking about his problems, they came in and said, "Hey, you're going to be late for the queen's banquet. You'd better get going." "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Ahasuerus’ insomnia 6:1-3

The reading of the equivalent of the Congressional Record would have put the king to sleep under normal circumstances, as it probably had done on many previous occasions (cf. Malachi 3:16).

"Here is a remarkable instance of the veiled providential control of God over circumstances of human history. Upon the king’s insomnia, humanly speaking, were hinged the survival of the chosen nation, the fulfillment of prophecy, the coming of the Redeemer, and therefore the whole work of redemption. Yet the outcome was never in doubt; for God was in control, making the most trivial of events work together for Haman’s defeat and Israel’s preservation." [Note: The New Scofield Reference Bible, p. 566.]

Normally, this king quickly rewarded people who did him special services. Herodotus gave two examples of Xerxes doing this. [Note: Herodotus, 8:85 and 9:107.] Consequently, when he discovered that he had overlooked Mordecai’s favor, the king moved speedily to rectify the oversight.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. Mordecai’s exaltation ch. 6

Mordecai’s exaltation was a secondary event that prepared for the utter destruction of Haman. There are at least five indications of God’s providence in the first five verses of this chapter: the king’s insomnia (Esther 6:1 a), his choice of entertainment (Esther 6:1 b), the servant’s choice of books (Esther 6:1 c), the king’s delay in rewarding Mordecai (Esther 6:2-3), and the timely arrival of Haman (Esther 6:4-5). [Note: Wiersbe, pp. 733-35.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

On that night could not the king sleep,.... The night after he had been at Esther's banquet, which it might be thought would rather have caused sleep; and therefore Jarchi calls it a miracle; and no doubt it was owing to the overruling providence of God, and not to anxious thoughts about his neglect of Esther so long, nor what should be her request to him, nor jealousy of any amorous intrigue with Haman, nor of any conspiracy of theirs against his life:

and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; the diaries or journal, in which memorable facts were recorded; this he did to divert himself, and pass away time; though here also the providence of God was specially concerned; for otherwise he might have sent for any of his wives and concubines, or singing men and women, to have diverted him:

and they were read before the king; until the morning, until it was time to rise, as appears by what follows.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.   2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.   3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.

      Now Satan put it into the heart of Haman to contrive Mordecai's death we read in the foregoing chapter; how God put it into the heart of the king to contrive Mordecai's honour we are here told. Now, if the king's word will prevail above Haman's (for, though Haman be a great man, the king in the throne must be above him), much more will the counsel of God stand, whatever devices there are in men's hearts. It is to no purpose therefore for Haman to oppose it, when both God and the king will have Mordecai honoured, and in this juncture too, when his preferment, and Haman's disappointment, would help to ripen the great affair of the Jewish deliverance for the effort that Esther was to make towards it the next day. Sometimes delay may prove to have been good conduct. Stay awhile, and we may have done the sooner. Cunctando restituit rem--He conquered by delay. Let us trace the steps which Providence took towards the advancement of Mordecai.

      I. On that night could not the king sleep. His sleep fled away (so the word is); and perhaps, like a shadow, the more carefully he pursued it the further it went from him. Sometimes we cannot sleep because we fain would sleep. Even after a banquet of wine he could not sleep when Providence had a design to serve in keeping him waking. We read of no bodily indisposition he was under, that might break his sleep; but God, whose gift sleep is, withheld it from him. Those that are ever so much resolved to cast away care cannot always do it; they find it in their pillows when they neither expect nor welcome it. He that commanded 127 provinces could not command one hour's sleep. Perhaps the charms of Esther's conversation the day before gave occasion to his heart to reproach him for neglecting her, and banishing her from his presence, though she was the wife of his bosom, for above thirty days; and that might keep him waking. An offended conscience can find a time to speak when it will be heard.

      II. When he could not sleep he called to have the book of records, the Journals of his reign, read to him, Esther 6:1; Esther 6:1. Surely he did not design that that should lull him asleep; it would rather fill his head with cares, and drive away sleep. But God put it into his heart to call for it, rather than for music or songs, which the Persian kings used to be attended with (Daniel 6:18) and which would have been more likely to compose him to rest. When men do that which is unaccountable we know not what God intends by it. Perhaps he would have this book of business read to him that he might improve time and be forming some useful projects. Had it been king David's case, he would have found some other entertainment for his thoughts; when he could not sleep he would have remembered God and meditated upon him (Psalms 64:6), and, if he would have had any book read to him, it would have been his Bible; for in that law did he meditate day and night.

      III. The servant that read to him either lighted first on that article which concerned Mordecai, or, reading long, came to it at length. Among other things it was found written that Mordecai had discovered a plot against the life of the king which prevented the execution of it, Esther 6:2; Esther 6:2. Mordecai was not in such favour at court that the reader should designedly pitch upon that place; but Providence directed him to it; nay, if we may believe the Jews' tradition (as bishop Patrick relates it), opening the book at this place he turned over the leaves, and would have read another part of the book, but the leaves flew back again to the same place where he opened it; so that he was forced to read that paragraph. How Mordecai's good service was recorded we read Esther 2:23; Esther 2:23, and here it is found upon record.

      IV. The king enquired what honour and dignity had been done to Mordecai for this, suspecting that this good service had gone unrewarded, and, like Pharaoh's butler, remembering it as his fault this day,Genesis 41:9. Note, The law of gratitude is a law of nature. We ought particularly to be grateful to our inferiors, and not to think all their services such debts to us but that they make us indebted to them. Two rules of gratitude may be gathered from the king's enquiry here:-- 1. Better honour than nothing. If we cannot, or need not, make recompence to those who have been kind to us, yet let us do them honour by acknowledging their kindnesses and owning our obligations to them. 2. Better late than never. If we have long neglected to make grateful returns for good offices done us, let us at length bethink ourselves of our debts.

      V. The servants informed him that nothing had been done to Mordecai for that eminent service; in the king's gate he sat before, and there he still sat. Note, 1. It is common for great men to take little notice of their inferiors. The king knew not whether Mordecai was preferred or no till his servants informed him. High spirits take a pride in being careless and unconcerned about those that are below them and ignorant of their state. The great God takes cognizance of the meanest of his servants, knows what dignity is done them and what disgrace. 2. Humility, modesty, and self-denial, though in God's account of great price, yet commonly hinder men's preferment in the world. Mordecai rises no higher than the king's gate, while proud ambitious Haman gets the king's ear and heart; but, though the aspiring rise fast, the humble stand fast. Honour makes proud men giddy, but upholds the humble in spirit,Proverbs 29:23. 3. Honour and dignity are rated high in the king's books. He does not ask, What reward has been given Mordecai? what money? what estate? but only, What honour?--a poor thing, and which, if he had not wherewith to support it, would be but a burden. 4. The greatest merits and the best services are often overlooked and go unrewarded among men. Little honour is done to those who best deserve it, and fittest for it, and would do most good with it. See Ecclesiastes 9:14-16. The acquisition of wealth and honour is usually a perfect lottery, in which those that venture least commonly carry off the best prize. Nay, 5. Good services are sometimes so far from being a man's preferment that they will not be his protection. Mordecai is at this time, by the king's edict, doomed to destruction, with all the Jews, though it is owned that he deserved dignity. Those that faithfully serve God need not fear being thus ill paid.