Esther 5:1--7:10
third <07992> [on the.]
royal attire ..................... royal ..... palace <04438> [royal.]
inner <06442> [inner.]
sitting <03427> [sat.]
met <05375> [she.]
gold scepter ................ scepter <08275 02091> [golden sceptre.]
Queen ...... request <04436 01246> [What.]
half <02677> [to.]
inclined <02895> [If it seem.]
banquet <04960> [the banquet. {Mishteh,} from {shathah,} "to drink," a compotation. feast, or banquet accompanied with drinking; the drinking in the East being at the beginning, and not at the end of the entertainment.]
Olearius, describing an entertainment at the Persian court, says, "The floor of the hall was covered with cotton cloth, which was covered with all sorts of fruits and sweetmeats in basons of gold. With them was served up excellent Shiraz wine. After an hour's time, the sweetmeats were removed, to make way for the more substantial part of the entertainment, such as rice, boiled and roast mutton, etc. When the company had been at table an hour and a half, warm water was brought, in a ewer of gold, for washing; and grace being said, they began to retire without speaking a word, according to the custom of the country."
Haman ............... Haman <02001> [Cause Haman.]
king said <0559 04428> [the king said.]
perform ................. prepare ......... do <06213> [perform. Heb. do. let the king.]
Esther probably wished another interview, that she might ingratiate herself more fully into the king's favour, and thus secure the success of her design. But Providence disposed of things thus, to give time for the important event mentioned in the following chapter.
tomorrow <04279> [to-morrow.]
pleased ... very <08056> [joyful.]
rise <06965> [he stood not up.]
Haman ............. Haman .................. Haman ... filled <04390 02001> [he was full.]
restrained <0662> [refrained.]
went ........... friends ... join ... along <0157 0935> [called for his friends. Heb. caused his friends to come.]
Zeresh.
fabulous <03519> [the glory.]
many <07230> [the multitude.]
exalted <05375> [and how he had.]
Esther <0635> [Yea, Esther.]
Plutarch, in his life of Artaxerxes, informs us, that none but the king's mother, and his real wife, were permitted to sit at his table; and therefore he mentions it as a condescension in that prince, that he sometimes invited his brothers. Haman, therefore, had some reason to be proud of this favour.
tomorrow <04279> [to-morrow.]
fails <07737> [Yet all this.]
Pride will ever render its possessor unhappy. Haman, though possessed of immense riches, glory, and honour, and the prime favourite of his king, is wretched, because he could not have the homage of that man whom his heart even despised! Oh, how distressing are the inquietudes of pride and vanity.
Zeresh ...... said ............... tell <02238 0559> [said Zeresh.]
gallows ......................................... gallows <06086> [Let a gallows. Heb. Let a tree.]
said ............... tell ... king ............. king <0559 04428> [speak thou.]
go ........ contented <0935 08056> [go thou in.]
idea <01697> [the thing.]
built <06213> [he caused.]
night <03915> [that night.]
king ... unable ... sleep ....................... king's <05074 04428 08142> [could not the king sleep. Heb. the king's sleep fled away.]
book ..... records <05612 02146> [the book of records.]
As chronicles were composed among the Persians, a more instructive and interesting work could not be brought before the king; because they were all written in verse, and were generally the work of the most eminent poets of the empire.
Bigthana <0904> [Bigthana.]
[Bigthan. door. Heb. threshold.]
honor <03366> [What honour.]
thing <01697> [There is nothing.]
courtyard ......... courtyard <02691> [Who is in the court.]
outer <02435> [the outward.]
said <0559> [to speak.]
king .............. king .............. king <04428> [whom the king, etc. Heb. in whose honour the king delighteth.]
king .............. king .............. king <04428> [To whom.]
king ....... king <04428> [whom the king, etc. Heb. in whose honour the king delighteth.]
royal ...................... royal <04438> [Let the royal, etc. Heb. Let them bring the royal apparel, wherewith the king clotheth himself.]
horse <05483> [the horse.]
Herodotus relates, that the kings of Persia had horses peculiar to themselves, which were brought from Armenia, and were remarkable for their beauty; and if the same law prevailed in Persia as in Judea, no man, under the penalty of death, might ride on the king's horse, any more than sit on his throne, wear his crown, or hold his sceptre.
horse .......................... lead ............ horse <07392 05483> [bring him. Heb. cause him to ride. proclaim.]
quickly <04116> [Make haste.]
single thing <01697 05307> [let nothing fail. Heb. suffer not a whit to fall.]
So ... took <03947> [took Hamon.]
clothed <03847> [and arrayed.]
plaza <07339> [the street.]
Pitts gives a similar account of the mode of honouring a person who turns a Mohammedan, at Algiers: "The apostate is to get on a stately steed, with a rich saddle and fine trappings: he is also richly habited, and has a turban on his head, but nothing of this is to be called his own; only there are given him about two or three yards of broad cloth, which is laid before him on the saddle. The horse, with him on his back, is led all round the city, which he is several hours in doing. The apostate is attended with drums and other music, and twenty or thirty serjeants. They march in order on each side of the horse, with naked swords in their hands. The crier goes before, with a loud voice giving thanks to God for the proselyte that is made."
again <07725> [came again.]
hurried ..... home <01765 01004> [hasted to his house.]
head <07218> [having.]
Zeresh .................... Zeresh <02238> [Zeresh.]
wise men ....... said <0559 02450> [said his wise.]
Mordecai <04782> [If Mordecai.]
fall ............. surely fall <05307> [but shalt surely.]
quickly brought <0935 0926> [hasted to bring.]
dine <08354> [banquet. Heb. drink.]
king <0559 04428> [the king said.]
life <05315> [let my life.]
people <05971> [my people.]
sold .................... sold <04376> [we are sold.]
destruction <08045> [to be destroyed, etc. Heb. that they should destroy, and kill, and cause to perish.]
sold ............... If ...... sold <0432 04376> [But if we.]
distress <06862> [the enemy.]
presumptuous <04390> [Who is he.]
presumptuous <04390> [that durst, etc. Heb. whose heart hath filled him.]
oppressor <0376> [The adversary. Heb. The man adversary. this wicked.]
terrified <01204> [was afraid.]
presence <06440> [before. or, at the presence of.]
rage <02534> [in his wrath.]
Haman <02001> [Haman.]
realized <07200> [for he saw.]
couch <04296> [the bed.]
<01004> [before me. Heb. with me. they covered Haman's.]
When a criminal was condemned by a Roman judge, he was delivered to the serjeant with these words: {I, lictor, caput obnubito arbori infelici suspendito,} "Go, sergeant, cover his head, and hang him on the accursed tree."
Harbona <02726> [Harbonah.]
[Harbona. one of the chamberlains.]
gallows <06086> [Behold.]
gallows <06086> [gallows. Heb. tree. who had spoken.]
Hang <08518> [Hang him thereon.]
king's <04428> [Then was the king's.]
