Esther 6:6-12

Context

6:6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?” Haman thought to himself,¹ “Who is it that the king would want to honor more than me?” 6:7 So Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king wishes to honor, 6:8 let them bring royal attire which the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden – one bearing the royal insignia!² 6:9 Then let this clothing and this horse be given to one of the king’s noble officials. Let him³ then clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor, and let him lead him about through the plaza of the city on the horse, calling⁴ before him, ‘So shall it be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!’”

6:10 The king then said to Haman, “Go quickly! Take the clothing and the horse, just as you have described, and do as you just indicated to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king’s gate. Don’t neglect⁵ a single thing of all that you have said.”

6:11 So Haman took the clothing and the horse, and he clothed Mordecai. He led him about on the horse throughout the plaza of the city, calling before him, “So shall it be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!”

6:12 Then Mordecai again sat at the king’s gate, while Haman hurried away to his home, mournful and with a veil over his head.

[6:6] ¹tn Heb “said in his heart” (so ASV); NASB, NRSV “said to himself.”

[6:8] ²tc The final comment (“one on whose head the royal crown has been”) is not included in the LXX.

[6:9] ³tc The present translation reads with the LXX וְהִלְבִּישׁוֹ (vÿhilbisho, “and he will clothe him”) rather than the reading of the MT וְהִלְבִּישׁוּ (vÿhilbishu, “and they will clothe”). The reading of the LXX is also followed by NAB, NRSV, TEV, CEV, and NLT. Likewise, the later verbs in this verse (“cause him to ride” and “call”) are better taken as singulars rather than plurals.

[6:9] ⁴tn Heb “and let them call” (see the previous note).

[6:10] ⁵tn Heb “do not let fall”; NASB “do not fall short.”