The Meaning of Esther 6:12 Explained

Esther 6:12

KJV: And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.

YLT: And Mordecai turneth back unto the gate of the king, and Haman hath been hastened unto his house mourning, and with covered head,

Darby: And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered.

ASV: And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Mordecai  came again  to the king's  gate.  But Haman  hasted  to his house  mourning,  and having his head  covered. 

What does Esther 6:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 6:1-14 - Gratitude For A Forgotten Service
There was a divine providence in this royal sleeplessness. On the very next night Haman would be hanging on the gallows, and it would be too late for him to render this honor to the hated Jew. Therefore, on this night the king must be reminded of a forgotten incident, must ask if the chivalrous informant had been rewarded, and must, through Haman, decree his splendid reward. When we are suffering indignity at the hand of our enemies, who seem to pass out of our lives without making reparation, let us turn to this story, and remember that as honor came to Mordecai through Haman, so honor and reparation shall accrue through the very circumstances and people that seem most threatening. The wrath of man is made to praise God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 6

1  Xerxes, reading of the good service done by Mordecai, takes care for his reward
4  Haman, coming to ask that Mordecai might be hanged,
10  gives counsel that he might do him honor
12  Complaining of this, his friends tell him of his final destiny

What do the individual words in Esther 6:12 mean?

And afterward went back Mordecai to gate Of the king but Haman hurried his house mourning and with covered his head
וַיָּ֥שָׁב מָרְדֳּכַ֖י אֶל־ שַׁ֣עַר הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְהָמָן֙ נִדְחַ֣ף בֵּית֔וֹ אָבֵ֖ל וַחֲפ֥וּי רֹֽאשׁ

וַיָּ֥שָׁב  And  afterward  went  back 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מָרְדֳּכַ֖י  Mordecai 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרְדֳּכַי  
Sense: cousin and adoptive father of queen Esther; son of Jair of the tribe of Benjamin; deliverer under Divine providence of the children of Israel from the destruction plotted by Haman the chief minister of Ahasuerus; institutor of the feast of Purim.
שַׁ֣עַר  gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ  Of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְהָמָן֙  but  Haman 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הָמָן  
Sense: chief minister of Ahasuerus, enemy of Mordecai and the Jews, who plotted to kill the Jews but, being foiled by Esther, was hanged, with his family, on the gallows he had made for Mordecai.
נִדְחַ֣ף  hurried 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּחַף  
Sense: to drive on, hurry, hasten.
בֵּית֔וֹ  his  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אָבֵ֖ל  mourning 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אָבֵל  
Sense: mourning.
וַחֲפ֥וּי  and  with  covered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular construct
Root: חָפָה  
Sense: to cover, overlay, wainscotted, covered with boards or panelling.
רֹֽאשׁ  his  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.