The Meaning of Esther 7:9 Explained

Esther 7:9

KJV: And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

YLT: And Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, saith before the king, 'Also lo, the tree that Haman made for Mordecai, who spake good for the king, is standing in the house of Haman, in height fifty cubits;' and the king saith, 'Hang him upon it.'

Darby: And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold, also, the gallows fifty cubits high, that Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, stands in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him on it!

ASV: Then said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains that were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who spake good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him thereon.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Harbonah,  one  of the chamberlains,  said  before  the king,  Behold also, the gallows  fifty  cubits  high,  which Haman  had made  for Mordecai,  who had spoken  good  for the king,  standeth  in the house  of Haman.  Then the king  said,  Hang  him thereon. 

What does Esther 7:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 7:1-10 - Craft Overreaches Itself
Esther had prayed, as we have seen, Esther 4:16, but she acted also. She took such measures as were possible, to gain the king's favor, to awaken his curiosity, and to appeal for his help. All the money that Haman could pour into the royal treasury could not compensate for the loss of an entire people. In his anguish of soul, Haman adopted an attitude of entreaty which seemed to the king a gross impertinence, and this sealed his fate. His face was covered as though he were no longer worthy to behold the king. The chamberlain sent to summon Haman had probably seen the gallows on that errand; and thus it befell that the wicked was taken in his own trap, Psalms 9:15. It may be that we are to see in our modern world, on a national scale, the counterpart of this extraordinary reversal. Watch events transpiring in Palestine! [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 7

1  Esther, entertaining the king and Haman, pleads for her own life, and her people's
5  She accuses Haman
7  The king in his anger, understanding of the gallows Haman had made for Mordecai,
10  causes Haman to be hanged thereon

What do the individual words in Esther 7:9 mean?

And said Harbona one of the eunuchs to the king also Look the gallows which made Haman for Mordecai who spoke good on behalf of the king is standing at the house of Haman High fifty cubits and said the king Hang him on it
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חַ֠רְבוֹנָה אֶחָ֨ד מִן־ הַסָּרִיסִ֜ים לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ גַּ֣ם הִנֵּה־ הָעֵ֣ץ אֲשֶׁר־ עָשָׂ֪ה הָמָ֟ן לְֽמָרְדֳּכַ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר דִּבֶּר־ ט֣וֹב עַל־ הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ עֹמֵד֙ בְּבֵ֣ית הָמָ֔ן גָּבֹ֖הַּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ תְּלֻ֥הוּ עָלָֽיו

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
חַ֠רְבוֹנָה  Harbona 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַרְבֹונָא 
Sense: the 3rd of the seven chamberlains or eunuchs who served Ahasuerus.
אֶחָ֨ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
הַסָּרִיסִ֜ים  the  eunuchs 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סָרִיס  
Sense: official, eunuch.
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
גַּ֣ם  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
הִנֵּה־  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
הָעֵ֣ץ  the  gallows 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
עָשָׂ֪ה  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הָמָ֟ן  Haman 
Parse: 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.
לְֽמָרְדֳּכַ֞י  for  Mordecai 
Parse: Preposition-l, 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.
דִּבֶּר־  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
ט֣וֹב  good 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
עַל־  on  behalf 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
עֹמֵד֙  is  standing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
בְּבֵ֣ית  at  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הָמָ֔ן  of  Haman 
Parse: 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.
גָּבֹ֖הַּ  High 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹהַּ  
Sense: high, exalted.
חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים  fifty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: חֲמִשִּׁים 
Sense: fifty.
אַמָּ֑ה  cubits 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
תְּלֻ֥הוּ  Hang  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: תָּלָה  
Sense: to hang.
עָלָֽיו  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.