Esther 6:6

THE MESSAGE

When Haman entered, the king said, "What would be appropriate for the man the king especially wants to honor?" Haman thought to himself, "He must be talking about honoring me—who else?" So he answered the king, "For the man the king delights to honor, do this: Bring a royal robe that the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crown on its head. Then give the robe and the horse to one of the king's most noble princes. Have him robe the man whom the king especially wants to honor; have the prince lead him on horseback through the city square, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king especially wants to honor!'"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king wants to honor?”

Hebrew Names Version
So Haman came in. The king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman said in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?

King James Version
So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?

English Standard Version
So Haman came in, and the king said to him, "What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?"

New Century Version
So Haman came in. And the king asked him, "What should be done for a man whom the king wants very much to honor?" And Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king want to honor more than me?"

New English Translation
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, "Who is it that the king would want to honor more than me?"

Amplified Bible
So Haman came in and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?" Now Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?"

New American Standard Bible
Haman then came in and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?"

World English Bible
So Haman came in. The king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman said in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when Haman came in, the King saide vnto him, What shalbe done vnto ye man, whom the King will honour? Then Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the King do honour more then to me?

Legacy Standard Bible
So Haman came in, and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?" And Haman said in his heart, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?"

Berean Standard Bible
Haman entered, and the king asked him, "What should be done for the man the king wants to honor?" Now Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king be delighted to honor more than me?"

Contemporary English Version
When Haman entered the room, the king asked him, "What should I do for a man I want to honor?" Haman was sure that he was the one the king wanted to honor.

Complete Jewish Bible
So Haman came in. The king said to him, "What should be done for a man that the king wants to honor?" Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king want to honor more than me?"

Darby Translation
So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What is to be done with the man whom the king delights to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to me?

Easy-to-Read Version
When Haman came in, the king asked him a question. He said, "Haman, what should be done for a man the king wants to honor?" Haman thought to himself, "Who is there that the king would want to honor more than me? I'm sure that the king is talking about honoring me."

George Lamsa Translation
So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart, Whom would the king delight to honor more than myself?

Good News Translation
So Haman came in, and the king said to him, "There is someone I wish very much to honor. What should I do for this man?" Haman thought to himself, "Now who could the king want to honor so much? Me, of course."

Lexham English Bible
And Haman came, and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?" And Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?"

Literal Translation
And Haman came in. And the king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? And Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And wha Ama came in, ye kinge saide vnto him: What shal be done vnto ye ma, whom the kynge wolde fayne brynge vnto worshippe? But Hama thought in his hert: Whom shulde the kynge els be glad to brynge vnto worshippe, but me?

American Standard Version
So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor? Now Haman said in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?

Bible in Basic English
So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What is to be done to the man whom the king has delight in honouring? Then the thought came into Haman's mind, Whom, more than myself, would the king have pleasure in honouring?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when Haman came in, the king saide vnto him: what shalbe done vnto the man whom the king would faine bring vnto worship? (Haman thought in his heart: Whom desireth the king to bring vnto worship more then me?)

JPS Old Testament (1917)
So Haman came in. And the king said unto him: 'What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour?'--Now Haman said in his heart: 'Whom would the king delight to honour besides myself?'--

King James Version (1611)
So Haman came in, and the king said vnto him, What shall be done vnto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? (now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to doe honour, more then to my selfe?)

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king said to Aman, What shall I do to the man whom I wish to honour? And Aman said within himself, Whom would the king honour but myself?

English Revised Version
So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman said in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the kyng seide, Entre he. And whanne he was comun yn, the kyng seide to hym, What owith to be don to the man, whom the kyng desirith onoure? Aaman thouyte in his herte, and gesside, that the kyng wolde onoure noon othere man no but hym silf;

Update Bible Version
So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman said in his heart, Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?

Webster's Bible Translation
So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?

New King James Version
So Haman came in, and the king asked him, "What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?" Now Haman thought in his heart, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?"

New Living Translation
So Haman came in, and the king said, "What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?" Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?"

New Life Bible
So Haman came in and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man whom the king wants to honor?" Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king want to honor more than me?"

New Revised Standard
So Haman came in, and the king said to him, "What shall be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?" Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Haman came in, and the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man in whose honour, the king delighteth? Then said Haman, in his own heart, Unto whom will the king delight to do honour, more than unto me?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he was come in, he said to him: What ought to be done to the man whom the king is desirous to honour? But Aman thinking in his heart, and supposing that the king would honour no other but himself,

Revised Standard Version
So Haman came in, and the king said to him, "What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?"

Young's Literal Translation
And Haman cometh in, and the king saith to him, `What -- to do with the man in whose honour the king hath delighted?' And Haman saith in his heart, `To whom doth the king delight to do honour more than myself?'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Haman came in and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?"

Contextual Overview

⁴ The king said, "Is there anybody out in the court?" Now Haman had just come into the outer court of the king's palace to talk to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had built for him. ⁵ The king's servants said, "Haman is out there, waiting in the court." "Bring him in," said the king. ⁶When Haman entered, the king said, "What would be appropriate for the man the king especially wants to honor?" Haman thought to himself, "He must be talking about honoring me—who else?" So he answered the king, "For the man the king delights to honor, do this: Bring a royal robe that the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crown on its head. Then give the robe and the horse to one of the king's most noble princes. Have him robe the man whom the king especially wants to honor; have the prince lead him on horseback through the city square, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king especially wants to honor!'" ¹⁰ "Go and do it," the king said to Haman. "Don't waste another minute. Take the robe and horse and do what you have proposed to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the King's Gate. Don't leave out a single detail of your plan." ¹¹ So Haman took the robe and horse; he robed Mordecai and led him through the city square, proclaiming before him, "This is what is done for the man whom the king especially wants to honor!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

whom the king: etc. Heb. in whose honour the king delighteth, Psalms 35:27, Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 62:4, Isaiah 62:5, Jeremiah 32:41, Matthew 3:17, John 5:23

To whom: Esther 3:2, Esther 3:3, Esther 5:11, Proverbs 1:32, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 18:12, Proverbs 30:13, Obadiah 1:3

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 1:33 - to ride Esther 1:15 - What shall we do Psalms 94:3 - the wicked Luke 14:9 - and thou Luke 16:3 - said

Cross-References

Genesis 6:8
But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah.

Genesis 6:17
"I'm going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction.

Genesis 6:18
"But I'm going to establish a covenant with you: You'll board the ship, and your sons, your wife and your sons' wives will come on board with you. You are also to take two of each living creature, a male and a female, on board the ship, to preserve their lives with you: two of every species of bird, mammal, and reptile—two of everything so as to preserve their lives along with yours. Also get all the food you'll need and store it up for you and them."

Exodus 32:14
And God did think twice. He decided not to do the evil he had threatened against his people.

Deuteronomy 32:36
Yes, God will judge his people, but oh how compassionately he'll do it. When he sees their weakened plight and there is no one left, slave or free, He'll say, "So where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge, The gods who feasted on the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink-offerings? Let them show their stuff and help you, let them give you a hand!

Psalms 81:13
"Oh, dear people, will you listen to me now? Israel, will you follow my map? I'll make short work of your enemies, give your foes the back of my hand. I'll send the God -haters cringing like dogs, never to be heard from again. You'll feast on my fresh-baked bread spread with butter and rock-pure honey."

Psalms 95:10
class="poetry"> Come, let's shout praises to God , raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! Let's march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns! And why? Because God is the best, High King over all the gods. In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns, in the other hand grasps the high mountains. He made Ocean—he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth! So come, let us worship: bow before him, on your knees before God , who made us! Oh yes, he's our God, and we're the people he pastures, the flock he feeds. Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks: "Don't turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising, As on the day of the Wilderness Test, when your ancestors turned and put me to the test. For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked—oh, was I provoked! ‘Can't they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?' Exasperated, I exploded, ‘They'll never get where they're headed, never be able to sit down and rest.'"

Psalms 110:4
God gave his word and he won't take it back: you're the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest. The Lord stands true at your side, crushing kings in his terrible wrath, Bringing judgment on the nations, handing out convictions wholesale, crushing opposition across the wide earth. The King-Maker put his King on the throne; the True King rules with head held high!

Isaiah 48:18
Tested in the Furnace of Affliction "And now listen to this, family of Jacob, you who are called by the name Israel: Who got you started in the loins of Judah, you who use God 's name to back up your promises and pray to the God of Israel? But do you mean it? Do you live like it? You claim to be citizens of the Holy City; you act as though you lean on the God of Israel, named God -of-the-Angel-Armies. For a long time now, I've let you in on the way I work: I told you what I was going to do beforehand, then I did it and it was done, and that's that. I know you're a bunch of hardheads, obstinate and flint-faced, So I got a running start and began telling you what was going on before it even happened. That is why you can't say, ‘My god-idol did this.' ‘My favorite god-carving commanded this.' You have all this evidence confirmed by your own eyes and ears. Shouldn't you be talking about it? And that was just the beginning. I have a lot more to tell you, things you never knew existed. This isn't a variation on the same old thing. This is new, brand-new, something you'd never guess or dream up. When you hear this you won't be able to say, ‘I knew that all along.' You've never been good listeners to me. You have a history of ignoring me, A sorry track record of fickle attachments— rebels from the womb. But out of the sheer goodness of my heart, because of who I am, I keep a tight rein on my anger and hold my temper. I don't wash my hands of you. Do you see what I've done? I've refined you, but not without fire. I've tested you like silver in the furnace of affliction. Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do. I have my reputation to keep up. I'm not playing second fiddle to either gods or people. "Listen, Jacob. Listen, Israel— I'm the One who named you! I'm the One. I got things started and, yes, I'll wrap them up. Earth is my work, handmade. And the skies—I made them, too, horizon to horizon. When I speak, they're on their feet, at attention. "Come everybody, gather around, listen: Who among the gods has delivered the news? I, God , love this man Cyrus, and I'm using him to do what I want with Babylon. I, yes I, have spoken. I've called him. I've brought him here. He'll be successful. Come close, listen carefully: I've never kept secrets from you. I've always been present with you." And now, the Master, God , sends me and his Spirit with this Message from God , your Redeemer, The Holy of Israel: "I am God , your God, who teaches you how to live right and well. I show you what to do, where to go. If you had listened all along to what I told you, your life would have flowed full like a river, blessings rolling in like waves from the sea. Children and grandchildren are like sand, your progeny like grains of sand. There would be no end of them, no danger of losing touch with me." Get out of Babylon! Run from the Babylonians! Shout the news. Broadcast it. Let the world know, the whole world. Tell them, " God redeemed his dear servant Jacob!" They weren't thirsty when he led them through the deserts. He made water pour out of the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed. "There is no peace," says God , "for the wicked."

Isaiah 63:10
But they turned on him; they grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned on them, became their enemy and fought them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So Haman came in,.... But was prevented speaking to the king about the business he came upon by the following speech of the king:

what shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? he mentions not the name of any man, that he might the more freely, and unbiasedly, and disinterestedly give his advice; nor might the king know of any resentment of Haman to Mordecai:

(now Haman thought in his heart, to whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?) who had been advanced above all the princes and nobles of the realm, and was now in such high honour both with the king and queen, with whom he was to be at a banquet that day; and he might conclude, that by putting this question to him, he could have in view none but himself: Aben Ezra observes, that some from hence gather, that this book was written by the spirit of prophecy, because none could know the thoughts of the heart but God; but though he believes it to be written by the Holy Ghost, yet, as he observes, Haman might disclose this thought of his heart to his friends afterwards.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Esther 6:6. The king said unto him — He did not give him time to make his request; and put a question to him which, at the first view, promised him all that his heart could wish.