Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Esther 6:13

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Esther 6:13. But shalt surely fall before him. — The Septuagint adds, ὁτι ὁ Θεος ὁ ζων μετ' αυτου, for the living God is with him. But this is a sentiment that could scarcely be expected to proceed from the mouth of heathens, such as these were.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Haman’s humiliation and defeat (5:1-7:10)

After three days Esther approached the king and invited him and Haman to dinner (5:1-4). She was so pleased with their friendly response that she decided to invite them again the next day, in the hope that they would be even more favourable to her (5-8). Haman thought that the honour given him by the queen showed that she, as well as the king, was pleased with him and agreed with his anti-Jewish policy. He decided to take the opportunity of this royal favour to arrange for a decree from the king to have chief enemy Mordecai executed immediately (9-14).
Early next morning, Haman went to ask the king for Mordecai’s execution. But the king had just spent the night reviewing some official records, where he was reminded that Mordecai had saved his life several years earlier. Knowing nothing of the hatred that Haman and Mordecai had for each other, the king decided that Mordecai must be rewarded (6:1-5).
The king consulted Haman about the matter, but did not tell Haman the name of the person who was to receive the proposed royal honour. Haman, thinking that the honour was for himself, suggested an extravagant public show of the king’s favour (6-9). The king agreed, with the result that Haman, instead of executing Mordecai, had to carry out the king’s command to honour Mordecai before the people (10-11). Haman’s humiliation appeared to his family and friends as a foreshadowing of worse to come (12-13).
When the king and Haman joined Esther for dinner that night, the circumstances were entirely favourable for Esther to put her case to the king (14-7:2). The king showed no anger when he found out that Esther was Jewish, but he burst into fury when told that Haman had planned the destruction of the queen and her people. Haman threw himself down on the couch before Esther to cry for mercy, but the king, in his rage, interpreted Haman’s action as an attempt at rape. He then learnt that Haman had prepared to execute the man who had saved the king’s life. The king had heard enough; he condemned Haman to immediate death (3-10).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE REACTION OF THE PEOPLE TO MORDECAI'S
HONOR AT THE HANDS OF HAMAN

"And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered. And Haman recounted unto Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai before whom that hast begun to fall, be of the seed of the Jews, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. While they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared."

Haman's mourning and covering his head indicated that he fully understood the horrible demotion he had already received at the hands of the king. We attribute that demotion to the fact of the king's recognition of Haman's secret desire to take the crown.

Everyone in Susa knew the providential blessing of the Jews, beginning with Cyrus' edict for their return to Jerusalem; and the people, including Haman's `wise men,' were aware of the hand of God in Jewish history.

Joyce Baldwin's remark that, "Most commentators, other than Jews, see all of the coincidences in this narrative as more characteristic of fiction than of real life,"Ibid. should be rejected as incorrect. All Christians see the hand of God in every line of this remarkable history.

The historical proof of everything written here is seen in the influence of Esther which prevailed in the Persian Empire throughout the times of Ezra and Nehemiah, whose work, in both instances was doubtless made possible by the influence of this great queen. In a very real sense, the Book of Esther appears here, following Ezra and Nehemiah as an explanation of how their ministries came to be possible.

The historicity of Esther receives presumptive proof in the very fact of God's name being omitted. That means that no Jew could possibly have written it. Then who did write it? Someone who had access to Persian court records; and it is impossible to imagine any kind of motivation that could have led to writing a fictitious yarn with the cosmic dimensions of the Book of Esther. It therefore is most certainly history, not fiction.

Esther 6:14 here relates that the chamberlains came to take Haman away to the banquet. "Haman went to Esther's second banquet like a sheep to the slaughter."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 454.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 6

Now that night king Ahasuerus couldn't go to sleep ( Esther 6:1 ),

He's lying there restless. No doubt God was in the restlessness. And so he said,

bring to me the chronicles [the history]; read to me ( Esther 6:1 ).

What's more boring than history? "Read to me the history books." Probably figured he'd go to sleep while they were reading. And as they were reading the history, the records, he came to the place where Mordecai had warned him of the assassination plot. And he said, "What was done to reward that man who warned me of the assassination?" And they said, "Nothing." He said, "Well, surely he should be rewarded."

And so in the morning, when Haman came whistling in, the king said to Haman,

Haman, what should the king do for the man that he seeks to honor very highly? ( Esther 6:6 )

Man, I love the way God turns the tables!

And Haman thought, Who would the king want to honor more than me? ( Esther 6:6 )

You know, this time he was really pride, puffed-up, and blind. "Who does the king want to honor more than me?" And so, thinking that the king was referring to him, he sort of expressed what was in his heart, really.

Let the king's royal robes be put upon him, and the king's crown upon his head and let him be driven in the king's chariot through the city, and send the couriers before him crying out, Behold the man whom the king delights to honor ( Esther 6:8 , Esther 6:9 ).

And so the king said, "Good idea. You make the arrangements,"

and do all that you've said for Mordecai: see that nothing is lacking ( Esther 6:10 ).

So Mordecai had the king's robe put on him, the king's crown, and he went through the streets in the chariot as they cried out, "Behold the man whom the king delights to honor." And Haman headed for home. He said, "You can't believe what's happened to me." And, of course, his counselors said, "Hey, you know, this is a bad day. Your star is in a bad position, man. You know, this doesn't look good. Your star is descending"

And so while he was there and just, you know, talking about his problems, they came in and said, "Hey, you're going to be late for the queen's banquet. You'd better get going." "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. Mordecai’s exaltation ch. 6

Mordecai’s exaltation was a secondary event that prepared for the utter destruction of Haman. There are at least five indications of God’s providence in the first five verses of this chapter: the king’s insomnia (Esther 6:1 a), his choice of entertainment (Esther 6:1 b), the servant’s choice of books (Esther 6:1 c), the king’s delay in rewarding Mordecai (Esther 6:2-3), and the timely arrival of Haman (Esther 6:4-5). [Note: Wiersbe, pp. 733-35.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Haman’s humiliation 6:11-14

Haman covered his head (Esther 6:12; cf. Esther 4:1-2) as a sign of his grief (cf. 2 Samuel 15:30; 2 Samuel 19:4; Jeremiah 14:3-4; Ezekiel 24:17). His friends evidently realized that unseen forces were maintaining the blessing that they had observed following the Jews (cf. Numbers 23:9; Numbers 23:21; Numbers 23:23; Numbers 24:9; Numbers 24:17; Numbers 24:19; Joshua 2:9-13). They saw in Haman’s humiliation before Mordecai, the powerful honored Jew, an omen of even worse defeat to come. The tide had turned.

Esther 6:14 means that Haman hastened to go to the banquet. He did not want to be late. It does not mean that he was reluctant to go and that the eunuchs needed to hurry him along. He evidently looked forward to the banquet as an opportunity to lift his spirits, little realizing that it would be the scene of his exposure and condemnation.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And Haman told Zeresh his wife, and all his friends, every thing that had befallen him,.... How he was prevented speaking to the king on this errand he went; instead of which, he had the mortification of being obliged to do the honour to Mordecai which he thought would never have been given to any but himself, and so related the whole affair as above:

then said his wise men; before called his friends; perhaps they were magicians and soothsayers he kept in his house, to advise with about the proper methods and times of advancing himself, and destroying his enemies:

and Zeresh his wife unto him; who joined with the wise men in giving her opinion, and who set up for a knowing woman, and of whom Haman thought highly:

if Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews; as it was said he was; and therefore Haman had vowed and plotted revenge on the people of the Jews for his sake:

before whom thou hast begun to fall; as he did, by being obliged to execute the king's will in doing him so much honour:

thou shall not prevail against him; to get him hanged, or his people destroyed, though he had prepared a gallows for the one, and had got an edict for the other:

but shall surely fall before him: which might be concluded from his being set above him, who would not fail of using his power and interest to crush him, who had showed himself to be such an implacable enemy to him; or they might have some knowledge of the history of the Jews, and of what wonderful things God often did for them, in defeating the designs of their enemies, and in raising them up from a low to an high estate.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.   13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.   14 And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.

      We may here observe,

      I. How little Mordecai was puffed up with his advancement. He came again to the king's gate (Esther 6:12; Esther 6:12); he returned to his place and the duty of it immediately, and minded his business as closely as he had done before. Honour is well bestowed on those that are not made proud and idle by it, and will not think themselves above their business.

      II. How much Haman was cast down with his disappointment. He could not bear it. To wait upon any man, especially Mordecai, and at this time, when he hoped to have seen him hanged, was enough to break such a proud heart as he had. He hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered, as one that looked upon himself as sunk and in a manner condemned. What harm had it done him to stoop thus to Mordecai? Was he ever the worse for it? Was it not what he himself proposed to be done by one of the king's most noble princes? Why then should he grudge to do it himself? But that will break a proud man's heart which would not break a humble man's sleep.

      III. How his doom was, out of this event, read to him by his wife and his friends: "If Mordecai be, as they say he is, of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, though but in a point of honour, never expect to prevail against him; for thou shalt surely fall before him," Esther 6:13; Esther 6:13. Miserable comforters were they all; they did not advise him to repent, and ask Mordecai's pardon for his bad design against him, but foretold his destiny as fatal and unavoidable. Two things they foresaw:-- 1. That Haman would be disappointed in his enterprise against the Jews: "Thou shalt not prevail to root out that people. Heaven plainly fights against thee." 2. That he himself would be destroyed: Thou shalt surely fall before him. The contest between Michael and the dragon will not be a drawn battle; no, Haman must fall before Mordecai. Two things they grounded their prognostications upon:-- (1.) This Mordecai was of the seed of the Jews; feeble Jews their enemies sometimes called them, but formidable Jews they sometimes found them. They are a holy seed, a praying seed, in covenant with God, and a seed that the Lord hath all along blessed, and therefore let not their enemies expect to triumph over them. (2.) Haman had begun to fall, and therefore he was certainly a gone man. It has been observed of great court-favourites that when once they have been frowned upon they have fallen utterly, as fast as they rose; it is true of the church's enemies that when God begins with them he will make an end. As for God his work is perfect.

      IV. How seasonably he was now sent for to the banquet that Esther had prepared, Esther 6:14; Esther 6:14. He thought it seasonable, in hopes it would revive his drooping spirits and save his sinking honour. But really it was seasonable because, his spirits being broken by this sore disappointment, he might the more easily be run down by Esther's complaint against him. The wisdom of God is seen in timing the means of his church's deliverance so as to manifest his own glory.