Bible Dictionaries
Gallows

Holman Bible Dictionary

In English “gallows” refers to the platform on which a person was hanged. The Hebrew term translated “gallows” in Esther (Esther 2:23; Esther 7:9-10;Esther 7:9-10;9:25 ) is the word for tree. It is frequently suggested that tree should be understood as “stake” and that those executed by the Persians were impaled rather than hung. The earliest Greek translation understood the passage in this sense.