Bible Encyclopedias
Harbona; Harbonah

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

har - bō´na ( חרבונא , ḥarebhōnā' חרבונה , ḥarebhōnāh ): One of the seven eunuchs who served Ahasuerus and to whom was given the command to bring Queen Esther before the king ( Esther 1:10 ). It was he who suggested that Haman be hanged upon the self-same gallows that he had erected for Mordecai (Esther 7:9 ). Jewish tradition has it that Harbona had originally been a confederate of Haman, but, upon noting the failure of the latter's plans, abandoned him. The Persian equivalent of the name means "donkey-driver.»