The Pulpit Commentary — Esther — Section 111

EXPOSITION. § 11. execution, has come with the dawn to prefer CHAPTER VI. his request. The king is told that Haman AHABUERUB 1 BEING WAKEFUL DURING waits without, and sending for him, antici- THE NIGHT, HAS THE BOOK OF THE CHRON- pates the business that his minister had ICLES READ TO HIM, AND FINDS THAT intended to lay before him by the sudden ]\foRDECAI HAS RECEIVED NO REWARD. HE question, asked the moment he has entered, MAKES HAMAN NAME A FITTING REWARD, "What shall be done unto the man whom AND THEN DEPUTES HIM TO CONFER IT ON the king delighteth to honour 1" It wa~ MORDECAI (eh. vi. 1-11). It is among the natural that Haman, after the favour shown objects of the writer of Esther to show how him on the preceding day, should imagine the smallest circumstances of life, those himself the person aimed at, and should most generally regarded as left to chance, therefore fix upon the very highest honour work ogether for good to such as deserve that was within the range of his conceptions well, and for evil to such as deservo evil. (vers. S, 9). He thus became the suggester He now notes that the turning-point in of honours for Mordecai which might Haman's and Mordecsi's fortunes was the otherwise not have occurred to any one. apparently trivial circumstance of Ahasuerus Ahasuerus, full of the idea of his own on a particular night being troubled with neglect, and ready to make any reparation, sleoplessness. This led to his having the consents to all that is proposed, and, un- book of the chronicles read to him (ver. 1). aware that there is any unpleasantness Another seeming chance co.used the reader between Haman and Mordecai, bids his to include in what he read the account of minister confer the honours which he has Bigtho.n's and Teresh's conspiracy (ver. 2). suggested (ver. 10). The royal command This brought Mordecsi's name before the cannot be disputed or evaded, and so king, and induced him to ask the question, Mordecai is escorted thrO'Ugh the city by his " What honour and dignity bath been done enemy, who had expected about that very to Mordecai for this 1 " The question could time to be superintending his impalement only be answered in one way-" There is (ver. 11). nothing done for him" (ver. 3). Such neglect being a gross breach of Persian law, Ver. 1.-The book of records of the and a great dishonour to the king who had chronicles. Compare eh. ii 23, where the title is given more briefly, as "the book of allowed it, Ahasuerus naturally takes the the chronicles." See also eh. x. 2. The matter up with earnestness. Something character of the book has been already ex- must be done at once to remedy the neglect, plained (see comment on eh. iL 23). They some agent must be found to set it right, were read. Either bocause the king could and so the king asks, " Who is in the not read himself (' Ancient Monarchies, vol. iv. :P· 184), or because the sound of a court¥ " Morning has probably arrived man's voice might (it was thought) induce during the reading, and Ha.man, impatient drowsiness. to get tho king's consent to Morllecai's Ver. 2.-It was found written. See the 12 1m THE BOOK OF ESTHER. [CR. VI, 1-14.,