Esther 6:7
What does Esther 6:7 mean?
A plain-English look at Esther 6:7 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Esther 6:7 means
Haman begins his counsel with a formal preface: “For the man whom the king delighteth to honor.” The phrase both flatters the king and heightens the exclusivity of the favor. Haman positions what follows as the proper treatment of a uniquely worthy subject. Though brief, this opening reveals his eagerness and the grandeur he imagines. He is not thinking of a simple gift or a private commendation. He is about to outline public, visible signs of royal favor. The emphasis is on delight—what pleases the king—yet Haman’s heart is set on pleasing himself. His words create a standard that will bind him when the true recipient is named.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And Haman said unto the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honor,
KJV
King James Version · 1611And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And Haman said unto the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honor,
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And Haman, answering the king, said, For the man whom the king has delight in honouring,
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And Haman saith unto the king, `The man in whose honour the king hath delighted,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Answered: The man whom the king desireth to honour,
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delights to honour,
Context
This sentence bridges the king’s question and the lavish specifics to come. Haman sets the category: exceptional honor for a man who pleases the king. The narrative tension builds because readers know Mordecai is that man, while Haman believes he is. Next, Haman will specify regal symbols—garments, horse, and public proclamation—that define the honor he craves and, ironically, will administer to his enemy.
v.6So 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?
v.7This passage
v.8let royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and on the head of which a crown royal is set:
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Esther 6:9
and let the apparel and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man therewith whom the king delighteth to honor, and cause him to ride on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor.
- Esther 6:11
Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and caused him to ride through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor.