Esther 6:9
What does Esther 6:9 mean?
A plain-English look at Esther 6:9 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Esther 6:9 means
Haman adds structure and spectacle: a noble prince must dress the honoree and lead him on the king’s horse through the city streets, proclaiming, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor.” This is a scripted ceremony of public recognition, with peer validation and audible praise. The presence of a high-ranking escort ensures that the honor cannot be ignored or minimized; it compels the court and the populace to acknowledge the king’s choice. Haman wants an honor that is witnessed, repeated, and remembered. Unwittingly, he prescribes his own humiliation by assigning the attendant role to a prince—soon to be himself—serving the very man he despises.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000and 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.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him 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 honour.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901and 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.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And let the robes and the horse be given to one of the king's most noble captains, so that they may put them on the man whom the king has delight in honouring, and let him go on horseback through the streets of the town, with men crying out before him, So let it be done to the man whom the king has delight in honouring.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and to give the clothing and the horse into the hand of a man of the heads of the king, the chiefs, and they have clothed the man in whose honour the king hath delighted, and caused him to ride on the horse in a broad place of the city, and called before him: Thus it is done to the man in whose honour the king hath delighted.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And let the first of the king's princes and nobles hold his horse, and going through the street of the city, proclaim before him and say: Thus shall he be honoured, whom the king hath a mind to honour.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890and let the apparel and horse be delivered into the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, and let them array the man whom the king delights to honour, and cause him to ride on the horse through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honour!
Context
Haman completes the package: royal attire, royal steed, noble attendant, and public proclamation. The plan is designed for maximum visibility and prestige. The narrative is now primed for the twist, since everything Haman has described will be carried out immediately. The king’s next words will redirect Haman’s elaborate vision toward Mordecai, setting the reversal in motion and forcing Haman to enact what he imagined for himself.
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:
v.9This passage
v.10Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king’s gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass.
- 1 Kings 1:33
And the king said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:
- Genesis 41:43
and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he set him over all the land of Egypt.