“On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles ; and they were read before the king. could: Heb. the king's sleep fled away”
Sleep. Anxious what Esther could desire. Septuagint, “But the Lord removed sleep from the king that night.” (Haydock) — Providence watched over the welfare of his people. — Chronicles. The kings took particular care (Calmet) to have their benefactors mentioned in history and rewarded. (Herodotus viii. 85.) Assuerus had not recourse to musicians, &c., wisely (Tirinus) reflecting that history is the most pleasing and useful amusement. (Cicero, &c.) (Tirinus) — God directed him on this occasion, as his eye never sleepeth. (Josephus) (Worthington)
“And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.”
No reward at all. He received some presents from the king; (chap. xii. 5.) but these were so inconsiderable in the opinion of the courtiers, that they esteemed them as nothing at all; (Challoner) and they were not specified in the history. (Calmet)
“And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.”
Inner court. To which only such favourites and noblemen had access. (Herodotus iii. 72., and 84.) This king had himself come thither with six others, when they conspired to destroy Smerdis. Hebrew, &c., read, “the outward court,” in which Aman was, till he heard the king was awake, and called for him. (Calmet)
“Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: Let: Heb. Let them bring the royal apparel which the king: Heb. wherewith the king clotheth himself”
Apparel. Greek, “of byssus,” which was very superb, chap. xv. 9. The king alone could wear the tiara upright. The nobles wore it hanging backwards. Cyrus allowed his nobility to appear in purple, but he would have only his own robes striped with white. (Cyrop. viii.; Curtius iii.) — The kings often made presents of garments, &c., to ambassadors, and to those who were styled “their relations.” — Horse: 200 such appeared in the train of Cyrus, with golden bits, which none were permitted to use without special leave. — Head. Greek seems to refer this to the horse, which might indeed have a sort of crown. But the golden one was more probably worn by the person honoured, chap. viii. 15.
“And 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. bring: Heb. cause him to ride”
Nobles. Literally, “tyrants.” (Haydock) — But this word was not formerly odious; as it only denoted “a prince.” Pars mihi pacis erit dextram tetigisse tyranni. (Vigil, Æneid vii.) — Abuse of power caused it to become hateful. (Tirinus)
“Then 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. let: Heb. suffer not a whit to fall”
Spoken. The distinction was not for one day only. Mardochai might afterwards wear the tiara, &c. God thus clearly manifested that he would resist the proud, and give grace to the humble. (St. James iv. 6.) The exaltation of Joseph in Egypt, (Calmet) and lately of Daniel at the court at Babylon, (Tirinus) was hardly less wonderful, Genesis xli., and Daniel vi. (Calmet) — We may easily conceive the astonishment which would fill the breast of Aman, as well as of Mardochai, on this occasion. The Greek published by Usher, has expressed these sentiments; (Haydock) and the Chaldean has added many embellishments, which are of no authority. (Calmet)
“And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.”
Covered. To hide his shame, (Tirinus) as Demosthenes did, when the people kissed him. (Plutarch) See 2 Kings xv., and Ezechiel xii. 6.
“And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.”
Wise men. Probably the magi, who concluded, from the first miscarriage, that the undertaking would prove abortive, (Calmet) as they were also informed of God’s protection given repeatedly to the Jews. Septuagint, “because the living God is with him.” (Chaldean) They might have heard of the fate of Sennacherib and of Holofernes, (Calmet) or of God’s promises, (Genesis xiii., and xv.) unless they were guided by human prudence. (Worthington)
“And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.”
As. Thus from morning till noon, (Tirinus) or night, had this petty god (Haydock) been forced to stoop to the meanest offices, and durst not say a word in opposition. (Tirinus) — He would gladly have now absented himself from the feast, (Menochius) with the idea of which he had been enraptured. (Haydock)