Esther 6:8

Verse

have them bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden—one with a royal crest placed on its head.

American Standard Version (1901)

let 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:

Bible in Basic English

Let them take the robes which the king generally puts on, and the horse on which the king goes, and the crown which is on his head:

Free Bible Version

should be brought royal robes the king has worn, a horse the king has ridden and which has a royal headdress on its head.

Geneva Bible 1599

Let them bring for him royall apparell, which the King vseth to weare, and the horse that the King rideth vpon, and that the crowne royall may be set vpon his head.

King James (Authorized) Version

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:

Translation for Translators

you should tell your servants to bring him one of the robes you wear you to show that you are the king. Also tell them to bring one of the horses you have ridden. Tell them to put a fancy headdress on the horse’s head to show that it belongs to you, the king.

Unlocked Literal Bible

let royal robes be brought, robes that the king has worn, and a horse that the king has ridden and on whose head is the royal crest.

Noah Webster Bible

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:

World English Bible

let royal clothing be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on, and on the head of which a royal crown is set.

Young's Literal Translation

let them bring in royal clothing that the king hath put on himself, and a horse on which the king hath ridden, and that the royal crown be put on his head,

Context

Mordecai Is Honored

⁷And Haman told the king, “For the man whom the king is delighted to honor,⁸have them bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden—one with a royal crest placed on its head.⁹Let the robe and the horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them array the man the king wants to honor and parade him on the horse through the city square, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor!’”

Summary

In Esther 6:8, we see the irony and divine intervention as King Xerxes unknowingly chooses to honor Mordecai, who had previously saved his life. This unexpected turn of events showcases God's sovereignty and how He orchestrates circumstances for the good of His people. The reversal of fortune for Mordecai foreshadows the impending downfall of Haman, who had plotted against the Jews. This verse reminds us that God works behind the scenes, rewarding faithfulness and ultimately bringing justice to those who trust in Him.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Let the royal apparel be brought - Pride and folly ever go hand in hand. What he asked would have been in any ordinary case against his own life: but he wished to reach the pinnacle of honor: never reflecting that the higher he rose, the more terrible would be his fall. The royal apparel was never worn but by the king: even when the king had lain them aside, it was death to put them on. The Targum has purple robes. And the horse - and the crown royal - Interpreters are greatly divided whether what is called here the crown royal be not rather an ornament worn on the head of the horse, than what may be called the royal crown. The original may be understood both ways; and our version seems to favor the former opinion; but I think it more likely that the royal crown is meant; for why mention the ordinary trappings of the royal steed?

John Gill Bible Commentary

Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear,.... Not a whole suit of clothes, but a single garment; the purple robe, as both the Targums, such as kings wore; that which Cyrus appeared in public in was half purple, and half white, and no other person besides might wear such an one (p); it was a capital crime with the Persians to wear any of the king's apparel; Trebazus, an intimate of Artaxerxes, having begged an old gown of him, it was granted, on condition that he would not wear it, it being contrary to the laws of Persia; but he, regardless of the order, appeared in it at court; which affront to the king was so resented by the Persians, that they were for punishing him rigorously, according to the law, had not Artaxerxes declared, that he had ordered him to appear in that dress as his fool (q); hence Artabanus, though uncle to Xerxes, was very unwilling to obey his orders, to put on his royal robes, sit on his throne, and sleep on his bed (r); so that this was a daring proposal in Haman, which he would never have ventured to have made, had it not been for the great confidence he had in the king's favour: and the horse that the king rideth upon: the kings of Persia, as Herodotus (s) relates, had horses peculiar to them, and those were Nisaean horses, which were brought from Armenia, as Strabo says (t), and were remarkable for their beauty (u); and if the same law obtained in Persia as did in Judea, no man might ride on the king's horse any more than sit on his throne, or hold his sceptre (w) and perhaps this horse here was not proposed for the person to ride on, but to be led in state before him; and though it is afterwards said that Mordecai rode on horseback, yet it might not be on the king's horse, which might be only led; and what follows seems to confirm it: and the crown royal which is set upon his head; or, "let it be set", &c. not the head of the man, but on the head of the horse; and so Aben Ezra; and which sense is countenanced by the Targum, and by the Syriac version, and is approved of by Vatablus and De Dieu; and which the order of the words requires, the horse being the immediate antecedent; and no mention is made of the crown afterwards, as set on the head of Mordecai; nor would Haman have dared to advise to that, nor could it be granted; but this was what was wont to be done, to put the royal crown on the head of a horse led in state; and this we are assured was a custom in Persia (x), as it is with the Ethiopians to this day (y); and so, with the Romans, horses drawing triumphal chariots were crowned (z) which Tertullian calls (a) public horses with their crowns. (p) Xenophon Cyropaedia, l. 8. c. 23. (q) Plutarch. in Artaxerxe. (r) Herodot. Polymnia, sive, l. 7. c. 15, 16. (s) Clio, sive, l. 1. c. 192. (t) Geograph. l. 11. p. 365. (u) Julian. Opera, par. 1. Orat. 2. p. 94. (w) Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 5. (x) Brisson. apud Castell. Lexic. col. 4008. (y) Alvarez Hist. Ethiop. c. 105. apud ib. col. 3869. (z) Paschal. de Coronis, l. 8. c. 5. p. 536. (a) De Corona Militis, c. 13.

Esther 6:8

Mordecai Is Honored

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

have them bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden—one with a royal crest placed on its head.

American Standard Version (1901)

let 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:

Bible in Basic English

Let them take the robes which the king generally puts on, and the horse on which the king goes, and the crown which is on his head:

Free Bible Version

should be brought royal robes the king has worn, a horse the king has ridden and which has a royal headdress on its head.

Geneva Bible 1599

Let them bring for him royall apparell, which the King vseth to weare, and the horse that the King rideth vpon, and that the crowne royall may be set vpon his head.

King James (Authorized) Version

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:

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

let royal robes be brought, robes that the king has worn, and a horse that the king has ridden and on whose head is the royal crest.

Noah Webster Bible

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:

World English Bible

let royal clothing be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on, and on the head of which a royal crown is set.

Young's Literal Translation

let them bring in royal clothing that the king hath put on himself, and a horse on which the king hath ridden, and that the royal crown be put on his head,

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Esther 6:8

Verse

Context

Mordecai Is Honored

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Esther 6:8

Mordecai Is Honored

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary