Esther 7:9

And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king,.... One of the seven chamberlains, see Es 1:10, his name, with Josephus (y), is Sabouchadas.

And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman.

Harbonah knew this either by his own observation, or by the information of some of his brethren, who were lately sent to Haman’ s house, , where they might easily see it, or at least hear of it. And this he said, either out of a distaste which he had taken against Haman for his great insolency and barbarous cruelty; or in compliance with the king’ s inclinations, and the queen’ s desires. Had spoken good for the king, even to the saving of the king’ s life, , and therefore deserved a better requital than this even from Haman, if he had not basely preferred the satisfaction of his own revenge before the preservation of the king’ s life.

Esther 7:9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. Ver. 9. And Harbonah, one of the king’ s chamberlains, &c.] See Esther 6:14. Said before the king] Not a man opens his mouth to speak for Haman, but all against him. Had the cause been better, thus it would have been. Every cur is ready to fall upon the dog that he seeth worried; every man ready to pull a branch from the tree that is falling (δρυοςπεσουσηςπαςανηρξυλευεται). Cromwell had experience of this when once he fell into displeasure, by speaking against the king’ s match with Lady Catherine Howard, in defence of Queen Anne, of Cleve, and discharge of his conscience, for the which he suffered death, Stephen Gardiner being the chief engineer. Had Haman’ s cause been like his, albeit he had found as few friends to intercede for him as Cromwell, yet he might have died with as much comfort as he did. But he died more like to the Lord Hungerford, of Hatesby, who was beheaded together with the noble Cromwell, but neither so Christianly suffering, nor so quietly dying for his offence committed against nature, viz. buggery. (sodemy?) Cromwell exhorted him to repent, and promised him mercy from God; but his heart was hardened, and so was this wicked Haman’ s. God, therefore, justly set off all hearts from him in his greatest necessity; and now, to add to his misery, brings another of his foul sins to light, that he might the more condignly be cut off. Behold also the gallows, fifty cubits high] See Esther 5:14. This the queen knew not of when she petitioned against Haman. But now they all hear of it, for Haman’ s utter confusion. Which he had prepared for Mordecai] At a time when the king had done him greatest honour, as preserver and near ally by marriage, as now it appeared. This must needs reflect upon the king, and be a reproach to him. Besides, the king looked upon him as one that went about either to throttle the queen (as some understand the words, Esther 7:8), or to ravish her; and this was just upon him, say some interpreters, eo quo aliis virginibus et matronis vini intulisset, because it was common with him to ravish other maids and matrons, and hence the king’ s suspicion and charge, whereof before. Who had spoken good for the king] All is now for Mordecai, but not a word for Haman; the rising sun shall be sure to be adored. And the contrary, Sejanus’ s friends showed themselves most passionate against him when once the emperor frowned upon him, saying, that if Caesar had clemency, he ought to reserve it for men, and not use it towards monsters.

(9) Harbonah.—See Esther 1:10. One of the chamberlains. . . .—Translate, one of the chamberlains [who stood, or served] before the king, said.Hang him.—In the LXX., let him be crucified. The climax of the story is now reached in the pithy words, “They hanged Haman upon the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.” In his own house (Esther 7:9), that is, probably, in some court or garden belonging to it, in the sight doubtless of his own children and his own servants, and the wife who had given him such cold comfort, did the unfortunate man meet his fate. Thus not only does God vouchsafe to deliver his people, but He brings on the enemy the very destruction he had devised for his adversary: “He hath fallen himself into the pit that he digged for other.” Our Saviour has rescued us from our enemy who was too mighty for us, and has trodden down our foe, to be destroyed for ever in His own good time. So may we Christians see in the dangers threatening the Jews throughout this book a picture of our own, and in Haman’s discomfiture a type of the victory of the Lamb over sin and Satan.

Verse 9. Behold also, the gallows] As if he had said, Besides all he has determined to do to the Jews, he has erected a very high gallows, on which he had determined, this very day, to hang Mordecai, who has saved the king's life. Hang him thereon.] Let him be instantly impaled on the same post. "Harm watch, harm catch," says the proverb. Perillus was the first person burnt alive in the brazen bull which he had made for the punishment of others; hence the poet said: - ____ Nec lex est justior ulla, Quam necis artifices arte perire sua. "Nor can there be a juster law than that the artificers of death should perish by their own invention."

9. Harbonah… said — This eunuch had been many years in Xerxes’ service. Comp. Esther 1:10. Behold also the gallows — “We are not told that the king said, Who is in the court?