Esther 5:14

American Standard Version (1901)

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לוֹ֩ זֶ֨רֶשׁ אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ וְכָל־אֹֽהֲבָ֗יו יַֽעֲשׂוּ־עֵץ֮ גָּבֹ֣הַּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּה֒ וּבַבֹּ֣קֶר ׀ אֱמֹ֣ר לַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וְיִתְל֤וּ אֶֽת־מָרְדֳּכַי֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבֹֽא־עִם־הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֶל הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה שָׂמֵ֑חַ וַיִּיטַ֧ב הַדָּבָ֛ר לִפְנֵ֥י הָמָ֖ן וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָעֵֽץ

Transliteration

And wattōʾmer to-him zereš ʾištô and-all-ʾōhăbāyw, let-them-yaʿăśû-ʿēṣ gābōah fifty ʾammâ, and-in-the-bōqer ʾĕmōr to-the-melek and-yitlû ʾet-mordŏkay upon-it, and-bōʾ-with-the-melek to the-mišteh śāmēaḥ, and wayyîṭab the-dābār before hāmān and wayyaʿaś the-ʿēṣ

Grammar Details

• *wattōʾmer*: waw-consecutive imperfect, 3fs - and she said
• *zereš*: proper noun - Zeresh
• *ʾištô*: noun, feminine singular + 3ms suffix - his wife
• *ʾōhăbāyw*: participle, masculine plural + 3ms suffix - his friends/lovers
• *yaʿăśû*: imperfect, 3mp - they should make
• *ʿēṣ*: noun, masculine singular - tree/gallows/wood
• *gābōah*: adjective, masculine singular - high/tall
• *ʾammâ*: noun, feminine singular - cubit
• *bōqer*: noun, masculine singular - morning
• *ʾĕmōr*: imperative, ms - say/speak
• *melek*: noun, masculine singular - king
• *yitlû*: imperfect, 3mp - they will hang
• *mordŏkay*: proper noun - Mordecai
• *bōʾ*: imperative, ms - come/go
• *mišteh*: noun, masculine singular - feast/banquet
• *śāmēaḥ*: adjective, masculine singular - joyful
• *wayyîṭab*: waw-consecutive imperfect, 3ms - and it was good
• *dābār*: noun, masculine singular - word/matter
• *hāmān*: proper noun - Haman
• *wayyaʿaś*: waw-consecutive imperfect, 3ms - and he made

Word Meanings

• *yaʿăśû-ʿēṣ*: let them make gallows/prepare wooden pole
• *gābōah ḥămišîm ʾammâ*: fifty cubits high/tall (75-80 feet)
• *yitlû*: hang/impale/execute
• *bōʾ-ʿim-hammelek ʾel-hammišteh śāmēaḥ*: go with the king to the banquet joyful/attend the feast happily
• *wayyîṭab haddābār*: the matter pleased/the suggestion was good
• *wayyaʿaś hāʿēṣ*: he had the gallows made/prepared the wooden structure

Referenced Verses

• Esth 6:4 : 4 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.
• Esth 7:9-9 : 9 Then said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains that were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who spake good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him thereon. 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
• 1 Kgs 21:7 : 7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thy heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
• Ps 7:13-16 : 13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; He maketh his arrows fiery [shafts] . 14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity; Yea, he hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. 15 He hath made a pit, and digged it, And is fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, And his violence shall come down upon his own pate.
• Ps 37:14 : 14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay such as are upright in the way.
• Ps 37:32 : 32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, And seeketh to slay him.
• Prov 1:18 : 18 And these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives.
• Prov 4:16 : 16 For they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
• Amos 6:4-6 : 4 that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; 5 that sing idle songs to the sound of the viol; that invent for themselves instruments of music, like David; 6 that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
• Mark 6:19-24 : 19 And Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him; and she could not; 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was much perplexed; and he heard him gladly. 21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, and the high captains, and the chief men of Galilee; 22 and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and them that sat at meat with him; and the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. 23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. 24 And she went out, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptizer.
• Mark 14:10-11 : 10 And Judas Iscariot, he that was one of the twelve, went away unto the chief priests, that he might deliver him unto them. 11 And they, when they heard it, were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently deliver him [unto them] .
• Acts 23:14-15 : 14 And they came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore do ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you, as though ye would judge of his case more exactly: and we, before he comes near, are ready to slay him.
• Rom 1:32 : 32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.
• Rom 3:15 : 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
• Rev 11:10 : 10 And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth.
• Ps 9:15 : 15 The nations are sunk down in the pit that they made: In the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
• 1 Kgs 21:25 : 25 (But there was none like unto Ahab, who did sell himself to do that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
• 2 Chr 22:3-4 : 3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly. 4 And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did the house of Ahab; for they were his counsellors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
• Esth 3:8-9 : 8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from [those of] every people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them. 9 If it please the king, let it be written that they be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have the charge of the [king's] business, to bring it into the king's treasuries. 10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy. 11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee. 12 Then were the king's scribes called in the first month, on the thirteenth day thereof; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king's satraps, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and it was sealed with the king's ring. [ 13 And letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. 14 A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published unto all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day. 15 The posts went forth in haste by the king's commandment, and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.
• 2 Sam 13:3-5 : 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man. 4 And he said unto him, Why, O son of the king, art thou thus lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister. 5 And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, Let my sister Tamar come, I pray thee, and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.
• 2 Sam 16:21-17:4 : 21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, that he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then will the hands of all that are with thee be strong. 22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom. 1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: 2 and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only; 3 and I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace. 4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.