Esther 5:14

Webster's Bible (1833)

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends to him, Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak you to the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go you in merrily with the king to the banquet. 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 The king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak to 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 who were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, stands in the house of Haman. 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 Jezebel his wife said to him, Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry: I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
• Ps 7:13-16 : 13 He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death. He makes ready his flaming arrows. 14 Behold, he travails with iniquity; Yes, he has conceived mischief, And brought forth falsehood. 15 He has dug a hole, And has fallen into the pit which he made. 16 The trouble he causes shall return to his own head. His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.
• Ps 37:14 : 14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To kill those who are upright in the way.
• Ps 37:32 : 32 The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to kill him.
• Prov 1:18 : 18 But these lay wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.
• Prov 4:16 : 16 For they don't sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
• Amos 6:4-6 : 4 Who lie on beds of ivory, And stretch themselves on their couches, And eat the lambs out of the flock, And the calves out of the midst of the stall; 5 Who strum on the strings of a harp; Who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David; 6 Who drink wine in bowls, And anoint themselves with the best oils; But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
• Mark 6:19-24 : 19 Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn't, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly. 21 Then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." 23 He swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom." 24 She went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" She said, "The head of John the Baptizer."
• Mark 14:10-11 : 10 Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, that he might deliver him to them. 11 They, when they heard it, were glad, and promised to give him money. He sought how he might conveniently deliver him.
• Acts 23:14-15 : 14 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, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near."
• Rom 1:32 : 32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
• Rom 3:15 : 15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood.
• Rev 11:10 : 10 Those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
• Ps 9:15 : 15 The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made; In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken.
• 1 Kgs 21:25 : 25 (But there was none like Ahab, who did sell himself to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, 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 counselor to do wickedly. 4 He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as did the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
• Esth 3:8-9 : 8 Haman said to king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your 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 allow 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 who have the charge of the [king's] business, to bring it into the king's treasuries. 10 The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy. 11 The king said to Haman, The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you. 12 Then were the king's scribes called in the first month, on the thirteenth day of it; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded to the king's satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to the writing of it, 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 Letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on 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 to 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. 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 He said to him, Why, son of the king, are you thus lean from day to day? Won't you tell me? Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister. 5 Jonadab said to him, Lay you down on your bed, and feign yourself sick: and when your father comes to see you, tell him, Please let my sister Tamar come 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 Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's concubines, that he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred of your father: then will the hands of all who are with you be strong. 22 So they spread Absalom a tent on the top of the house; and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23 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 to Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: 2 and I will come on him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people who are with him shall flee; and I will strike the king only; 3 and I will bring back all the people to you: the man whom you seek is as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace. 4 The saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.