Mordecai (Esther 2:5–7; Esther 2:10–11; Esther 2:19–23; Esther 3:1–6; Esther 4:1–17; Esther 5:9–14; Esther 6:1–13; Esther 7:9–10; Esther 8:1–2; Esther 8:7–17; Esther 9:3–4; Esther 9:20–32; Esther 10:2–3)

A Certain Jew in Shushan, Next unto the King

A Benjamite Jew in Shushan the palace who took his uncle's daughter Esther for his own daughter, made known a plot against the king, bowed not down to Haman, charged Esther to go in to the king for her people, was honored by the king, wrote to the Jews to keep the days of Purim, and was next unto king Ahasuerus.

The book of Esther introduces him as “a certain Jew in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives that had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah” (Esther 2:5-6). He brought up “Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter” (Esther 2:7), and “when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter” (Esther 2:7). He charged her not to make known her people, and “walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her” (Esther 2:11). Sitting in the king's gate, he learned of a plot against the king and showed it to Esther the queen, who told the king in Mordecai's name (Esther 2:21-22).

When the king advanced Haman, “Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence” (Esther 3:2). Haman “sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai” (Esther 3:6). Mordecai rent his clothes and cried with a loud and a bitter cry, and sent word charging Esther to go in to the king for her people (Esther 4:1-8). When she answered that she had not been called, he replied, “who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Haman had a gallows made for Mordecai (Esther 5:14), but on a night when the king could not sleep the chronicles were read, it was found that Mordecai had told of the plot, and Haman himself was made to array Mordecai in royal apparel and lead him through the city (Esther 6:1-11). Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:10).

The king gave Mordecai his ring, and Esther set him over the house of Haman (Esther 8:2). A decree for the Jews was written “according to all that Mordecai commanded” (Esther 8:9). Afterward Mordecai wrote to all the Jews to keep the days of Purim (Esther 9:20-21). The book closes: “For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed” (Esther 10:3). Scripture does not record his death.

Strengths

• Took Esther for his own daughter
• Walked every day to know how Esther did
• Spake good for the king
• Charged Esther to make request for her people
• Seeking the good of his people
• Speaking peace to all his seed

Themes

• Guardian of Esther
• Loyalty to the king
• Haman's enmity
• Deliverance of the Jews
• Purim
• Honor from the king

Takes Esther for his own daughter (Esther 2:5–11)

Mordecai, a Benjamite Jew in Shushan, brings up Hadassah, his uncle's daughter, takes her for his own daughter, charges her to keep her people unknown, and walks every day to know how she fares.

Makes known a plot against the king (Esther 2:19–23)

Sitting in the king's gate, Mordecai learns that Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, seek to lay hands on the king; he shows it to Esther, who tells the king in his name, and it is written in the book of the chronicles.

Does not bow to Haman (Esther 3:1–6)

When the king advances Haman, Mordecai in the king's gate does not bow or do reverence and hearkens not to the servants who speak to him daily; Haman is full of wrath and seeks to destroy all the Jews.

Does not bow to Haman

“After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence” (Esther 3:1-2).

“Then the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?” (Esther 3:3). “Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew” (Esther 3:4).

“And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai” (Esther 3:5-6).

Mourns and sends word to Esther (Esther 4:1–17)

Mordecai rends his clothes and cries with a bitter cry, sends Esther the copy of the decree and charges her to go in to the king, answers her fear that she will not escape more than all the Jews, and does all that she commands him.

Mourns and sends word to Esther

“Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry” (Esther 4:1). Esther sent raiment to clothe him, “but he received it not” (Esther 4:4), and she sent Hathach, one of the king's chamberlains, to learn what this was.

“And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them” (Esther 4:7). He gave Hathach a copy of the decree and charged that Esther “should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him, for her people” (Esther 4:8).

Esther answered that whoever came to the king into the inner court uncalled was put to death, unless the king held out the golden sceptre, and that she had not been called these thirty days (Esther 4:11). Mordecai bade them return answer: “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish: and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14).

Esther bade him gather the Jews in Shushan to fast for her three days, saying she would go in to the king; “So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him” (Esther 4:17).

A gallows made for Mordecai (Esther 5:9–14)

Mordecai in the king's gate neither stands up nor moves for Haman, who is filled with wrath and, at the word of Zeresh his wife and all his friends, has a gallows fifty cubits high made for him.

The king honors Mordecai (Esther 6:1–13)

On a night when the king cannot sleep, he learns from the chronicles that Mordecai had told of the plot and that nothing had been done for him, and has Haman array Mordecai and lead him through the city.

The king honors Mordecai

“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. And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains” (Esther 6:1-2). “And the king said, What honor and dignity hath been bestowed on Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him” (Esther 6:3).

Haman had come into the outward court “to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him” (Esther 6:4). The king asked him what should be done for the man whom the king delighteth to honor, and Haman, saying in his heart that the king would delight to honor no one more than himself, named royal apparel and the king's horse (Esther 6:6-9). “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” (Esther 6:10).

“Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and caused him to ride through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor. And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered” (Esther 6:11-12).

Haman hanged on the gallows prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:9–10)

Harbonah tells the king of the gallows Haman made for Mordecai, who spake good for the king; the king says to hang Haman on it, and the king's wrath is pacified.

Receives the ring and writes the decree (Esther 8:1–17)

Mordecai comes before the king, receives the ring taken from Haman, is set over Haman's house, has the decree for the Jews written, and goes out in royal apparel while Shushan shouts and is glad.

Receives the ring and writes the decree

“On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her. And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman” (Esther 8:1-2).

The king said to Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Write ye also to the Jews, as it pleaseth you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring” (Esther 8:8). “ … and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia” (Esther 8:9).

“And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan shouted and was glad. The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor” (Esther 8:15-16).

The fear of Mordecai and the Purim letters (Esther 9:1–4; Esther 9:20–32)

On the thirteenth of Adar the officials help the Jews because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them; Mordecai writes to all the Jews to keep the days of Purim and, with Esther, confirms them.

Next unto king Ahasuerus (Esther 9:4; Esther 10:1–3)

The book closes with the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king advanced, who was next unto the king, great among the Jews, seeking the good of his people.

Next unto king Ahasuerus

Of the days after the decree the book says that “Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went forth throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai waxed greater and greater” (Esther 9:4).

“And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?” (Esther 10:2).

“For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed” (Esther 10:3).

Esther (Esther 2:7; Esther 4:8–14; Esther 9:29)

His uncle's daughter, whom he brought up and took for his own daughter; he charged her, bade her go in to the king, and wrote with her to confirm Purim.

Abihail (Esther 2:7; Esther 2:15; Esther 9:29)

His uncle, the father of Esther; he was dead when Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

Haman (Esther 3:1–6; Esther 5:9–14; Esther 7:9–10)

The Agagite whom the king advanced; full of wrath because Mordecai bowed not down, he sought to destroy the Jews and was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.

Zeresh (Esther 5:14; Esther 6:13)

Haman's wife, who with his friends bade a gallows be made for Mordecai, and later said Haman would surely fall before him.

King Ahasuerus (Esther 6:1–11; Esther 8:2; Esther 10:2–3)

Had the deed of Mordecai read to him, had him honored, gave him the ring taken from Haman, and advanced him to be next unto the king.

Hathach (Esther 4:5–9)

One of the king's chamberlains, to whom Mordecai told all that had happened and gave the copy of the decree for Esther.

The Jews (Esther 3:6; Esther 9:20–22; Esther 10:3)

His people, whom Haman sought to destroy, to whom he wrote to keep the days of Purim, and whose good he sought.

Major sections

• Esther 2:5–23
• Esther 3:1–15
• Esther 4:1–17
• Esther 5:9–7:10
• Esther 8:1–10:3

More illuminations · Harbinger's Lamp