Esther 5:9

Then went Haman forth that day, joyful, and with a glad heart,.... From court to his own house but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him; did not show

Mordecai stood not up, nor moved for him; partly, lest he should seem or be interpreted to give him that adoration which he hitherto had justly denied; partly, because by his bloody and barbarous design and practice he had put off all humanity, and forfeited all respect; and partly, to show how little he feared him, and that he had a firm confidence in his God that he would deliver him and his people in this great exigence; which he was the more encouraged to hope, because God had inclined Esther’ s heart to that pious and valiant resolution of interceding with the king, which he doubted not would meet with good success.

Esther 5:9 Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’ s gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.Ver. 9. Then went Haman forth that day joyful] Saeculi laetitia est impunita nequitia, saith an ancient. He looked upon himself now as no less favoured by the queen than by the king, and was puffed up with this new honour, as a bubble is with a child’ s blast in a walnut shell with a little soap, but it shortly after falls down again into his eyes and vexeth him. And with a glad heart] But he rejoiced, as many more do, in a thing of nought, Amos 6:13. And the end of his mirth was heaviness, Proverbs 14:13. It was risus Sardonius, mirth of Sardonius, like that of those, who being stung with the Tarantula (a viper in Italy), die laughing and capering. Or as the dolphin, that sporteth most before a storm. Or as the little fishes, that swimming merrily down the silver stream of Jordan, fall shortly after into the Dead Sea. Haman doubtless held himself now the happiest man alive; as having the royalty, not of the king’ s ear only, but of the queen’ s too, as he foolishly fancied. This wicked one boasted of his heart’ s desire, and as for all his enemies, he puffed at them, Psalms 10:8; Psalms 10:5-6. He said in his heart, I shall not be moved, I shall never be in adversity. Herodotus saith of Apryes, king of Egypt (Pharaoh-Hophrah, Jeremiah calleth him, Jeremiah 43:9), that he conceited and bragged that his kingdom was better settled to him than that any, either God or man, could remove him; yet was he afterwards taken and hanged by his own subjects. Aelian tells us, that Dionysius, the tyrant, thought it impossible that he should have been cast out of Sicily, but it proved otherwise. How suddenly were Alexander, the great conqueror, and Julius Caesar, the perpetual dictator, cut off, and quenched, as the fire of thorns! Psalms 118:12. Sic transit gloria mundi. So passes the glory of the world. The world’ s greatest darlings are in no better condition than the bull that goes to be sacrificed with garlands on his head and music before him, but suddenly feels the stroke of the murdering axe. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’ s gate] There he sat, and would not stir an inch, for Haman’ s greatness; as resolute he remained, notwithstanding the bloody edict now published, as was Rawlins White, the martyr, in Queen Mary’ s days. The bishop of Llandaff pretended to pray for his conversion; after which he said, Now, Rawlins, how is it with thee? Wilt thou revoke thine opinions or no? Surely, said he, my lord, Rawlins you left me, and Rawlins you find me, and Rawlins, by God’ s grace, I will continue.

(9) He stood not up.—In Esther 3:2 we saw that Mordecai refused to bow or prostrate himself to Haman, here he refuses even the slightest sign of respect. The honourable independence of the former case here becomes indefensible rudeness.

Verse 9. That he stood not up, nor moved for him] This was certainly carrying his integrity or inflexibility to the highest pitch. But still we are left to conjecture that some reverence was required, which Mordecai could not conscientiously pay.

9–14. Haman’s proposed vengeance upon Mordecai The greater Haman’s excitement and exultation at having reached the highest pinnacle of dignity attainable by a subject, the more did Mordecai’s conduct rankle within him and move his rage; so pointed was the contrast with the extreme adulation naturally exhibited by all others connected with the palace towards the king’s favourite.

He stood not up, nor moved for him - This was undoubtedly a serious breach of Persian etiquette, and may well have angered Haman.

HAMAN’S AT , Esther 5:9-14. 9. Joyful — At the thought of receiving such honour from the king and queen.