Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Esther
Book: Esther
Chapter: 6
Overview:
Providence recommends
Mordecai to the
King's favour.
(1-3)
Haman's counsel honours
Mordecai.
(4-11) Haman's friends tell
him of his danger.
(12-14)
1-3 The
Providence of
God rules over the smallest concerns of
men. Not a
Sparrow falls to the ground without him. Trace the
steps which
Providence took towards the advancement of
Mordecai.
The
King could not sleep when
Providence had a design to serve,
in keeping him awake. We read of
No illness that broke his
sleep, but
God, whose
Gift sleep is, withheld it from him. He
who commanded a hundred and twenty-
Seven provinces, could not
command one
Hour's sleep.
4-11 See how men's pride deceives them. The deceitfulness of
our own hearts appears in nothing more than in the conceit we
have of ourselves and our own performances: against which we
should constantly watch and pray.
Haman thought the
King loved
and valued
No one but himself, but he was deceived. We should
suspect that the esteem which others profess for us, is not
So
great as it seems to be, that we may not think too
Well of
ourselves, nor trust too much in others. How
Haman is struck,
when the
King bids him do honour to
Mordecai the
Jew, the very
Man whom he hated above all men, whose ruin he was now
designing!
12-14 Mordecai was not puffed up with his honours, he returned
to his place and the duty of it. Honour is
Well bestowed
On
those that do not think themselves above their business. But
Haman could not
Bear it. What harm had it done him? But that
will break a proud
Man's
Heart, which will not break a humble
Man's sleep. His doom was, out of this event, read to him
By his
Wife and his friends. They plainly confessed that the Jews,
though scattered through the nations, were special objects of
Divine care. Miserable comforters are they all; they did not
advise
Haman to repent, but foretold his fate as unavoidable.
The
Wisdom of
God is seen, in timing the means of his
Church's
deliverance,
So as to manifest his own
Glory.