Esther 8:1

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

VIII.

(1) Did . . . give the house of Haman.—Confiscation of goods necessarily followed on a sentence of death in the East. So, with ourselves, a convicted felon’s property is forfeited to the Crown.

Benson Commentary

Esther 8:1. Did the king give the house of Haman unto Esther — That is, he bestowed upon her the whole estate belonging to his family, his lands, his goods, his servants, his cattle, with all the money he had treasured up. All this is included here in his house, which, being justly forfeited to the king, is no less justly bestowed by him upon the queen, to compensate, in some degree, the danger to which Haman had exposed her. And Mordecai came before the king — Was by the queen’s desire admitted into the king’s presence and family, and probably made one of the seven princes. For Esther had told what he was unto her — How nearly he was related to her, which till this time she had wisely concealed.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:1,2 What Haman would have done mischief with, Esther will do good with. All the trust the king had reposed in Haman, he now placed in Mordecai: a happy change. See the vanity of laying up treasure upon earth; he that heapeth up riches, knoweth not who shall gather them. With what little pleasure, nay, with what constant vexation, would Haman have looked upon his estate, if he could have foreseen that Mordecai, the man he hated above all men in the world, should have rule over all that wherein he had laboured! It is our interest to make sure of those riches which will not be left behind, but which will go with us to another world.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Give the house of Haman - Confiscation of goods accompanied public execution in Persia as in other Oriental countries.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 8

Es 8:1-6. Mordecai Advanced.

1. On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman … unto Esther—His property was confiscated, and everything belonging to him, as some compensation for the peril to which she had been exposed.

Mordecai came before the king—that is, was introduced at court and appointed one of the seven counsellors. Esther displayed great prudence and address in acknowledging Mordecai's relation to her at the moment most fitted to be of eminent service to him.Mordecai is advanced over the house of Haman, Esther 8:1,2. Esther maketh a petition to the king to reverse Haman’s letters, Esther 8:3-6. Ahasuerus granteth to Esther and Mordecai, Esther 8:7, to write to the Jews to defend themselves, Esther 8:8. Mordecai’s letters in the king’s name to defend themselves and destroy their assailants, Esther 8:9-14. Mordecai’s honour, and the Jews’ joy, Esther 8:15-17.

The house of Haman, with all his goods and estate, which being justly forfeited to the king, he no less justly bestows it upon the queen, to compensate the danger to which Haman had exposed her.

Mordecai came before the king, i.e. was by the queen’s desire admitted into the king’s presence, and favour, and family, and, as it seems, made one of the seven princes.

What he was unto her, i.e. how nearly he was related to her; which till this time she had wisely concealed, this being the fit season to declare it.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

On that day did the King, Ahasuerus, give the house of Haman, the Jews' enemy, unto Esther the queen,.... That, and all the goods in it, and estate belonging to it; which being confiscated to the king, he gave to Esther, who would have been the sufferer, had his scheme taken place; so the Targum adds,"and the men of his house, and all his treasures, and all his riches:"

and Mordecai came before the king; was introduced into his presence, became one of his privy counsellors, one of those that saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom, Esther 1:14

for Esther had told what he was unto her; what relation he stood in to her; her uncle, according to the Vulgate Latin version, and so Aben Ezra and Josephus, but wrongly, for she was his uncle's daughter; so that they were brother's children, or own cousins, see Esther 2:7.

Geneva Study Bible

On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai {a} came before the king; for Esther had told what he was {b} unto her.

(a) That is, was received into the king's favour and presence.

(b) That he was her uncle, and had brought her up.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 1. - On that day did the king... give the house of Haman. When a criminal was executed, everything that belonged to him became the property of the crown, and was disposed of according to the king's pleasure. It pleased Ahasuerus to make over to Esther the house of Haman, with, no doubt, all its content, attendants, furniture, and treasure. The Jews' enemy. This now becomes Haman's ordinary designation (see Esther 9:10, 24). Traditional practices have in many places kept up his memory as one of the most hated adversaries of the nation (see Stanley, 'Lectures on the Jewish Church,' Third Series, pp. 177, 178). And Mordecai came before the king. Mordecai became a high official - one of those in constant attendance on the king. For Esther had told what he was to her. i.e. had revealed his relationship, had told that he was her cousin. Mordecai having been recognised as a "king's benefactor" (Esther 6:3-11), and Esther having been forced to confess herself a Jewess in order to save her nation (Esther 7:3, 4), there was no object in any further concealment. Esther 8:1

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

By the execution of Haman, his property was confiscated, and the king decreed that the house of the Jews' enemy should be given to Esther. The "house of Haman" undoubtedly means the house with all that pertained to it. "And Mordochai came before the king, for Esther had told him what he was to her," viz., her kinsman and foster-father, Esther 2:7. This information effected Mordochai's appearance before the king, i.e., his reception into the number of the high dignitaries who beheld the face of the king, i.e., were allowed personal access to him; comp. Esther 1:10, Esther 1:14; Esther 7:9.