Esther 6 · a question people ask
"You will surely fall before him" (6:13). Were Haman's wise men foretelling the future?
The chapter gives their words and no more: "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him" (6:13). It doesn't say why they said it, what they based it on, or whether they meant it as a warning, and these notes don't guess. The speakers are "his wise men and Zeresh his wife" (6:13). Earlier, Zeresh and "all his friends" had given Haman very different advice: "Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on it" (Esther 5:14). What can be said is what the words are. The WEB has fall twice in the verse, and the Hebrew verb behind it comes three times ("surely fall" is the verb said twice); it is the same verb as the king's "Let nothing fail of all that you have spoken" (6:10) (tap fall). The next chapter tells what happened.
The verses
“Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him.””
“Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on it. Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet.” This pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.”
“Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry and take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do this for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Let nothing fail of all that you have spoken.””