Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
Then Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends said to him, 'Have a gallows built seventy-five feet high, and tomorrow ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then you can go happily with the king to the banquet.' This advice pleased Haman, and he had the gallows built.
Haman's wife and friends encourage him to build a huge gallows to execute Mordecai, thinking this will solve his problem and let him enjoy the queen's banquet.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place in the Persian Empire under King Xerxes, where Haman was the second most powerful man in the kingdom. A fifty-cubit gallows (about 75 feet high) would have been extremely tall and visible throughout the capital city of Susa, serving as a public display of Haman's power and hatred toward Mordecai. Persian law allowed high officials like Haman to request executions from the king.
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