Yet none of this satisfies me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
- KJV Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.
- NKJV Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
- NASB Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
- NLT Then he added, “But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Haman admits that all his honors mean nothing while Mordecai the Jew sits unbowed at the gate. His pride is poisoned by one man's refusal.
Overview
Despite every advantage, Haman confesses that a single act of defiance robs him of all satisfaction, revealing how consuming his hatred has become. His words lay bare a heart that finds no peace because it lives for self and for the destruction of God's people. This restless misery is the bitter fruit of pride and malice that Scripture warns against.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Job 18:4You who tear yourself in anger—should the earth be forsaken on your account, or the rocks be moved from their place?
- Job 15:20A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.
- Phil 4:11–12I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.
- 1 Kgs 21:4–6So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.
- Eccl 1:2“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
- Esth 5:9That day Haman went out full of joy and glad of heart. At the king’s gate, however, he saw Mordecai, who did not rise or tremble in fear at his presence. And Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai.
- Eccl 1:14I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Though God is never named, his hidden hand preserves the people from whom the Messiah will come — a deliverance 'for such a time as this' that anticipates the open deliverance of Christ.
How Esther 5:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.