Esther 9:25
But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
But when it came before the king,

Esther’s courageous appeal exposed Haman’s design before Ahasuerus. The concealed plot was brought into the highest court of Persia, where the king possessed authority to act. God’s providence had placed Esther in the palace “for such a time as this” and turned a death sentence into an occasion for deliverance. The Lord directs even rulers and royal decisions according to His purpose (Proverbs 21:1).

Est 5:1-2 On the third day, Esther put on her royal robes.…
Est 4:16 Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found…

he commanded by letter

Ahasuerus issued a formal written order throughout his empire. Because Persian law treated royal decrees as irrevocable, the earlier edict could not simply be canceled. The king therefore authorized the Jews to assemble and defend themselves, overturning the intended result of Haman’s decree (Esther 8:8–11).

Est 8:8-10 Now you may write in the king’s name regarding the Jews,…
Est 1:22 He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom,…
Dan 6:25-27 Then King Darius wrote to the people of every nation…

that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews

Haman sought the destruction of every Jew in the empire, from India to Cush, because of his hatred for Mordecai and contempt for the covenant people. His scheme was an assault upon the line through which God would bring the promised Messiah. Though the conflict appeared political and personal, it also revealed the continuing enmity of evil against God’s redemptive purposes.

Est 3:6 And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people,…
Est 3:12-13 On the thirteenth day of the first month,…

should come back upon his own head,

Haman received the outcome he had intended for others. His accusation, decree, gallows, and plan for plunder all became instruments of his own downfall. God’s justice repeatedly exposes the wickedness that men devise in secret and causes evil purposes to recoil upon those who pursue them (Psalm 7:15–16; Galatians 6:7).

Oba 1:15 For the Day of the LORD is near for all the nations.…
Psa 7:15-16 He has dug a hole and hollowed it out;…
Pro 26:27 He who digs a pit will fall into it and he who rolls a stone…

and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

Haman was executed on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, and his ten sons were later hanged after the Jews’ victory (Esther 7:10; 9:13–14). Their judgment ended the immediate threat posed by Haman’s house and publicly demonstrated that no power can finally prevail against God’s people.

Est 7:10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared…
Est 8:7 So King Xerxes said to Esther the Queen and Mordecai,…
Deu 21:22-23 If a man has committed a sin worthy of death,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Esther
The Jewish queen of Persia who bravely intervened to save her people from destruction.

2. King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I)
The Persian king who was initially unaware of Haman's plot against the Jews but later authorized its reversal.

3. Haman
The antagonist who plotted to annihilate the Jews but ultimately faced the consequences of his own schemes.

4. The Jews
The people of God who were targeted for destruction but were delivered through divine intervention.

5. The Gallows
The instrument of execution intended for Mordecai but used for Haman and his sons, symbolizing poetic justice.
Teaching Points
Divine Justice
God's justice prevails, and evil schemes are ultimately overturned. Believers can trust in God's righteous judgment.

Courage and Advocacy
Esther's courage to speak up for her people is a model for believers to advocate for justice and righteousness.

The Reversal of Fortunes
The account illustrates how God can reverse dire situations, turning intended harm into blessing.

The Consequences of Pride
Haman's downfall serves as a warning against pride and plotting evil against others.

God's Sovereignty
The account underscores God's sovereign control over history and His ability to protect His people.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Esther's intervention reflect the importance of standing up for what is right, even at personal risk?

2. In what ways does the account of Haman's downfall illustrate the biblical principle of reaping what one sows?

3. How can we see God's hand at work in situations where evil seems to prevail, based on the events in Esther 9:25?

4. What lessons can we learn from Esther's example about the power of prayer and fasting in seeking God's intervention?

5. How does the theme of divine justice in Esther 9:25 encourage you in your personal walk with God, especially when facing injustice?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 50:20
Joseph's statement about God turning evil intentions into good parallels the reversal of Haman's plot.

Proverbs 26:27
This proverb about those who dig a pit falling into it themselves reflects the fate of Haman.

Psalm 7:15-16
The psalmist speaks of the wicked falling into their own traps, similar to Haman's downfall.

Romans 8:28
The assurance that God works all things for good for those who love Him is evident in the deliverance of the Jews.
A Memorial DaySouthern PulpitEsther 9:17-28
A National MemorialW. Burrows, B. A.Esther 9:17-28
A National MemorialJ. S. Van Dyke, D. D.Esther 9:17-28
Days to be RememberedJ. Bolton, B. A.Esther 9:17-28
Different Means of Commemorating Great EventsJ. S. Van Dyke, D. D.Esther 9:17-28
Memorial Days, Their Obligation and Manner of ObservanceSamuel Bradford.Esther 9:17-28
The Feast of PurimW. M. Taylor, D. D.Esther 9:17-28
The MemorialT. McEwan.Esther 9:17-28
The Effects of DeliveranceW. Dinwiddle Esther 9:17-32
The Religion of National GratitudeP.C. Barker Esther 9:21, 27, 28, 31
People
Abihail, Adalia, Ahasuerus, Aridai, Aridatha, Arisai, Aspatha, Dalphon, Esther, Haman, Hammedatha, Mordecai, Parmashta, Parshandatha, Poratha, Vajezatha
Places
Susa
Topics
Attention, Business, Commanded, Death, Design, Device, Devised, Esther, Evil, Gallows, Haman, Hanged, Hanging, Issued, Jews, King's, Letter, Letters, Matter, Onto, Orders, Plot, Return, Scheme, Sons, Tree, Turn, Wicked, Writing, Written
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Esther 9:25

     5157   head
     5589   trap
     6186   evil scheming
     8736   evil, warnings against

Esther 9:24-25

     5817   conspiracies

Esther 9:24-27

     7392   lots, casting of

Library
Of the Practice of Piety in Holy Feasting.
Holy feasting is a solemn thanksgiving, appointed by authority, to be rendered to God on some special day, for some extraordinary blessings or deliverances received. Such among the Jews was the feast of the Passover (Exod. xii. 15), to remember to praise God for their deliverance out of Egypt's bondage; or the feast of Purim (Esth. ix. 19, 21), to give thanks for their deliverance from Haman's conspiracy. Such amongst us is the fifth of November, to praise God for the deliverance of the king and
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Tiberias.
All the Jews declare, almost with one consent, that this was a fortified city from ancient times, even from the days of Joshua, and was the same with Rakkath, of which mention is made, Joshua 19:35. "Rakkath is Tiberias," say the Jerusalem Gemarists. And those of Babylon say the same, and that more largely: "It is clear to us that Rakkath is Tiberias." And when, after a few lines, this of Rabbi Jochanan was objected, "When I was a boy, I said a certain thing, concerning which I asked the elders,
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Some Miscellaneous Matters Respecting the Face of the Land.
I. Let us begin with that canon concerning reading the Book of Esther in the feast of Purim. "Towns that were begirt with walls from the days of Joshua read it on the fifteenth day" of the month Adar: "Villages and great cities read it the fourteenth day": "Unless that the villages anticipate it, to the day of the congregation." You see a threefold distinction of cities and towns: 1. Fortifications, or towns girt with walls from the days of Joshua. But whence shall we know them? They are those which
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Place of Jesus in the History of the World.
The great event of the History of the world is the revolution by which the noblest portions of humanity have passed from the ancient religions, comprised under the vague name of Paganism, to a religion founded on the Divine Unity, the Trinity, and the Incarnation of the Son of God. It has taken nearly a thousand years to accomplish this conversion. The new religion had itself taken at least three hundred years in its formation. But the origin of the revolution in question with which we have to do
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

Esther
The spirit of the book of Esther is anything but attractive. It is never quoted or referred to by Jesus or His apostles, and it is a satisfaction to think that in very early times, and even among Jewish scholars, its right to a place in the canon was hotly contested. Its aggressive fanaticism and fierce hatred of all that lay outside of Judaism were felt by the finer spirits to be false to the more generous instincts that lay at the heart of the Hebrew religion; but by virtue of its very intensity
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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