Single lesson
The King Honours Mordecai
Esther 5:9–6:14
A proud plan against Mordecai is suddenly turned upside down in the king’s court.
Before you teach
Haman left Queen Esther’s banquet joyful and pleased. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate, and Mordecai did not stand up or move for him, Haman was filled with anger. He went home and called for his friends and his wife, Zeresh. Haman boasted about his riches, his many children, how greatly the king had promoted him, and how Esther had invited only him to the banquet with the king, and again for the next day. Yet he said all of it meant nothing to him while Mordecai…
Describe the central teaching of The King Honours Mordecai, using two details from the reading. A proud plan against Mordecai is suddenly turned upside down in the king’s court.
Welcome: The King Honours Mordecai
4 minIntroduce “The King Honours Mordecai” and locate Esther 5:9–6:14. A proud plan against Mordecai is suddenly turned upside down in the king’s court. Invite each learner to name a detail or question they will listen for.
Esther 5:9, Esther 6:5, Esther 6:14
Read and explain the passage
8 minHaman left Queen Esther’s banquet joyful and pleased. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate, and Mordecai did not stand up or move for him, Haman was filled with anger. He went home and called for his friends and his wife, Zeresh.
That night the king could not sleep. He ordered the book of records, the royal chronicles, to be brought and read to him. There it was found written that Mordecai had reported Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the door and had planned to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. The king asked what honour had been given to Mordecai for this, and his servants answered, nothing had been done.
Zeresh and his wise men said that if Mordecai was of Jewish descent, Haman would not overcome him, but would surely fall before him. While they were still speaking, the king’s eunuchs came and quickly brought Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.
Read the selected verses together, pausing at “The King Honours Mordecai”. Use the source reading below and check the explanation against the words of the passage.
Esther 5:9, Esther 5:10, Esther 5:14, Esther 6:2, Esther 6:1, Esther 6:3, Esther 6:13, Esther 6:14
Discuss the details and their meaning
6 minUse the three questions below. Begin with ““Haman boasted about his riches, his many children, how greatly the king had promoted him, and how Esther had invited only him to the banquet with the king, and again for the next day.” Which details explain how the account reaches this point?” and allow time to find the supporting verses. A proud plan against Mordecai is suddenly turned upside down in the king’s court. Ask learners to explain which details support their answer and to identify a question they would like to explore further.
Esther 5:11, Esther 6:14, Esther 5:14, Esther 6:2, Esther 6:1, Esther 6:3, Esther 6:13
Make and respond: Story sequence booklet
9 minWork on “The King Honours Mordecai: Story sequence booklet”. Follow the materials and steps below, using “The King Honours Mordecai” as reading headings. Each learner should include at least two accurate details and their verse references. Share one observation from the finished sheet and explain how it connects with the central teaching.
Esther 5:9, Esther 6:5, Esther 6:14
Closing: return to The King Honours Mordecai
3 minRevisit Esther 5:9–6:14. Invite a learner to summarise what the group has learned about The King Honours Mordecai and another to support the summary with a verse. Give learners a moment to complete their response sheet. They can share a question or, if appropriate for the group, join the optional prayer.
Esther 5:9, Esther 6:5, Esther 6:14
Questions to explore
“Haman boasted about his riches, his many children, how greatly the king had promoted him, and how Esther had invited only him to the banquet with the king, and again for the next day.” Which details explain how the account reaches this point?
Haman boasted about his riches, his many children, how greatly the king had promoted him, and how Esther had invited only him to the banquet with the king, and again for the next day. Yet he said all of it meant nothing to him while Mordecai sat at the king’s gate.
Esther 5:11, Esther 6:14, Esther 5:14
How does this moment affect the rest of the account: “That night the king could not sleep.”?
That night the king could not sleep. He ordered the book of records, the royal chronicles, to be brought and read to him. There it was found written that Mordecai had reported Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the door and had planned to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. The king asked what honour had been given to Mordecai for this,…
Esther 6:2, Esther 6:1, Esther 6:3
“Zeresh and his wise men said that if Mordecai was of Jewish descent, Haman would not overcome him, but would surely fall before him.” How does this ending connect with the beginning?
Zeresh and his wise men said that if Mordecai was of Jewish descent, Haman would not overcome him, but would surely fall before him. While they were still speaking, the king’s eunuchs came and quickly brought Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.
Esther 6:13, Esther 6:14, Esther 5:14
Make, think or respond
The King Honours Mordecai: Story sequence booklet
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or pens
- coloured pencils or crayons
Try it together
- Fold a sheet into three panels or draw three columns. Label them “Beginning”, “What changes?”, “How it ends”.
- Read Esther 5:9–6:14. Use “The King Honours Mordecai” as your reading headings and add a short quotation or detail with its verse reference to each panel.
- Talk through your notes with an adult. Add a word, drawing or short quotation that helps you remember each part.
- Retell the account using your three panels, checking the order against the passage.
The finished sheet keeps the details of The King Honours Mordecai connected to their Bible references and gives the group a way to explain what they noticed.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, read the selected verses aloud, prepare the three panels and let them respond with drawings or a few words. Use The King Honours Mordecai as the retelling prompt.
- For older children, add verse references to the response sheet and explain a connection between The King Honours Mordecai and the final part of the reading.
An optional closing prayer
“God, help us listen carefully as we read Esther 5:9–6:14. Help us understand what we have read, ask thoughtful questions and respond with care for others. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Esther 5
9 Then Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he didn’t stand up nor move for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.
10 Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.
11 Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
12 Haman also said, “Yes, Esther the queen let no man come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow I am also invited by her together with the king.
13 Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 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.
Esther 6
1 On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king.
2 It was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were doorkeepers, who had tried to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
3 The king said, “What honor and dignity has been given to Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
4 The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king’s house, to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 The king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman stands in the court.” The king said, “Let him come in.”
6 So Haman came in. The king said to him, “What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” Now Haman said in his heart, “Who would the king delight to honor more than myself?”
7 Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor,
8 let royal clothing be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on, and on the head of which a royal crown is set.
9 Let the clothing and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man whom the king delights to honor with them, and have him ride on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’ ”
10 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.”
11 Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”
12 Mordecai came back to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
13 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.”
14 While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came, and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.
Source passages
Other Scripture references
Esther (Greek) 5:9–6:14