The Man the King Delights to Honor

Haman arrives intending to request Mordecai’s execution. Before he can speak, the king asks how to honor the man in whom the king delights. Haman assumes the honor must be for himself and designs an extravagant public exaltation—only to be commanded to perform it for Mordecai.

The reversal is exact and humiliating. Haman plans public shame for Mordecai and instead becomes the herald of Mordecai’s public honor. The royal robe, horse, proclamation, and procession make visible what chapter 2 left unfinished.