Esther 7:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Persian king, proud and ruthless in spirit, deemed it fitting to extend favor to the one who had alerted him to a plot against his life, liberating a people from oppression and rescuing them from ruin. However, he showed no mercy to the advisor who had led him astray and commanded him to be executed by crucifixion, despite the advisor being second in command and esteemed among his peers, for the king believed he had been dishonored by such treacherous counsel. See: Esth. 6:3-11; 7:9-10.

The specifics surrounding Haman's execution are not entirely evident from the Hebrew text of Esther. The Hebrew phrase "vaittelu al ha-ez" can be interpreted as either hung on a tree or extended upon a tree (2 Sam. 18:10, Job 26:7, Nav. 8:29, Nav. 10:26), and it may also be understood as crucified on a tree. This latter interpretation, potentially clarified by Jewish tradition, was supported by Josephus Flavius who referred to Haman’s execution as "εκ σταυρου κρεμασθεντα οποθανειν." Such a method of execution was prevalent among the Persians, noted by both ancient Biblical and secular historians (1 Ezra 6:11), as well as documented in the cuneiform inscriptions of Persian kings.