Esther 7

Fraught with anticipation, (leap of the 6th to high C), Haman and the king come to have a cup of tea with the queen.

Esther 7		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַיָּבֹ֤א הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְהָמָ֔ן לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת עִם־אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּֽה	1		And the king and Haman came to imbibe with Esther the queen.	3e	4C	17
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּ֜ר גַּ֣ם בַּיּ֤וֹם הַשֵּׁנִי֙ בְּמִשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֔יִן מַה־שְּׁאֵלָתֵ֛ךְ אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּ֖ה וְתִנָּ֣תֵֽן לָ֑ךְ וּמַה־בַּקָּשָׁתֵ֛ךְ עַד־חֲצִ֥י הַמַּלְכ֖וּת וְתֵעָֽשׂ	2		And the king said to Esther, Even by the second day in the imbibing of the wine, What is your request, queen Esther? And it will be given to you. Or what is your demand? To half of the royal estates? And it will be done.	3d	4C	35 15
וַתַּ֨עַן אֶסְתֵּ֤ר הַמַּלְכָּה֙ וַתֹּאמַ֔ר אִם־מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ ט֑וֹב תִּנָּֽתֶן־לִ֤י נַפְשִׁי֙ בִּשְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔י וְעַמִּ֖י בְּבַקָּשָׁתִֽי	3		And Esther the queen answered and she said, If I have found grace in your eyes, O king, and if to the king it is good, let my very self be given to me at my request, and my people, at my demand.	3e	4C	30 18
כִּ֤י נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמִּ֔י לְהַשְׁמִ֖יד לַהֲר֣וֹג וּלְאַבֵּ֑ד וְ֠אִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִ֨ים וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹת נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ הֶחֱרַ֔שְׁתִּי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין הַצָּ֛ר שֹׁוֶ֖ה בְּנֵ֥זֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ	4	C	For we are sold, I and my people, to be exterminated and to be slain and to perish. If though, as manservants and as handmaidens, we were to be sold, I would have kept silent, for there is no foe considered equal to the affront of the king.	3d	4C	18 30
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה מִ֣י ה֥וּא זֶה֙ וְאֵֽי־זֶ֣ה ה֔וּא אֲשֶׁר־מְלָא֥וֹ לִבּ֖וֹ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת כֵּֽן	5		And the king Ahasuerus said, (and saying to Esther the queen), Who is this he and where is this he, whose heart is filled to do such?	3e	4B	19 18
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר־אֶסְתֵּ֔ר אִ֚ישׁ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב הָמָ֥ן הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה וְהָמָ֣ן נִבְעַ֔ת מִלִּפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ וְהַמַּלְכָּֽה	6		And Esther said, The person who is foe and enemy is this evil Haman. And Haman was alarmed from the presence of the king and the queen.	3e	4C	16 15
וְהַמֶּ֜לֶךְ קָ֤ם בַּחֲמָתוֹ֙ מִמִּשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֔יִן אֶל־גִּנַּ֖ת הַבִּיתָ֑ן וְהָמָ֣ן עָמַ֗ד לְבַקֵּ֤שׁ עַל־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ מֵֽאֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה כִּ֣י רָאָ֔ה כִּֽי־כָלְתָ֥ה אֵלָ֛יו הָרָעָ֖ה מֵאֵ֥ת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ	7		But the king arose in his heat from the imbibing of the wine, to the garden of the mansion, and Haman stood to seek for his very self from Esther the queen, when he saw that the evil was finished for him from the king.	3d	4C	20 33
וְהַמֶּ֡לֶךְ שָׁב֩ מִגִּנַּ֨ת הַבִּיתָ֜ן אֶל־בֵּ֣ית ׀ מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֗יִן וְהָמָן֙ נֹפֵ֔ל עַל־הַמִּטָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶסְתֵּ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הֲ֠גַם לִכְבּ֧וֹשׁ אֶת־הַמַּלְכָּ֛ה עִמִּ֖י בַּבָּ֑יִת הַדָּבָ֗ר יָצָא֙ מִפִּ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּפְנֵ֥י הָמָ֖ן חָפֽוּ	8		But the king returned from the garden of the mansion to the house of the imbibing of the wine, and Haman was fallen on the couch that Esther was on. And said the king, Will he even take control of the queen who is with me in the house? The word goes out from the mouth of the king and the face of Haman is hooded.	3c	4B	52 16
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חַ֠רְבוֹנָה אֶחָ֨ד מִן־הַסָּרִיסִ֜ים לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ גַּ֣ם הִנֵּה־הָעֵ֣ץ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֪ה הָמָ֟ן לְֽמָרְדֳּכַ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר דִּבֶּר־ט֣וֹב עַל־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ עֹמֵד֙ בְּבֵ֣ית הָמָ֔ן גָּבֹ֖הַּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ תְּלֻ֥הוּ עָלָֽיו	9		And Harbonah, one of the eunuchs in the presence of the king, said, Also note well the tree that Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good for the king. It stands in the house of Haman, of stature fifty cubits. And the king said, Hang him on it.	3c	4B	56 11
וַיִּתְלוּ֙ אֶת־הָמָ֔ן עַל־הָעֵ֖ץ אֲשֶׁר־הֵכִ֣ין לְמָרְדֳּכָ֑י וַחֲמַ֥ת הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ שָׁכָֽכָה פ	10		And Haman was hanged on the tree which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the heat of the king subsided.	3e	4B	17 10

Voldemort and Harry Potter - so Mordecai and Haman? two who share a desire for life, but one whose desire is at the expense of 'the other'. (Can we see any of this in the current climate?)

It is the evil that is hung on the scaffold, itself not redeemed but destroyed. If one desires power and another loses thereby, the one who achieves power loses the cooperation and motivation of the other. This can happen in very simple relationships, nothing so complex as politics. But elections and games have a winner. If, however, the winner wins at the expense of the loser, there is no possibility for good governance. The evil of a life that seeks the destruction of the other must itself be destroyed. I can't get around the need for destruction. Haman is not resurrected. Neither is the sin that is destroyed on the cross in the Christian proclamation. If we have died to sin, how can we continue in it? asks the Apostle.

Evil is also a problem to religion in general. It must be faced. It is not something that can be ignored in any complete theological thinking.

Note in verse 9 the florid singing ability of the eunuch and the abrupt dismissal of Haman by the king. 56 elaborate syllables in the first part of the verse before the atnah and 11 after in the dismissal.

And Harbonah, one of the eunuchs in the presence of the king, said, Also note well the tree that Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good for the king. It stands in the house of Haman, of stature fifty cubits.
And the king said, Hang him on it.