Harbona חַרְבוֹנָא

Harbona appears again in Est.7.9, this time playing a crucial role in the downfall of Haman, the villain in the book of Esther. Haman, the king's highest official, had plotted to destroy all the Jews in the Persian Empire due to his hatred for Mordecai, Esther's cousin and guardian. During a banquet that Esther had prepared for the king and Haman, Esther revealed Haman's evil plot and pleaded for the lives of her people. The king, furious with Haman, stepped out into the palace garden. At this moment, Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, spoke up and informed the king about the gallows that Haman had prepared for Mordecai, who had previously saved the king's life by exposing a plot against him. Harbona's timely intervention sealed Haman's fate, as the king ordered Haman to be hanged on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai. This turn of events led to the deliverance of the Jews and the elevation of Mordecai to a high position in the Persian court. Harbona's actions demonstrate the significance of speaking truth to power and the role that seemingly minor characters can play in God's providential plan.