3 Good Lessons From Haman’s Family (Pt. 1: His Wife Zeresh)

Many people know about Haman as the bitter antagonist in the book of Esther.

But most people are not typically aware of his family–even though they are actually mentioned BY NAME in the Bible!

In that case, what sort of lessons can we Christians learn from Haman’s family?

That’s what we’re gonna dive into for this brand new blog post series on Learning To Live!

To begin, let’s explore one key Bible lesson from HAMAN’S WIFE:

ZERESH!

Who Was Zeresh?

Zeresh is only mentioned 3 times in the book of Esther and pretty much in the whole Bible.

The first time we’re introduced to Zeresh is in Esther 5:10.

Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh.

(Esther 5:10)

So, all we know of is that Zeresh is Haman’s wife.

But can we still learn any sort of lesson from her?

YES!

To start off on the kind of lesson we can learn from Zeresh, what does her name even mean? What lesson can we glean from it?

What Zeresh Means

The name “Zeresh” means “gold.”

That reminds me of something Solomon wrote in Proverbs chapter 25:

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold

In settings of silver.

(Proverbs 25:11)

I really like how clearer the EXB Bible translation puts Proverbs 25:11–

The right word spoken at the right time is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver ·bowl 

(Proverbs 25:11 EXB)

How does all this fit together? What does all this mean for us?

Well, here’s a question I’d like to ask you.

Did Zeresh–in a way–live up to her name? Were her words like “apples of gold?” RIGHT words being spoken at the RIGHT time?

The Answer Is…

Check out the Bible’s answer to that question in Esther 5:12-14:

Moreover Haman said, “Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along 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 his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.”

And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.

(Esther 5:12-14)

Haman’s wife, Zeresh–along with Haman’s friends–did NOT speak the RIGHT words to Haman at all!

Instead, what Zeresh practically did was say words that only ENCOURAGED Haman’s bitterness against Mordecai.

What sort of lesson can we glean from this and apply to our own lives as modern-day Christians?

Saying It Right

Paul’s words in Ephesians 4 helps us better see the kind of lesson we can glean and apply to our lives from Zeresh:

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 

(Ephesians 4:29)

That word “edification” comes from the Greek word oikodomē (οἰκοδομή). It means “build up.”

For Zeresh, she didn’t speak words to her husband Haman that built him up to stop focusing on Mordecai as the problem, and encouraged him to process his bitterness in a healthier way.

Instead, she spoke words that made the bitterness in his heart even MORE corrupt!

Are we as Christians doing the same thing as Zeresh?

Speaking words, posting words on social media, that are unnecessarily encouraging others around us to breed more corrupt emotions in their hearts?

How To Say It Right

In Matthew 12:34, Jesus said:

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

(Matthew 12:34)

Here in this verse, God makes it CLEAR how to say the RIGHT things and to stop copying after what Zeresh did.

In order to say things that are right, or post words on social media that are right, it all must begin with a heart that is right.

And God promises to give us that right heart in Ezekiel 36:26–

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

(Ezekiel 36:26)

Would you like that kind of heart, dear reader? A heart that spills forth with words that build up others in God’s love and not fleshly corruption?

If so, I wanna encourage you to pray:

I would like to conclude this blog post with a Bible promise you can claim along with the above prayer, so that you can ask the Lord to fill your new heart and mouth with His praise!

Let my mouth be filled with Your praise

And with Your glory all the day.

(Psalm 71:8)

Amen! Maranatha!