Haman had no choice but to obey the king’s orders to the letter. While seething inwardly (see Esther 6:12), he publicly bestowed honour on Mordecai, who would have been just as surprised as Haman himself. This event would have surprised everyone who witnessed it, while also giving great encouragement to the Jews. God was already beginning to answer their prayers. Here was clear proof that Haman’s power had its limits.
11 So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”