Hatach

Hathach (UPDV's spelling for Hatach) is a chamberlain in the court of Ahasuerus, appointed to attend on Esther. He appears only in Esther 4, where he serves as the go-between in a four-step relay of messages between the queen and Mordecai outside the king's gate.

Esther's appointed attendant

Esther's first move, when news of Mordecai's mourning reaches her, is to send Hathach to investigate: "Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend on her, and charged him to go to Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it was" (Esth 4:5). The verse identifies him both by office and by his specific assignment to Esther's service.

Carrying messages between Mordecai and the queen

Hathach delivers a sequence of four exchanges. First, he goes out to where Mordecai is sitting: "So Hathach went forth to Mordecai to the broad place of the city, which was before the king's gate" (Esth 4:6). Mordecai gives him the full account, the financial detail of Haman's offer, and a written copy of the decree, with a charge for Esther to act: "And Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the silver that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them. Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to charge her that she should go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to make request before him, for her people" (Esth 4:7-8).

Hathach carries the report back inside: "And Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai" (Esth 4:9). And Esther sends him out a second time with her own answer: "Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai [saying]:" (Esth 4:10). After this, the narrative ceases to track him by name; the relay he started carries on without him.