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Esther 3:1
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Haman’s Conspiracy Against the Jews

1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the aAgagite, and badvanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.  
2 And all the king’s servants who were awithin the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bwould not bow or pay homage.  
3 Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the aking’s command?”  
4 Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai adid not bow or pay him homage, Haman was bfilled with wrath.  
6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman asought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.  
7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, athey cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the2 month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.  
8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; atheir laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain.  
9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
10 So the king atook bhis signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the cenemy of the Jews.  
11 And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”
12 aThen the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province baccording to its script, and to every people in their language. cIn the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring.  
13 And the letters were asent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, bin one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and cto plunder their possessions.  
14 aA copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day.  
15 The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in1 Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but athe city of Shushan was perplexed. 
Book Notes:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Book Notes

Esther

ESTHER derives its name from the Jewess, who, having become wife of the king of Persia, employed her royal influence to effect a memorable deliverance for the persecuted Church of God. Various opinions are embraced and supported as to the authorship of this book, some ascribing it to Ezra, to Nehemiah, or to Mordecai. The preponderance of authorities is in favor of the last. The historical character of the book is undoubted, since, besides many internal evidences, its authenticity is proved by the strong testimony of the feast of Purim, the celebration of which can be traced up to the events which are described in this book. Its claim, however, to canonical authority has been questioned on the ground that the name of God does not once occur in it. But the uniform tradition both of the Jewish and the Christian Churches supports this claim, which nothing in the book tends to shake; while it is a record of the superintending care of divine providence over his chosen people, with which it is of the utmost importance the Church should be furnished. The name of God is strangely enough omitted, but the presence of God is felt throughout the history; and the whole tone and tendency of the book is so decidedly subservient to the honor of God and the cause of true religion that it has been generally received by the Church in all ages into the sacred canon.

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