Esther 3:1

Esther 3:1

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.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

<< Esther 2:23

Esther 3:2 >>

The name, Haman, is probably the same as the Classical Omanes, and in ancient Persian, "Umana" , an exact equivalent of the Greek "Eumenes." Hammedatha is perhaps the same as "Madata" or "Mahadata" , an old Persian name signifying "given by (or to) the moon."

The Agagite - The Jews generally understand by this expression "the descendant of Agag," the Amalekite monarch of 1 Sam. 15. Haman, however, by his own name, and the names of his sons Esther 9:7-9 and his father, would seem to have been a genuine Persian.

The Classical writers make no mention of Haman' s advancement; but their notices of the reign of Xerxes after 479 BC are exceedingly scanty.

<< Esther 2:23

Esther 3:2 >>

DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.