Esther 3:5 - Forerunner Commentary

Esther 3:5

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.

Verse Comparison: Esther 3:5

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American Standard Version
And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

Amplified® Bible
And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do him reverence, he was very angry.

Contemporary English Version
Haman was furious to learn that Mordecai refused to kneel down and honor him.

Darby English Version
And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, Haman was full of fury.

Good News Bible
Haman was furious when he realized that Mordecai was not going to kneel and bow to him,

King James Version
And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

New American Standard Bible
When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage.

New International Version
When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.

New King James Version
When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman filled with rage.

Revised Standard Version
And when Haman saw that Mor'decai did not bow down or do obeisance to him, Haman was filled with fury.

Young's Literal Translation
And Haman seeth that Mordecai is not bowing and doing obeisance to him, and Haman is full of fury,

New English Translation
When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing or paying homage to him, he¹ was filled with rage.

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