Esther 3:2-12

2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. 1But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage.
3 Then the king's servants who were 2at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress 3the king's command?"
4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew.
5 And when Haman saw that 4Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was 5filled with fury.
6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, 6they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is 7the month of Adar.
8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. 8Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate them.
9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents[a] of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, that they may put it into the king's treasuries."
10 9So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman 10the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, 11the enemy of the Jews.
11 And the king said to Haman, "The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you."
12 12Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's 13satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, 14to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written 15in the name of King Ahasuerus 16and sealed with the king's signet ring.

Esther 3:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 3

This chapter gives an account of the promotion of Haman, and of the mortification of him by Mordecai, who refused to bow to him, upon which he vowed revenge on him, and on all his people the Jews, Es 3:1-6, for which purpose, through a false representation of them, he obtained letters of the king, and sent to the deputies of all the provinces to destroy them all on a certain day fixed, Es 3:7-15.

Cross References 16

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.