Esther 3:1-6

Haman's Plot against the Jews

1 After these events King Ahasuerus ¹promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha ²the Agagite, and ³advanced him and established his authority over * all the princes who were with him.

2 All the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But ⁴Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage.

3 Then the king's servants who were at ⁵the king's gate said to Mordecai, "⁶Why are you transgressing the king's command?"

4 Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai's reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5 When Haman saw that ⁷Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage.

6 But he disdained * to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman ⁸sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Esther 3:1-6 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

• 1. Esther 5:11
• 2. Esther 3:10; Esther 8:3
• 3. Esther 5:11
• 4. Esther 2:19; Esther 5:9
• 5. Esther 2:19
• 6. Esther 3:2
• 7. Esther 5:9
• 8. Psalms 83:4

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "set his seat"
• [b]. Lit "and prostrated themselves before"
• [c]. Lit "despised in his eyes"
• [d]. Lit "send a hand against"