Esther 3:1

1 After these things did HaMelech Achashverosh promote Haman ben Hamdata the Agagi [Num 24:7], and advanced him, and set his rank above all the other sarim (nobles).

Esther 3:1 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 3:1

After these things
After the marriage of Esther, and the discovery of the conspiracy to take away the king's life, five years after, as Aben Ezra observe, at least more than four years, for so it appears from ( Esther 3:7 )

did King Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite;
whom both the Targums make to descend from Amalek, and to be of the stock or family of Agag, the common name of the kings of Amalek; and so Josephus ^F7; but this is not clear and certain; in the apocryphal Esther he is said to be a Macedonian; and Sulpitius the historian says

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 he was a Persian, which is not improbable; and Agag might be the name of a family or city in Persia, of which he was; and Aben Ezra observes, that some say he is the same with Memucan, see ( Esther 1:14 ) ,

and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with
him;
erected a throne for him, higher than the rest, either of his own princes and nobles, or such as were his captives, see ( 2 Kings 25:28 ) . It was the custom of the kings of Persia, which it is probable was derived from Cyrus, to advance those to the highest seats they thought best deserved it: says he to his nobles, let there be seats with you as with me, and let the best be honoured before others;--and again, let all the best of those present be honoured with seats above others ^F9.

F7 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 11. c. 6.) sect. 5.
F8 Hist. Sacr. l. 2. p. 78.
F9 Xenophon, Cyropaedia, l. 8. c. 41.

Esther 3:1 In-Context

1 After these things did HaMelech Achashverosh promote Haman ben Hamdata the Agagi [Num 24:7], and advanced him, and set his rank above all the other sarim (nobles).

2 And all the avadim of HaMelech, that were in the Sha’ar HaMelech, bowed, and paid homage to Haman, for HaMelech had so commanded concerning him. But Mordechai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

3 Then avadim of HaMelech, which were in the Sha’ar HaMelech, said unto Mordechai, Why transgressest thou the mitzvat HaMelech?

4 Now it came to pass, when they spoke yom vayom unto him, and his was a lo shema (not listen) unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordechai’s behavior would be tolerated; for he had told them that hu Yehudi (he was a Jew).

5 And when Haman saw that Mordechai ein korei’a (bowed not), nor to him mishtachaveh (would prostrate, worship [Devarim 5:9]), then was Haman full of chemah (wrath).