Esther 9:24

24 Because Haman ben Hamdata, the Agagi, the tzorer kol HaYehudim, had devised against the Yehudim to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the goral (lot), to utterly defeat them, and to destroy them;

Esther 9:24 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 9:24

Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of
all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them
Had formed a design to exterminate them from the whole Persian empire in one day:

and had cast Pur, (that is, the lot,) to consume them, and to destroy
them;
had cast lots to find out what would be the most lucky day in the year for him to do it on, and the most unlucky and unfortunate to the Jews; and, according to the lot, the thirteenth of Adar was pitched upon; this and the following verse give the reasons for observing the above two days as festivals.

Esther 9:24 In-Context

22 As the yamim wherein the Yehudim got relief from their oyvim, and the month which was turned unto them from yagon (sorrow) to simcha (joy), and from evel (mourning) into yontef; that they should make them yemei mishteh v’simcha, and of sending presents one to another, and mattanot (gifts) to the evyon (needy, poor).

23 And the Yehudim undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordechai had written unto them;

24 Because Haman ben Hamdata, the Agagi, the tzorer kol HaYehudim, had devised against the Yehudim to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the goral (lot), to utterly defeat them, and to destroy them;

25 But when Ester came before HaMelech, he commanded by hasefer that his wicked machashevah, which he devised against the Yehudim, should return upon his own head, and that he and his banim should be hanged on the etz.

26 Wherefore they called these yamim Purim after the shem of the Pur. Therefore for all the words of this iggeret (letter), and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had happened unto them,