Esther 3:1-10

1 And after this king Artaxerxes highly honoured Aman of Amadathes, the Bugaean, and exalted him, and set his seat above all his friends.

2 And all in the palace did him obeisance, for so the king had given orders to do: but Mardochaeus did not do him obeisance.

3 And they in the king's palace said to Mardochaeus, Mardochaeus, why dost thou transgress the commands of the king?

4 they spoke daily to him, but he hearkened not unto them; so they represented to Aman that Mardochaeus resisted the commands of the king: and Mardochaeus had shewn to them that he was a Jew.

5 And when Aman understood that Mardochaeus did not obeisance to him, he was greatly enraged,

6 and took counsel to destroy utterly all the Jews who were under the rule of Artaxerxes.

7 And he made a decree in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and cast lots daily and monthly, to slay in one day the race of Mardochaeus: and the lot fell on the fourteenth of the month which is Adar.

8 And he spoke to king Artaxerxes, saying, There is a nation scattered among the nations in all thy kingdom, and their laws differ from all the nations; and they disobey the laws of the king; and it is not expedient for the king to let them alone.

9 If it seem good to the king, let him make a decree to destroy them: and I will remit into the king's treasury ten thousand talents of silver.

10 And the king took off his ring, and gave it into the hands of Aman, to seal the decrees against the Jews.

Esther 3:1-10 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. vote by ballot.