Esther 3:1-6

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.

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.