Esther 3:10

10 The king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi, the enemy of the Jews.

Esther 3:10 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 3:10

And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto
Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
] As a token of his affection for him, and a mark of honour to him; with the Persians ^F23 for a king to give a ring to anyone was a token and bond of the greatest love and friendship imaginable; and it may be this was given to Haman, to seal with it the letters that were or should be written, giving order for the destruction of the Jews. It seems as if as yet Esther had not acquainted the king who her kindred and people were; or it can hardly be thought he would have so easily come into such a scheme, or so highly favoured an enemy of her people.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Alex. ab. Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 1. c. 26. & l. 2. c. 19.

Esther 3:10 In-Context

8 Then Haman said to Achashverosh, "There is a particular people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people; moreover, they don't observe the king's laws. It doesn't befit the king to tolerate them.

9 If it please the king, have a decree written for their destruction; and I will hand over 330 tons of silver to the officials in charge of the king's affairs to deposit in the royal treasury."

10 The king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi, the enemy of the Jews.

11 The king said to Haman, "The money is given to you, and the people too, to do with as seems good to you."

12 The king's secretaries were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month. They wrote down all Haman's orders to the king's army commanders and governors in all the provinces and to the officials of every people, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language; everything was written in the name of King Achashverosh and sealed with the king's signet ring.