Esther 3:7-9

7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on^[a] the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents^[b] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”

Esther 3:7-9 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.

Cross References

• 1. Esther 9:24,26
• 2. S Leviticus 16:8; S 1 Samuel 10:21
• 3. ver 13; Ezra 6:15; Esther 9:19
• 4. Acts 16:20-21
• 5. Jeremiah 29:7; Daniel 6:13
• 6. Ezra 4:15
• 7. Esther 7:4

Footnotes

• [a]. Septuagint; Hebrew does not have "And the lot fell on."
• [b]. That is, about 375 tons or about 340 metric tons