Esther 3

KJV · Chapter 3/10

¹After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

²And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

³Then the king’s servants, which were in the king’s gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king’s commandment?

⁴Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

⁵And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

⁶And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

⁷In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

⁸And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.

⁹If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.

¹⁰And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.

¹¹And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.

¹²Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring.

¹³And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

¹⁴The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.

¹⁵The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Haman, a high official of the king, is promoted and demands that everyone bow down to him. Mordecai refuses, because he is a Jew, which enrages Haman, who plots not only to kill Mordecai but to exterminate all the Jews in the empire.

Explanation

Mordecai's refusal to bow was likely tied to the Jewish conviction against giving honor that bordered on idolatrous worship of a human being. Haman's reaction is disproportionate and reveals deep hatred: instead of taking revenge on Mordecai alone, he schemes to exterminate an entire people, obtaining, through manipulation and bribery, a royal decree authorizing the massacre. The use of the 'pur' (lot) to choose the date of the killing gives its name to the feast of Purim, still celebrated by Jews today. This chapter shows how personal prejudice can rapidly escalate into systemic violence when leaders hold too much power and too little accountability.

Fun facts

Haman is identified as an 'Agagite,' a reference to the lineage of King Agag of the Amalekites, ancient historic enemies of Israel since the days of Moses and King Saul—suggesting a very old ethnic hostility behind the conflict.
The word 'pur,' meaning 'lot' in ancient Persian, gave rise to the name of the Jewish feast of Purim, celebrated to this day in memory of the deliverance told in this book.

Verse-by-verse explanation

Esther 3:1Haman is promoted by the king to a position above all the other princes, and the order goes out that everyone must bow before him. Mordecai refuses to pay this reverence, which comes to irritate Haman deeply throughout the chapter.
Esther 3:2While everyone bows before Haman by the king’s order, Mordecai flatly refuses, an act of resistance that will trigger the entire plot of persecution against the Jews.
Esther 3:3Mordecai’s colleagues at the king’s gate confront him directly about why he disobeys a clear order from the king himself.
Esther 3:4After repeatedly pressing him without success, Mordecai’s colleagues decide to report the matter to Haman, also revealing that the refusal was directly tied to Mordecai being a Jew.
Esther 3:5Haman reacts with tremendous rage the moment he sees with his own eyes that Mordecai really does refuse to pay him this reverence.
Esther 3:6Instead of taking revenge on Mordecai alone, Haman decides, out of pure wounded pride, to plan the destruction of the entire Jewish people scattered throughout the empire.
Esther 3:7Haman casts “Pur,” meaning lot, to decide in which month and day he would carry out his plan to destroy the Jews, and it is from this Persian term that the name of the feast of Purim is later born. The day of the slaughter is thus decided by a method of divination, not by strategic calculation.
Esther 3:8Haman presents his request to the king in a calculated way, without naming the people, describing the Jews only as a scattered group that disobeys the empire’s laws.
Esther 3:9Haman even offers to personally finance the extermination with an enormous sum of silver, proof of how much personal hatred he was willing to fund out of his own pocket.
Esther 3:10The royal ring, used to seal official decrees, is handed directly to Haman, giving him full power to act in the king’s own name.
Esther 3:11The king does not even ask the name of the people in question: he simply approves Haman’s plan and hands back the offer of silver, leaving the decision entirely in his hands.
Esther 3:12The decree of extermination is officially drawn up and sealed with the royal ring, becoming irrevocable law of the empire, exactly as had already happened with Vashti’s case in chapter 1.
Esther 3:13The decree Haman obtains from the king is sent by couriers to every province, ordering the destruction, killing, and plunder of all Jews, young and old, on a single appointed day. It is the threat that will drive the rest of the book.
Esther 3:14The decree is published nearly a year in advance, giving the enemies of the Jews in every province plenty of time to calmly prepare for the attack.
Esther 3:15While the king and Haman calmly celebrate with drink, the whole city of Shushan is thrown into shock and confusion by news of the decree, a contrast the text draws quite deliberately.