Esther 3 (ESV)
Haman Plots Against the Jews
3:1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. 3 Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “ Why do you transgress the king’s command?” 4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. 6 But he disdained1 to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy2 all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur ( that is, they cast lots ) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “ There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them. 9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents3 of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.” 10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “ The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
12 Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king’s satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.
Footnotes
Esther 3 Commentary
In Esther 3, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, who demanded homage from all, but Mordecai, a Jew, refused to bow (Esther 3:1-2). Haman, enraged by Mordecai’s defiance and his Jewish identity, plotted to annihilate all Jews in the kingdom (Esther 3:5-6). In the twelfth year of Ahasuerus’s reign, Haman cast lots to determine the date for this massacre, which fell on the thirteenth day of Adar (Esther 3:7).
He convinced the king to issue a decree to destroy the Jews, offering 375 tons of silver for the task (Esther 3:8-9). The order was written and sent to all provinces, instructing officials to kill Jews of all ages and seize their possessions (Esther 3:12-13). The king and Haman celebrated, while the city of Susa was left in turmoil (Esther 3:15).
Haman: The Villain
When Esther 3 opens, we meet Haman (the villain of the story), and the text wastes no time showing us his character. He is introduced as “the Agagite.” This is not just a random title. This connects him to the ancient Amalekites, Israel’s bitter enemies since the Exodus (Exo 17:8-16). To the Jewish reader, this was a flashing sign. The age-old conflict between God’s people and their enemies was resurfacing.
To make things even more striking, we’re reminded that Mordecai himself was a Benjamite, from the family of Kish. This is the same tribe and lineage of King Saul, who had once failed to destroy King Agag of the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15). In other words, there is more to this story than a personal feud between two men. It was the continuation of a centuries-long spiritual battle.
Haman’s character is quickly laid bare. Promoted by King Xerxes to a place of highest honor, he demanded homage from everyone. When Mordecai refused to bow, Haman’s pride turned to rage. Mordecai’s refusal was rooted in his Jewish identity, and Haman decided the entire Jewish people must be destroyed. That is the nature of pride. It inflates a personal offense into a crusade for destruction. Haman’s hunger for power, honor, and worship shows us the ugliest side of human ambition. He thought he should be treated like a god.
“By official order Haman was now to be paid homage as one second only to the king. But Mordecai refused to bow to a mere man, especially to an Amalekite. The fear of God overcame any fear of man. The law of Moses did not forbid showing due respect to those in authority, but it did forbid the worship of any but God. Eastern monarchs often demanded such worship.”
Believer’s Bible Commentary
A Sinister Plot
From there, the story escalates quickly. Haman casts lots (purim) to pick the “lucky” day for the Jewish annihilation. In his worldview, fate and omens dictated the best timing. But the irony, which the Jewish audience would have caught, is that the lot was not in Haman’s control. Spoiler alert! This was God’s territory (Pro 16:33). What Haman thought was his stroke of destiny would become the very tool God used to reverse his plan.
Haman’s strategy to persuade the king is chillingly clever. Notice, he doesn’t even name the Jews, but describes them as scattered, different, and disobedient to the king’s laws. He mixes truth with exaggeration and outright lies. It follows Satan’s profile. There is just enough truth to make his accusation sound convincing. History shows us this tactic again and again. The devil’s schemes often begin with words that sound true but twist reality (Gen 3:1).
Xerxes, portrayed once again as a king who is easily manipulated, hands Haman his signet ring. This essentially gives him unchecked authority. This detail highlights the dangers of leaders delegating power without discernment. With the decree sealed, the order went out across the empire. All Jews were to be killed on a single day, and their possessions would be plundered. In one of the most haunting contrasts in the Bible, Esther 3 ends with Haman and Xerxes sitting down to drink, while the city of Susa is thrown into confusion and chaos. It is a picture of how the wicked delight in evil. They celebrate destruction while the innocent suffer.
Application
So, what do we learn from Esther 3? We learn that Haman embodies pride, greed, hatred, and a lust for power. He craves worship, manipulates truth, bribes with money, and seeks to destroy God’s people. He stands as a type of all who oppose the people of God throughout history. And yet, his story reminds us that such enemies, however powerful, never have the final word.
For us today, Esther 3 calls us to examine the dangers of unchecked pride and prejudice in our own hearts and societies. Haman used power for destruction. As followers of Christ, we are called to use whatever influence we have for service and love (Mrk 10:42-45). We are also reminded to stand alert against lies and propaganda that dehumanize others. The Jewish people in Persia were scattered and vulnerable, but God’s mighty hand was still with them.
Above all, the passage points us to Jesus Christ. Haman sought to destroy God’s people; Jesus gave His life to save them (Joh 10:10-11). Haman thirsted for honor; Jesus humbled Himself to serve (Phil 2:5-8). Where Haman’s pride brought death, Christ’s humility brought life.
