Esther Chapter 3 — Haman's Plot Against the Jews
King Ahasuerus promotes Haman, who becomes enraged when Mordecai refuses to bow to him. Haman then convinces the king to issue a decree to destroy all Jews throughout the Persian Empire.
1After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.
2All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage.
3Then the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s commandment?”
4Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn’t listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.
5When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow down nor pay him homage, Haman was full of wrath.
6But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai’s people.
7In the first month, which 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, and chose the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
8Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different from other people’s. They don’t keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit to allow them to remain.
9If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents*A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
10The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.
11The king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
12Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s local governors, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.
13Letters were sent by couriers 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 on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
14A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.
15The couriers went out in haste by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was perplexed.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Esther 3:2
“All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage.”
This verse establishes the central conflict of the chapter and Mordecai's refusal to compromise his convictions.
Esther 3:13
“Letters were sent by couriers 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 on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions.”
This verse describes the severity of the decree issued by Haman and the king against the Jewish people.
Chapter Summary
In Esther Chapter 3, King Ahasuerus elevates Haman to a high position, commanding all servants to bow before him. Mordecai, a Jew, refuses to obey this command, citing his heritage as the reason. Infuriated by this defiance, Haman decides to target not just Mordecai, but all Jewish people throughout the Persian Empire. He casts lots, known as Pur, to determine the timing for their destruction. Haman approaches the king, describing the Jews as a people with distinct laws who do not follow the king's commands, and offers a massive sum of silver to the royal treasury for their elimination. The king agrees, giving Haman his signet ring to seal the decree. Letters are dispatched to every province, ordering the slaughter of all Jews and the seizure of their property on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. While the king and Haman celebrate, the city of Susa is left in a state of confusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
The text states that Mordecai did not bow because he had told the king's servants that he was a Jew. This indicates his refusal was tied to his religious identity and heritage, which ultimately led to Haman's wrath.
Haman convinced King Ahasuerus to issue a decree that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—should be killed on a single day. He also arranged for their possessions to be plundered following their destruction.
The month of Adar was chosen by casting lots, or 'Pur,' to determine when Haman's decree would be carried out. The decree specified the thirteenth day of this twelfth month for the planned attack across the empire.
Study Note
The mention of Haman as an 'Agagite' connects him to the ancient Amalekite king Agag, signaling a long-standing historical rivalry between his people and the Israelites.
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