CHAPTER 3

(510 B.C.)

HAMANS EXALTATION; AND HATRED OF MORDECAI

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 who were with him (it is believed that Haman was an Amalekite).

²And all the kings servants, who were in the kings gate (government employees, so to speak), bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence (prostration was, in the mind of Mordecai, an act of worship, and it was not proper to worship anyone except God [Rev. 22:9]).

³Then the kings servants, who were in the kings gate, said unto Mordecai, Why do you transgress the kings commandment? (Mordecai seems, at last, to have explained to them what his objection was, and to have said that, as a Jew, he was precluded from prostrating himself before a man.)

⁴Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecais matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew. (Mordecai explained to the palace officials that his not reverencing Haman was not due to discourtesy to Haman, or disobedience to the king, but because he was a Hebrew; that is, he worshipped the One and Only True and Living God.

Refusal to give this homage brought Daniel into the den of lions, and the three princes into the fiery furnace. It may justly, therefore, be assumed from Mordecais statement that he was a worthy companion of Daniel and the three Hebrew children.

In fact, Haman, as stated, was an Amalekite. As such, he was an enemy to God, and Jehovah had sworn to have war with him forever [Ex. 17:16]. Gods enemies were Mordecais enemies, for Mordecai was a servant of God. This fact representing Haman was an added reason why faithfulness to God demanded this seeming discourtesy to Haman.)

⁵And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath (apparently, Mordecais disrespect had not been observed by Haman until the kings servants called his attention to it).

HAMAN PLOTS TO KILL ALL THE JEWS

⁶And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had showed him the people of Mordecai (that they were Jews): wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai (in the mind of this evil man, Mordecai, as a Jew, had insulted him, and the Jews, and that meant all the Jews, would pay the penalty).

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 (this Verse does not mean that twelve months were employed in seeking, by means of the lot, a propitious day for the slaughter of the Jews; it means that the diviners [astrologers] sought for a favorable day, month by month, and at last chose the 13th day of the 12th month as promising success, as outlined in Verse 13).

⁸And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the kings laws: therefore it is not for the kings profit to suffer them (the basic thrust of all of this was a lie; there might be an occasional royal edict which a Jew could not obey, but that was rare; anyway, as long as it didnt hurt the kingdom, the Persians allowed all the conquered nations to retain their own laws and usages).

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 who have the charge of the business, to bring it into the kings treasuries (to pay the expenses of those who would carry out the terrible deed).

¹⁰And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews enemy (this was the royal seal, and gave Haman liberty to do about whatever he desired).

¹¹And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to you (whatever wealth the Jews had, after they were slaughtered, Haman could take that for himself), the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you (you can do whatever you like to these people, i.e., the Jews).

THE DECREE TO DESTROY THE JEWS

¹²Then were the kings scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the kings 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 kings ring (all edicts were in the kings name, even when a subject had been allowed to issue them, as Haman).

¹³And the letters were sent by posts (messengers) into all the kings 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 (the command was explicit, all were to be killed; as stated, this was Satans plan to destroy the possibility of the Messiah being born into the world, Who had to come through the Jewish people and, more specifically, the Tribe of Judah [Gen. 49:10]).

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 (the 13th day of the 12th month, which was March).

¹⁵The posts (messengers) went out, being hastened by the kings 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. (These two, having assigned an entire nation to destruction, proceeded to enjoy themselves at a banquet of wine.

The city of Susa being perplexed had to do with the widespread feeling, among many of other nationalities, that the precedent now being set was a dangerous one. They couldnt see the justice of this, not at all, and were thereby confused.

As well, every time in the Bible that we see alcoholic beverage being used, it is always, as here, in a negative sense.)