Esther 3

Esther 3 is the third chapter of Esther and the point at which the story's conflict begins. In Esther 2, Esther became queen, and Mordecai saved the king by exposing a plot against his life. This chapter does not go on to tell of Mordecai being rewarded for that service. Instead, Haman rises to high office, and the entire Jewish people is placed in peril.

Outline

• Verses 1–6 King Ahasuerus sets Haman the Agagite above all the princes. The king's servants at the palace gate bow and do reverence to Haman, but Mordecai does not, and he discloses that he is a Jew. When Haman learns of this, he is filled with wrath and seeks to destroy not Mordecai alone but his entire people.
• Verse 7 In the first month, Nisan, in the king's twelfth year, Pur, that is, the lot, is cast before Haman. The lot falls on the twelfth month, Adar.
• Verses 8–11 Haman tells the king that a certain people whose laws differ from those of all others is scattered throughout the provinces, and he requests a decree for their destruction. In return he offers to pay ten thousand talents of silver. The king takes the ring from his hand, gives it to Haman, and tells him to do as he sees fit.
• Verses 12–15 On the thirteenth day of the first month, the decree is written in the script of each province and the language of each people and sealed with the king's ring. It orders that on a single day, the thirteenth of Adar, all the Jews be killed and their goods taken as plunder, and couriers carry it to every province. The king and Haman sit down to drink, while the city of Shushan is thrown into confusion.

Key Verses

• Esther 3:2 "But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence." — The conflict of the entire book begins with this refusal.
• Esther 3:7 "They cast Pur, that is, the lot" — This later becomes the source of the name Purim (Esther 9:26).
• Esther 3:15 "And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed." — The verse contrasts the ease of those in power with the turmoil of the people.

Characters and Places

• Ahasuerus: King of Persia, commonly identified with Xerxes I.
• Haman: An Agagite. The text calls him "the Jews' enemy."
• Hammedatha: Haman's father.
• Mordecai: A Jew descended from Kish, a Benjamite. He is Esther's cousin and the one who raised her (Esther 2:5–7).
• Shushan (Susa): The capital city where the king of Persia resided.

Points for Reflection

• Why Mordecai refused to bow: The text does not give a reason; it says only that Mordecai told them he was a Jew. Prostration before high officials is known to have been a common custom in Persia, so there is disagreement over whether the refusal should be understood simply as a matter of idolatry. Many interpreters note that Haman is an "Agagite" while Mordecai is a descendant of Kish. They therefore read this chapter against the background of 1 Samuel 15, in which Saul spared Agag king of the Amalekites, and of the long-standing hostility with Amalek. Later Jewish tradition sometimes adds explanations not found in the text, and these should be distinguished from what the text itself says.
• The date: The decree was written on the thirteenth of Nisan, the day before Passover (the fourteenth of Nisan). Some interpreters observe that the crisis struck on the eve of the feast commemorating deliverance.
• The Greek additions: The Septuagint version of Esther contains material not found in the Hebrew text, including the full text of the decree after 3:13. The Catholic and Orthodox churches include these additions in Scripture, while Protestants follow the Hebrew text.
• The word "God" does not appear anywhere in the book of Esther, nor does the New Testament quote the book of Esther directly.