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Esther Chapter
Three
New King James Version
(NKJV)
Esther 3:1. After 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.
YLT 1After these things hath the
king Ahasuerus exalted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite
and lifteth him up
and setteth his throne above all the heads who [are] with him
After these
things
....
After the marriage of
Esther
and the discovery of the conspiracy to take away the king's life
five
years after
as Aben Ezra observe
at least more than four years
for so it
appears from Esther 3:7
did King
Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite;
whom both the Targums make
to descend from Amalek
and to be of the stock or family of Agag
the common
name of the kings of Amalek; and so JosephusF7Ut supra
(Antiqu. l.
11. c. 6.) sect. 5. ; but this is not clear and certain; in the apocryphal
Esther he is said to be a Macedonian; and Sulpitius the historian saysF8Hist.
Sacr. l. 2. p. 78. he was a Persian
which is not improbable; and Agag might be
the name of a family or city in Persia
of which he was; and Aben Ezra
observes
that some say he is the same with Memucan
see Esther 1:14
and advanced
him
and set his seat above all the princes that were with him;
erected a throne for him
higher than the rest
either of his own princes and nobles
or such as were his
captives
see 2 Kings 25:28. It
was the custom of the kings of Persia
which it is probable was derived from
Cyrus
to advance those to the highest seats they thought best deserved it:
says he to his nobles
let there be seats with you as with me
and let the best
be honoured before others;--and again
let all the best of those present be
honoured with seats above othersF9Xenophon
Cyropaedia
l. 8. c. 41.
.
Esther 3:2. 2 And
all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid
homage to Haman
for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai
would not bow or pay homage.
YLT 2and all servants of the
king
who [are] in the gate of the king
are bowing and doing obeisance to
Haman
for so hath the king commanded for him; and Mordecai doth not bow nor do
obeisance.
And the king's
servants that were in the king's gate
....
Or court
all his
courtiers; for it cannot be thought they were all porters
or such only that
bowed and
reverenced Haman;
gave him divine honours
as to a deity; for such were given to the kings of PersiaF11Vid.
Salden. Otia Theolog. l. 3. Exercitat. 1. sec. 4
5.
and might be given to
their favourites
and seems to be the case; for
though Haman might not erect a
statue of himself
or have images painted on his clothes
as the Targum and
Aben Ezra
for the Persians did not allow of statues and imagesF12Laert.
Prooem. ad Vit. Philosoph. p. 5
6. ; yet he might make himself a god
as
Jarchi
and require divine worship
with leave of the king
which he had
yea
an order for it:
for the king
had so commanded concerning him;
which shows that it was
not mere civil honour and respect
for that in course would have been given him
as the king's favourite and prime minister by all his servants
without an
express order for it; this
therefore
must be something uncommon and
extraordinary:
but Mordecai
bowed not
nor did him reverence;
which is a further proof
that it was not mere civil honour that was required and given; for that the
Jews did not refuse to give
and that in the most humble and prostrate manner
and was admitted by them
1 Samuel 24:8 1 Kings 1:16
nor
can it be thought that Mordecai would refuse to give it from pride and
sullenness
and thereby risk the king's displeasure
the loss of his office
and the ruin of his nation; but it was such kind of reverence to a man
and
worship of him
which was contrary to his conscience
and the law of his God.
Esther 3:3. 3 Then
the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai
“Why do you transgress the king’s command?”
YLT 3And the servants of the
king
who [are] in the gate of the king
say to Mordecai
`Wherefore [art] thou
transgressing the command of the king?'
Then the king's
servants
which were in the king's gate
....
Observing the behaviour of
Mordecai towards Haman from time to time:
said unto
Mordecai
why transgressest thou the king's commandment?
of giving reverence to
Haman
which they knew he could not be ignorant of.
Esther 3:4. 4 Now
it happened
when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them
that
they told it to Haman
to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai
had told them that he was a Jew.
YLT 4And it cometh to pass
in
their speaking unto him
day by day
and he hath not hearkened unto them
that
they declare [it] to Haman
to see whether the words of Mordecai do stand
for
he hath declared to them that he [is] a Jew.
Now it came to
pass
when they spake daily unto him
....
Putting him in mind of his
duty to obey the king's command
suggesting to him the danger he exposed
himself to
pressing him to give the reasons of his conduct:
and he
hearkened not unto them;
regarded not what they
said
and continued disobedient to the king's order
and disrespectful to Haman
that they told
Haman
to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand;
they informed Haman that
Mordecai refused to give him reverence as the king had ordered; this they did
to try whether such a conduct would be suffered and bore with
and whether
Mordecai would persevere in it when taken notice of:
for he had told
them that he was a Jew;
which was all the reason
he gave why he would not reverence Haman; and a reason sufficient
because
by
a fundamental law of his religion
he was not to worship mere man
but God
only: and this confirms what has been before observed; for this would have been
no reason for refusing civil respect and honour
but was a strong one for
denying religious worship and reverence; and no wonder that the Jews should
refuse it
when even the Grecians
though Heathens
refused to give the Persian
kings the divine honours they requiredF13Herodot. Polymnia
sive
l.
7. c. 136. Justin e Trogo. l. 6. c. 2. Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 1. 21. ; yea
the
Athenians put Timagoras to death for prostrating himself in such a manner to
DariusF14Plutarch. in Artaxerxe
Valer. Maxim. l. 6. c. 3. ; for the
Persian kings were
as Aristotle saysF15De Mundo
c. 6.
called
Lord and God
and said to hear and see all things.
Esther 3:5. 5 When
Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage
Haman was filled with
wrath.
YLT 5And Haman seeth that
Mordecai is not bowing and doing obeisance to him
and Haman is full of fury
And when Haman
saw that Mordecai bowed not
nor did him reverence
....
For
after the information
given him
he observed and watched him
to see whether he bowed and did him
reverence or not:
then was Haman
full of wrath;
exceedingly displeased and
angry; it was such a mortification to him he could not bear.
Esther 3:6. 6 But
he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone
for they had told him of the
people of Mordecai. Instead
Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were
throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.
YLT 6and it is contemptible in
his eyes to put forth a hand on Mordecai by himself
for they have declared to
him the people of Mordecai
and Haman seeketh to destroy all the Jews who [are]
in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus -- the people of Mordecai.
And he thought
scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone
....
That would not be a
sufficient gratification of his revenge; he was too low and mean a person only
to wreak his vengeance on; nothing short of his whole nation would satisfy him:
for they had
showed him the people of Mordecai;
that they were the Jews;
for Mordecai had told the king's servants
that talked with him on the subject
that he was a Jew
and gave that as a reason why he could not and would not
reverence Haman:
wherefore Haman
sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of
Ahasuerus;
even the people of
Mordecai; and that not merely to be revenged on Mordecai
but because he
plainly saw
that both by his example
and upon the same principle with him; they
would all to a man refuse to give him reverence; and therefore he was resolved
to root them out of the whole empire
that he might not be mortified by them.
Esther 3:7.
7 In the first month
which
is the month of Nisan
in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus
they cast Pur
(that is
the lot)
before Haman to determine the day and the month
[a] until it
fell on the twelfth month
[b] which is
the month of Adar.
YLT 7In the first month -- it
[is] the month of Nisan -- in the twelfth year of the king Ahasuerus
hath one
caused to fall Pur (that [is] the lot) before Haman
from day to day
and from
month to month
[to] the twelfth
it [is] the month of Adar.
In the first month
that is the month Nisan
....
Which was the first month
of the sacred year of the Jews
by divine appointment
Exodus 12:2
and
there called Abib
and answers to part of February and part of March; from
hence it is clear this book was written by a Jew
and very probably by
Mordecai:
in the twelfth
year of King Ahasuerus;
four years and near two
months after his marriage of Esther
Esther 2:16
they cast Pur
that is
the lot
before Haman;
being a Persian word
it
is explained in Hebrew a lot
the word signifying "steel" in the
Persian language. RelandF16Antiqu. Heb. par. 4. c. 12. sect. 1.
conjectures that this was that sort of lot called "sideromantia". Who
cast this lot is not said; whether Haman himself
or one of his servants:
perhaps a diviner. The latter Targum calls him Shimshai the scribe:
from day today
and from month to month
to the twelfth month
that is the month Adar;
which answers to part of
January and part of February; so that the lot was cast for every month and
every day of the month throughout the year
to find out which was the most
lucky month
and which the most lucky day in that month
to destroy the Jews in
and none could be found till they came to the last month
and the thirteenth
day of that month
Esther 3:13
the
providence of God so overruling the lot
that there might be time enough for
the Jews
through the mediation of Esther to the king
to prevent their
destruction; so in other nations the Heathens had their lucky and unlucky daysF17Vid.
Macrob. Saturnal l. 1. c. 16. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 4. c. 20. .
Esther 3:8.
8 Then Haman said to King
Ahasuerus
“There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people
in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other
people’s
and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not
fitting for the king to let them remain.
YLT 8And Haman saith to the king
Ahasuerus
`There is one people scattered and separated among the peoples
in
all provinces of thy kingdom
and their laws [are] diverse from all people
and
the laws of the king they are not doing
and for the king it is not profitable
to suffer them;
And Haman said
unto King Ahasuerus
Or "had said"F18ויאמר "dixerat enim"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius
so Patrick.
as some choose to render it; nor indeed is it
likely that Haman should cast lots to know when would be a proper time to
destroy the Jews
until he had got leave of the king to do it:
there is a
certain people scattered abroad
and dispersed among the people in all the
provinces of thy kingdom;
for
though many of the
Jews returned to their own land
on the proclamation of Cyrus
yet others
remained
being well settled as to worldly things
and not having that zeal for
God and his worship as became them
and not caring to be at the trouble and
expense of such a journey
and especially those of the ten tribes; now Haman
through contempt of them
mentions them not by name
only describes them as a
scattered insignificant people:
and their laws
are different from all people;
concerning their diet and
observation of days
and other things; so Empedocles
an Heathen
observesF19Apud
Philostrat. Vit. Apollon. l. 5. c. 11. of the Jews
that they were a separate
people from all others in those things; for he says
"they separated not
only from the Romans
but even from all men; for
having found out an unmixed
way of living
they have nothing common with men
neither table nor libations
nor prayers
nor sacrifices
but are more separate from us than the Susians or
Bactrians
or the more remote Indians:"
neither keep
they the king's laws;
and
no doubt
he had a
special respect to the non-observance of the king's command to give him reverence;
and in like manner the Jews are represented by Heathen writers
as by TacitusF20Hist.
l. 5. c. 4.
JuvenalF21"Romanas antem soliti"
&c.
Satyr. 14. ver. 99.
and others:
therefore it is
not for the king's profit to suffer them;
that is
to dwell in his
dominions; he got nothing by them
and they might be prejudicial to his
subjects
and poison them with their notions; and since they were not obedient
to the laws of the kingdom
it was not fit and equitable that they should be
continued in it.
Esther 3:9.
9 If it pleases the king
let a decree be written that they be destroyed
and I will pay ten
thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work
to bring it
into the king’s treasuries.”
YLT 9if to the king [it be]
good
let it be written to destroy them
and ten thousand talents of silver I
weigh into the hands of those doing the work
to bring [it] in unto the
treasuries of the king.'
If it please
the king
let it be written
that they may be destroyed
....
That is
a law made
signed and sealed
for their destruction
and letters written and sent
everywhere
ordering it to be put in execution:
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 king's treasury;
this he proposed
to
prevent any objection that might be made from the loss of tribute paid by this
people to the king; and this was a very large sum for him to pay out of his own
estate
it being near four millions of our money; it is computed by BrerewoodF24De
Pret. & Ponder. Vet. Num. c. 5. at 3
750
000 pounds; for as to what is
suggested by some
that he intended to repay himself out of the spoil of the
Jews
it may be observed
that
according to the king's letter
they that were
employed in destroying the Jews were to have the spoil for a prey or booty to
themselves
Esther 3:13. Now
this sum of money he proposed not to put into the hands of them that should
slay the Jews
but into the hands of the king's receivers of the dues
that
they might lay it up in the king's treasury or exchequer.
Esther 3:10.
10 So the king took his
signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman
the son of Hammedatha the
Agagite
the enemy of the Jews.
YLT 10And the king turneth aside
his signet from off his hand
and giveth it to Haman son of Hammedatha the
Agagite
adversary of the Jews;
And the king
took his ring from his hand
and gave it unto Haman
the son of Hammedatha the
Agagite
the Jews' enemy.
As a token of his
affection for him
and a mark of honour to him; with the PersiansF23Alex.
ab. Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 1. c. 26. & l. 2. c. 19. for a king to give a
ring to anyone was a token and bond of the greatest love and friendship
imaginable; and it may be this was given to Haman
to seal with it the letters
that were or should be written
giving order for the destruction of the Jews.
It seems as if as yet Esther had not acquainted the king who her kindred and
people were; or it can hardly be thought he would have so easily come into such
a scheme
or so highly favoured an enemy of her people.
Esther 3:11. 11 And
the king said to Haman
“The money and the people are given to you
to
do with them as seems good to you.”
YLT 11and the king saith to
Haman
`The silver is given to thee
and the people
to do with it as [it is]
good in thine eyes.'
And the king
said unto Haman
the silver is given unto thee
....
The 10
000 talents of
silver Haman proposed to pay into the treasury were returned to him
or the
king out of his great munificence refused to take them:
the people
also
to do with them as seemeth good unto thee;
that is
the people of the
Jews; he gave him full power to do with them as he thought fit
and who
breathing revenge upon them
would not spare them.
Esther 3:12.
12 Then the king’s scribes
were called on the thirteenth day of the first month
and a decree was
written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps
to the
governors who were over each province
to the officials of all people
to every province according to its script
and to every people in their language.
In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written
and sealed with the king’s signet
ring.
YLT 12And scribes of the king are
called
on the first month
on the thirteenth day of it
and it is written
according to all that Haman hath commanded
unto lieutenants of the king
and
unto the governors who [are] over province and province
and unto the heads of
people and people
province and province
according to its writing
and people
and people according to its tongue
in the name of the king Ahasuerus it hath
been written and sealed with the signet of the king
Then were the
king's scribes called
on the thirteenth day of the first month
....
The month Nisan
Esther 3:7
after
Haman had leave and power from the king to destroy the Jews
and his ring given
him in token of it; the king's scribes or secretaries of state were called
together on that day
to write the letters for that purpose:
and there was
written according to all that Haman had commanded;
whatever he would have
done; he had an unlimited power to do what he pleased
and he made use of it
and directed the scribes what they should write:
unto the king's
lieutenants
and to the governors that were over every province;
the deputy governors of
the one hundred and twenty seven provinces
Esther 1:1
and to the
rulers of every people of every province;
it seems there were
different people in every province
which had their rulers; and these were sent
to:
according to
the writing thereof
and to every people after their language;
and letters were written
in the language
and character of the language
each people spoke
that they
might be understood by them:
in the name of
King Ahasuerus was it written
and sealed with the king's ring.
All this Haman took care
to have done so early as the thirteenth of Nisan
though the execution was not
to be until the thirteenth of Adar
eleven months after; partly that there
might be time enough to send the letters everywhere
even to the most distant
parts; and chiefly lest Ahasuerus should change his mind
and be prevailed upon
to revoke his grant; and
it may be
either to keep the Jews in continual
dread
or cause them to flee.
Esther 3:13.
13 And the letters were sent
by couriers into all the king’s provinces
to destroy
to kill
and to
annihilate all the Jews
both young and old
little children and women
in one
day
on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month
which is the
month of Adar
and to plunder their possessions.[c]
YLT 13and letters to be sent by
the hand of the runners unto all provinces of the king
to cut off
to slay
and to destroy all the Jews
from young even unto old
infant and women
on one
day
on the thirteenth of the twelfth month -- it [is] the month of Adar -- and
their spoil to seize
And the letters
were sent by post into all the king's provinces
....
Or by the runnersF24ביד הרצים "in manu
cursorum"
Montanus; so the Tigurine version
Drusius
V. L. Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator. ; by which it seems as if these letters were carried by
running footmen
men swift of foot; or rather they were running horses
on
which men rode post with letters
and which the Persians called Angari; a
scheme invented by Cyrus
for the quick dispatch of letters from place to
place
by fixing horses and men to ride them at a proper distance
to receive
letters one from another
and who rode night and dayF25Xenophon.
Cyropaedia
l. 8. c. 43.
as our mail men do now; and nothing could be
swifter
or done with greater speed; neither snow
nor rain
nor heat
nor
night
could stop their course
we are toldF26Herodot. Urania
sive
l. 8. c. 98. : the purport of these letters was:
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;
see Esther 3:7. The
orders were to destroy
by any means whatsoever
all the Jews
of every age and
sex
all in one day
in all the provinces which are here named
that they might
be cut off with one blow: and to take the spoil of them for a prey; to be their
own booty; which was proposed to engage them in this barbarous work
to
encourage them in it to use the greater severity and dispatch.
Esther 3:14.
14 A copy of the document was
to be issued as law in every province
being published for all people
that
they should be ready for that day.
YLT 14a copy of the writing to be
made law in every province and province is revealed to all the peoples
to be
ready for this day.
The copy of the
writing
for a commandment to be given in every province
was published unto
all people
....
Not only letters were sent
to the governors
but a copy
or the sum of the contents of them
was published
by heralds
or stuck up as with us
in various places
that it might be
publicly known by the common people everywhere:
that they
should be ready against that day;
and fall upon the people
of the Jews
and slay them
and seize on their goods as a prey.
Esther 3:15.
15 The couriers went out
hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the
citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink
but the city of Shushan was
perplexed.
YLT 15The runners have gone
forth
hastened by the word of the king
and the law hath been given in Shushan
the palace
and the king and Haman have sat down to drink
and the city Shushan
is perplexed.
The post went
out
being hastened by the king's command
....
Both to set out and make
as much dispatch as possible:
and the decree
was given in Shushan the palace;
by the king
and with the
advice of his courtiers:
and the king and
Haman sat down to drink;
at a banquet which perhaps
Haman had prepared
in gratitude to the king for what he had granted him
both
being highly delighted with what had been done:
but the city
Shushan was perplexed;
the court was agreed
but
the city was divided
as the former Targum says
with the joy of strange
nations
and the weeping of the people of Israel
there being many Jews in the
city; with whom no doubt there were many in connection
through affinity or
friendship
or commerce
that were concerned for them; or
however
were
shocked at such a barbarous scheme; and which they knew not where it would end
and how far they themselves might be involved in it
when once a mob had such a
power granted to them.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Esther 3:7
Septuagint adds to destroy the people of Mordecai in one day; Vulgate
adds the nation of the Jews should be destroyed.
b.
Esther 3:7
Following Masoretic Text and Vulgate; Septuagint reads and the lot fell on
the fourteenth of the month.
c.Esther 3:13
Septuagint adds the text of the letter here.