Esther 3:5

_THEN THE KING'S SERVANTS, WHICH WERE IN THE KING'S GATE, SAID UNTO MORDECAI, WHY TRANSGRESSEST THOU THE KING'S COMMANDMENT?_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-6 Mordecai refused to reverence Haman. The religion of a Jew forbade him to give honours to any mortal man which savoured of idolatry, especially to so wicked a man as Haman. By nature all are idolaters; self is our favourite idol, we are pleased to be treated as if every thing were at our disposal. Though religion by no means destroys good manners, but teaches us to render honour to whom honour is due, yet by a citizen of Zion, not only in his heart, but in his eyes, such a vile person as Haman was, is contemned, Psalms 15:4. The true believer cannot obey edicts, or conform to fashions, which break the law of God. He must obey God rather than man, and leave the consequences to him. Haman was full of wrath. His device was inspired by that wicked spirit, who has been a murderer from the beginning; whose enmity to Christ and his church, governs all his children....

EXPOSITION MORDECAI, BY WANT OF RESPECT, OFFENDS HAMAN, AHASUERUS' CHIEF MINISTER. HAMAN, IN REVENGE, RESOLVES TO DESTROY THE ENTIRE NATION OF THE JEWS (Esther 3:1). A break, probably of some years, separates Esther 2:1. from Esther 3:1. In the interval a new and important event has occurred a new character has made appearance upon the scene. Haman,

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....

HAMAN AND HIS WICKED PLOT CHAPTER 3 _ 1. The promotion of Haman and Mordecai's faithfulness (Esther 3:1)_ 2. Haman's proposal and the King's assent (Esther 3:7) 3. The proclamation of death (Esther 3:12) Esther 3:1. How long after these things the history of this chapter came to pass is not definitely stated. It probably happened after a short interval. We are now introduced to Haman, the Son of Hammedatha the Agagite. Him the king promoted and set his seat above all the princes. The tracing of this man's name is of interest. Its meaning is “A magnificent one.” Philologists derive it from the Persian god Haoma or

ESTHER 3. HAMAN, TO AVENGE A SLIGHT PUT ON HIM BY MORDECAI, PERSUADES THE KING TO ORDER A MASSACRE OF THE JEWS. The Grand Vizier Haman, Heb. calls a descendant of that mysterious people, the Amalekites, and even of their king Agag (1 Samuel 15). To suppose that the word Agag really means Gog, and to gather that we have here a sting for the memory of the Scythians, is a rather helpless device. The Heb. writer seems to have wished to avoid saying that Haman was a Macedonian, _i.e._ a Syrian. In ch. 8 LXX says he was so. Perhaps that was dangerous politics: those were the nations of the bloodthirsty Alexander and Antiochus. Haman, in his jealousy of Mordecai, would murder every Jewish man, woman, and child. Here is horrible blood-thirst, but it is Gentile blood-thirst. It is not Jewish, and it passes comprehension why this ferocious character of Haman has been so often attributed to the Jew...

III. Perverseness of Haman, Chapter 3 A. Scorn of Mordecai TEXT: Esther 3:1-6 1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. 2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence. 3 Then the king's servants, that were in the king's gate said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment? 4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence, then

HAMAN'S REVENGEFUL DESIGN AGAINST THE JEWS 1. The Agagite] It has been suggested that the name is an epithet meant to recall the Amalekite Agag hewn in pieces by Samuel (1 Samuel 15:33), and intended to indicate contempt and abhorrence....

GOD IS IN CONTROL Book of Esther _ROBERT BRYCE_ CHAPTER 3 V1 Some time later, King Xerxes rewarded Haman. Haman was from the family of Agag and his father was Hammedatha. The king gave more authority to Haman than to any of the other important people. Verse 1 In Chapter 2, we learned that Mordecai saved the king’s life. In Chapter 6, we shall read that the king did not reward Mordecai until much later. Chapter 3 starts with the news that King Xerxes rewarded Haman. The king made Haman very important. We do not know why the king rewarded Haman. Haman was from the family of Agag. Agag had been the king of the people called Amalekites. Mordecai was from the family of a man called Kish. Kish was also the name of King Saul’s father. The Amalekites were the enemies of King Saul. (See 1 Samuel

וַ יַּ֣רְא הָמָ֔ן כִּי ־אֵ֣ין מָרְדֳּכַ֔י כֹּרֵ֥עַ וּ מִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה לֹ֑ו וַ יִּמָּלֵ֥א הָמָ֖ן חֵמָֽה׃