Esther 3:7

_IN 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._ In the first month ... they cast Pur - that is, the lot х_ PUWR_ (H6332) (Persian), explained in the Hebrew text by _ HAGOWRAAL_ (H1486), a calculus or pebble, here, the lot]. In resorting to this method of ascertaining the most auspicious day for putting his atrocious scheme into execution, Haman acted as the kings and nobles of Persia have always done, never engaging in any enterprise without consulting the astrologers, and being satisfied as to the lucky hour. Vowing revenge, but scorning to lay hands on a single victim, he meditated the extirpation of the whole Jewish race, who, he knew, were sworn enemies of his countrymen; and by artfull

7-15 Without some acquaintance with the human heart, and the history of mankind, we should not think that any prince could consent to a dreadful proposal, so hurtful to himself. Let us be thankful for mild and just government. Haman inquires, according to his own superstitions, how to find a lucky day for the designed massacre! God's wisdom serves its own purposes by men's folly. Haman has appealed to the lot, and the lot, by delaying the execution, gives judgment against him. The event explains the doctrine of a particular providence over all the affairs of men, and the care of God over his church. Haman was afraid lest the king's conscience should smite him for what he had done; to prevent which, he kept him drinking. This cursed method many often take to drown convictions, and to harden their own hearts, and the hearts of others, in sin. All appeared in a favourable train to accompli...

Verse Esther 3:7. _THE FIRST MONTH_] That is, of the _civil_ year of the Jews. _THE MONTH NISAN_] Answering to a part of our _March_ and _April_. _THE TWELFTH YEAR OF KING AHASUERUS_] According to the chronology in our Bibles, about _five hundred and ten years_ before Christ. _THEY CAST PUR, THAT_ IS, _THE LOT_] This appears to be the Hebrew corruption of the pure Persian word [Persian] _pari_, which signifies any thing that _happens fortuitously_. There is an addition here in the Greek text that was probably in the _original_, and which makes this place very plain. I shall set down the whole verse, and give the Greek in a parenthesis, that it may be read consecutively with what is in the Hebrew: "In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twe

IN THE FIRST MONTH ... - i. e. in March or April of 474 B.C. “Pur” is supposed to be an old Persian word etymologically connected with the Latin “pars”, and signifying “part” or “lot.” The practice of casting lots to obtain a lucky day still obtains in the East, and is probably extremely ancient. A lot seems to have been cast, or a throw of some kind made, for each day of the month and each month of the year. The day and month which obtained the best throws were then selected. Assyrian calendars note lucky and unlucky days as early as the eighth century B.C. Lots were in use both among the Oriental and the Classical nations from a remote antiquity. “Adar,” the twelfth month, corresponds nearly to our March. It seems to have derived its name from “adar”, “splendor,” because of the brightness of the sun and the flowers at that time....

EXPOSITION HAMAN CASTS LOTS TO OBTAIN A LUCKY DAY FOR HIS ENTERPRISE, AND OBTAINS A DAY IN THE MONTH ADAR, THE LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR (Esther 3:7). Having determined on a general massacre of the Jews on a given day, as the best mode of ridding the empire of them, Haman thought it of supreme importance, to select for the massacre a propitious and fortunate day. Lucky and unlucky days are recognised generally throughout the East; and it is a wide-spread practice, when any affair of consequence is tak

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. Reland p 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 S

FIRST MONTH That is, April; (Esther 3:12). TWELFTH MONTH That is, March; (Esther 3:13)....

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...

THEY CAST. From 1st Nisan 46 2 Timothy 1 3th Adar 462. PUR. Persian for "lot". The reference is to "the monthly prognosticates" of Isaiah 47:13. This was to fix on. fortunate time. Compare Esther 9:24....