Esther 3:6

Esther 3:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
• New International Version (NIV)Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Esther 3:6

4Now it happened when they had spoken to him day after day and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s reason [for his behavior] would stand [as valid]; for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, he was furious. But he disdained laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were (his nationality); so Haman determined to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who lived throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus. 7In the first month, the month of Nisan (Mar-Apr), in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Haman cast Pur, that is, the lot, cast before him day after day [to find a lucky day to approach the king], month after month, until the twelfth month, the month of Adar (Feb-Mar). 8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered [abroad] and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people, and they do not observe the king’s laws. Therefore it is not in the king’s interest to [tolerate them and] let them stay here.

Esther 3:6 word by word

וַיִּ֣בֶז בְּעֵינָ֗יו לִשְׁלֹ֤ח יָד֙ בְּמָרְדֳּכַ֣י לְבַדּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥ידוּ ל֖וֹ אֶת־עַ֣ם מָרְדֳּכָ֑י וַיְבַקֵּ֣שׁ הָמָ֗ן לְהַשְׁמִ֧יד אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר בְּכָל־מַלְכ֥וּת אֲחַשְׁוֵר֖וֹשׁ עַ֥ם מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he thoughtעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• scornבָּזָהbâzâh · to despiseH959
• to layשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: reachH7971
• handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• on Mordecaiמׇרְדֳּכַיmordekay · MordecaiH4782
• alone; for they had shewedנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• him the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• wherefore Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
• soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• to destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
• all the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
• throughout the whole kingdomמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438
• of Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ'ăchashvêrôsh 'achashrôsh · AhasuerusH325

Cross-references for Esther 3:6

• Psalms 83:4They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation; Let the name of Israel be remembered no more.”
• Revelation 12:12Therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them [in the presence of God]. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you in great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time [remaining]!”

Commentaries on Esther 3:6

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6To destroy all the Jews - In the East massacres of a people, a race, a class, have at all times been among the incidents of history, and would naturally present themselves to the mind of a statesman. The Magophonia, or the great massacre of the Magi at the accession of Darius Hystaspis, was an event not then fifty years old, and was commemorated annually. A massacre of the Scythians had occurred about a century previously.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Haman did not care about justice; he wanted revenge. He was determined to do everything he could to destroy Mordecai, even if it meant wiping out all the Jews.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-151. After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman ... set his seat above all the princes--that is, raised him to the rank of vizier, or prime confidential minister, whose pre-eminence in office and power appeared in the elevated state chair appropriated to that supreme functionary. Such a distinction in seats was counted of vast importance in the formal court of Persia.Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 3:6

• Malice

In the dictionaries

• Ahasuerus
• Mordecai
• Ahasuerus; Asseurus
• Jew
• Scorn

Commentaries on Esther 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings