Esther 3:7

Esther 3:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
• English Standard Version (ESV)In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

Context of Esther 3:7

5When Haman realized that Mordecai would not give him honour, he became very angry. 6But he did not want to destroy only Mordecai. Now he knew that Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy all the Jews who lived in Xerxes' whole kingdom. Haman asked his advisors when would be the right time to make this happen. He asked them in the first month of the year (Nisan), during Xerxes' 12th year as king. Haman's advisors threw dice to decide the right time to destroy the Jews. The dice chose the 12th month of the year (Adar). The dice were called ‘Purim’. 8Then Haman said to King Xerxes, ‘There is a group of people who live in many regions of your kingdom. They have different customs to all the other people. They refuse to obey the laws of your kingdom. It is not good for you to let them live among all the other people in your kingdom. 9If you agree, we should send out a command to destroy them. Then I will give 350 tons of silver to the king, so that your officers can do this work.’

Esther 3:7 word by word

בַּחֹ֤דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן֙ הוּא־חֹ֣דֶשׁ נִיסָ֔ן בִּשְׁנַת֙ שְׁתֵּ֣ים עֶשְׂרֵ֔ה לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֑וֹשׁ הִפִּ֣יל פּוּר֩ ה֨וּא הַגּוֹרָ֜ל לִפְנֵ֣י הָמָ֗ן מִיּ֧וֹם׀ לְי֛וֹם וּמֵחֹ֛דֶשׁ לְחֹ֥דֶשׁ וַיִּפֹּל הַגּוֹרָל עַל־שְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֖ר הוּא־חֹ֥דֶשׁ אֲדָֽר׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In the firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
• monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
• Nisanנִיסָןnîysân · NisanH5212
• in the twelfthעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
• in the twelfthשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• of kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ'ăchashvêrôsh 'achashrôsh · AhasuerusH325
• they castנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• Purפּוּרpûr pûrîym pûrîym · PurimH6332
• the lotגּוֹרָלgôrâl gôrâl · allottedH1486
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
• from dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• Adarאֲדָר'ădâr · AdarH143

Cross-references for Esther 3:7

• Nehemiah 2:1It was the month of Nisan, when King Artaxerxes had ruled Babylon for 20 years. I had the king's wine ready for him to drink. I took it to give to him. He saw that I was sad. I had not been sad in front of the king before.
• Esther 1:3During the third year that he ruled, he gave a big feast for his leaders and officers. The soldiers from the army of Persia and Media came to the feast. The rulers and leaders of the regions in the kingdom also came.
• Esther 2:16Esther went to King Xerxes in his royal rooms in the palace. That happened in the tenth month of the year, called Tebeth. King Xerxes had ruled for seven years.
• Esther 9:24They remembered what Hammedatha's son, Haman, the descendant of Agag, had done. He had been the enemy of the Jews and he had tried to destroy them all. He had thrown dice, called Purim, to choose the day when he would attack them and kill them.
• Proverbs 16:33People throw dice to choose what is right. But it is the Lord who decides the answer.
• Ezekiel 21:21The king of Babylon will arrive at the place where the road goes in separate directions. He will try to decide which way to go. He will use magic to ask his gods to tell him. He will shake arrows in his hands. He will pray to his idols. He will look at the livers of animals.
• Matthew 27:35Then the soldiers fixed Jesus onto the cross. They took his clothes for themselves. They played a game to find out who would receive each piece of his clothes.
• Esther 9:1The 13th day of the 12th month (Adar) was the day when the enemies of the Jews had hoped to attack them. But now the king's new law said that the Jews could fight to keep themselves safe on that day. So the Jews won against their enemies.
• Ezra 6:15They finished building the temple on the third day of Adar month. King Darius had then been king for six years.

Commentaries on Esther 3:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7The 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 pari, which signifies any thing that happens fortuitously. There is an addition here in the Greek text that was…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7In 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-15Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before: Throwing the Purim was like throwing dice. The Hebrews used lots to understand God's will (Leviticus 16:8–10; Nehemiah 10:34). Persian astrologers used purim in the first month of the year to find out which days would bring good fortune.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. In the first month ... they cast Pur, that is, 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 3:7

• Adar
• Babylon
• Lot, the
• Malice
• Month
• Pur

In the dictionaries

• Ahasuerus
• Lot
• Ahasuerus; Asseurus
• Adar
• Abib
• Calendar
• Divination
• Feasts and Fasts
• Nisan
• Pur

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