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 saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. 6But he considered it beneath his dignity to kill Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; so Haman sought to annihilate all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were found throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus. In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, that is the month Adar. 8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered 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 comply with the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. 9If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be eliminated, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.”

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

• In the firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
• monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
• whichהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
• Nisanנִיסָןnîysân · NisanH5212
• in the twelfthשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• in the twelfthעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
• yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• of Kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ'ăchashvêrôsh 'achashrôsh · AhasuerusH325
• Purפּוּרpûr pûrîym pûrîym · PurimH6332
• that is the lotגּוֹרָלgôrâl gôrâl · allottedH1486
• castנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• from dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• Adarאֲדָר'ădâr · AdarH143

Cross-references for Esther 3:7

• Nehemiah 2:1And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I picked up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.
• Esther 1:3in the third year of his reign he held a banquet for all his officials and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the officials of his provinces, in his presence.
• Esther 2:16So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
• Esther 9:24For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to eliminate them, and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and eliminate them.
• Proverbs 16:33The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.
• Ezekiel 21:21For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the household idols, he looks at the liver.
• Matthew 27:35And when they had crucified Him, they divided His garments among themselves by casting lots.
• Esther 9:1Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day, when the king’s command and edict were to be put into effect, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it turned out to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained mastery over those who hated them.
• Ezra 6:15Now this temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

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
• Adar
• Abib
• Calendar
• Divination
• Feasts and Fasts
• Nisan
• Pur
• Month

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