Esther 3

New American Standard Bible 2020

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

1AfterH310 theseH428 eventsH1697 KingH4428 AhasuerusH325 1honoredH1431 HamanH2001, the sonH1121 of HammedathaH1992 2the AgagiteH91, and 3promotedH5375 him and 4establishedH7760 his authorityH3678 overH4480 H5921 allH3605 the officialsH8269 whoH834 were with him. 2AllH3605 the king’sH4428 servantsH5650 whoH834 were at the king’sH4428 gateH8179 bowedH3766 downH3766 and paidH2331 5homageH2331 to HamanH2001; for soH3651 the kingH4428 had commandedH6680 regarding him. But 6MordecaiH4782 neitherH3808 bowedH3766 downH3766 norH3808 paidH2331 7homageH2331. 3Then the king’sH4428 servantsH5650 whoH834 were at 8the king’sH4428 gateH8179 saidH559 to MordecaiH4782, “9WhyH4069 are you violatingH5674 the king’sH4428 commandH4687?” 4Now it was when they had spokenH559 dailyH3117 to him and he would not listenH8085 to them, that they toldH5046 HamanH2001 to seeH7200 whether Mordecai’sH4782 reasonH1697 would 10standH5975; for he had toldH5046 them that he was a JewH3064. 5When HamanH2001 sawH7200 that 11MordecaiH4782 neitherH369 bowedH3766 downH3766 norH369 paidH2331 12homageH2331 to him, HamanH2001 was filledH4390 with rageH2534. 6But he 13consideredH959 H5869 it beneathH959 H5869 his dignityH959 H5869 to 14killH7971 H3027 MordecaiH4782 aloneH905, for they had toldH5046 him who the peopleH5971 of MordecaiH4782 were; so HamanH2001 15soughtH1245 to annihilateH8045 allH3605 the JewsH3064, the peopleH5971 of MordecaiH4782, whoH834 were found throughoutH3605 the kingdomH4438 of AhasuerusH325.

7In the firstH7223 monthH2320, whichH1931 is the monthH2320 NisanH5212, in the twelfthH8147 H6240 yearH8141 of KingH4428 AhasuerusH325, 16PurH6332, that is the lotH1486, was 17castH5307 beforeH6440 HamanH2001 from dayH3117 to dayH3117 and from monthH2320 to month, 18until the twelfthH8147 H6240 monthH2320, that is 19the monthH2320 AdarH143. 8Then HamanH2001 saidH559 to KingH4428 AhasuerusH325, “ThereH3426 isH3426 a certainH259 peopleH5971 scatteredH6340 and dispersedH6504 amongH996 the peoplesH5971 in allH3605 the provincesH4082 of your kingdomH4438; 20their lawsH1881 are differentH8132 from those of allH3605 other peopleH5971 and they do not 21complyH6213 withH6213 the king’sH4428 lawsH1881, so it is not in the king’sH4428 interestH7737 to letH5117 them remainH5117. 9IfH518 it is pleasingH2895 to the kingH4428, let it be 22decreedH3789 that they be eliminatedH6, and I will payH8254 23tenH6235 thousandH505 talentsH3603 of silverH3701 into the handsH3027 of those who carryH6213 outH6213 the king’s businessH4399, to putH935 into the king’s treasuriesH1595.” 10Then 24the kingH4428 tookH5493 his signetH2885 ringH2885 from his handH3027 and gaveH5414 it to HamanH2001, the sonH1121 of HammedathaH1992 25the AgagiteH91, 26the enemyH6887 of the JewsH3064. 11And the kingH4428 saidH559 to HamanH2001, “The silverH3701 is 27yoursH5414, and the peopleH5971 also, to doH6213 with them as you pleaseH2896 H5869.”

12 28Then the king’sH4428 scribesH5613 were summonedH7121 on the thirteenthH7969 H6240 dayH3117 of the firstH7223 monthH2320, and it was writtenH3789 justH3605 H834 as HamanH2001 commandedH6680 to 29the king’sH4428 satrapsH323, to the governorsH6346 whoH834 were overH5921 eachH4082 provinceH4082 and to the officialsH8269 of eachH5971 peopleH5971, eachH4082 provinceH4082 according to its scriptH3791, eachH5971 peopleH5971 according to its languageH3956, being writtenH3789 30in the nameH8034 of KingH4428 AhasuerusH325 and sealedH2856 with the king’sH4428 signetH2885 ringH2885. 13LettersH5612 were sentH7971 by 31couriersH7323 to allH3605 the king’sH4428 provincesH4082 32to annihilateH8045, killH2026, and destroyH6 allH3605 the JewsH3064, bothH4480 youngH5288 and oldH2205, womenH802 and childrenH2945, 33in oneH259 dayH3117, the thirteenthH7969 H6240 day of the twelfthH8147 H6240 monthH2320, whichH1931 is the monthH2320 AdarH143, and to 34seizeH962 their possessionsH7998 as plunderH962. 14 35A copyH6572 of the edictH3791 to be 36issuedH5414 as lawH1881 in everyH3605 provinceH4082 was publishedH1540 to allH3605 the peoplesH5971 so that they would be readyH6264 for thisH2088 dayH3117. 15The couriersH7323 wentH3318 outH3318, speededH1765 by the king’sH4428 37orderH1697 while the decreeH1881 was 38issuedH5414 at the citadelH1002 in SusaH7800; and while the kingH4428 and HamanH2001 satH3427 downH3427 to drinkH8354, 39the cityH5892 of SusaH7800 was agitatedH943.

Notes

1. Esther 3:1 Esth 5:11 ↩
2. Esther 3:1 Esth 3:10; 8:3 ↩
3. Esther 3:1 Esth 5:11 ↩
4. Esther 3:1 Lit set his seat ↩
5. Esther 3:2 I.e., great respect and honor to a superior ↩
6. Esther 3:2 Esth 2:19; 5:9 ↩
7. Esther 3:2 I.e., great respect and honor to a superior ↩
8. Esther 3:3 Esth 2:19 ↩
9. Esther 3:3 Esth 3:2 ↩
10. Esther 3:4 I.e., as valid ↩
11. Esther 3:5 Esth 5:9 ↩
12. Esther 3:5 I.e., great respect and honor to a superior ↩
13. Esther 3:6 Lit despised in his eyes ↩
14. Esther 3:6 Lit send a hand against ↩
15. Esther 3:6 Ps 83:4 ↩
16. Esther 3:7 Lit he cast Pur...before ↩
17. Esther 3:7 Esth 9:24-26 ↩
18. Esther 3:7 LXX and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of ↩
19. Esther 3:7 Ezra 6:15 ↩
20. Esther 3:8 Ezra 4:12-15; Acts 16:20, 21 ↩
21. Esther 3:8 Lit do the ↩
22. Esther 3:9 Lit written ↩
23. Esther 3:9 About 375 tons or 340 metric tons ↩
24. Esther 3:10 Gen 41:42; Esth 8:2 ↩
25. Esther 3:10 Esth 3:1 ↩
26. Esther 3:10 Esth 7:6 ↩
27. Esther 3:11 Lit given to you ↩
28. Esther 3:12 Esth 8:9 ↩
29. Esther 3:12 Ezra 8:36 ↩
30. Esther 3:12 1 Kin 21:8; Esth 8:8, 10 ↩
31. Esther 3:13 2 Chr 30:6; Esth 8:10, 14 ↩
32. Esther 3:13 Esth 7:4 ↩
33. Esther 3:13 Esth 8:12 ↩
34. Esther 3:13 Esth 8:11; 9:10 ↩
35. Esther 3:14 Esth 8:13, 14 ↩
36. Esther 3:14 Lit given ↩
37. Esther 3:15 Lit word ↩
38. Esther 3:15 Lit given ↩
39. Esther 3:15 Esth 8:15 ↩

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

Notes

Commentaries on Esther 3