Esther 3:1

Esther 3:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
• New International Version (NIV)After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles.
• English Standard Version (ESV)After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.

Context of Esther 3:1

Some time later King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, exalting him and setting his position above that of all the officials who were with him. 2As a result, all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate were bowing and paying homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded. However, Mordecai did not bow, nor did he pay him homage. 3Then the servants of the king who were at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you violating the king’s commandment?”

Esther 3:1 word by word

אַחַ֣ר׀ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה גִּדַּל֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֜וֹשׁ אֶת־הָמָ֧ן בֶּֽן־הַמְּדָ֛תָא הָאֲגָגִ֖י וַֽיְנַשְּׂאֵ֑הוּ וַיָּ֙שֶׂם֙ אֶת־כִּסְא֔וֹ מֵעַ֕ל כָּל־הַשָּׂרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• these thingsדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• did kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ'ăchashvêrôsh 'achashrôsh · AhasuerusH325
• promoteגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431
• Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Hammedathaהַמְּדָתָאmedâthâ' · HammedathaH4099
• the Agagiteאֲגָגִי'ăgâgîy · AgagiteH91
• and advancedנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: exaltH5375
• him, and setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• his seatכִּסֵּאkissê' kissêh · throne: seatH3678
• above all the princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269

Cross-references for Esther 3:1

• Esther 7:6Esther replied, “The oppressor and enemy is this evil Haman!” Then Haman became terrified in the presence of the king and queen.
• Psalms 12:8for the wicked seem to be everywhere, when people promote evil.
• Proverbs 29:2When the righteous become numerous, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.
• Numbers 24:7He will pour the water out of his buckets, and their descendants will be like abundant water; their king will be greater than Agag, and their kingdom will be exalted.
• 1 Samuel 15:8He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag’s people with the sword.
• Esther 1:14Those who were closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. These men were the seven officials of Persia and Media who saw the king on a regular basis and had the most prominent offices in the kingdom.
• Genesis 41:40You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. Only I, the king, will be greater than you.
• Ezra 7:14You are authorized by the king and his seven advisers to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your possession,
• Daniel 6:2Over them would be three supervisors, one of whom was Daniel. These satraps were accountable to them, so that the king’s interests might not incur damage.

Commentaries on Esther 3:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Haman - the Agagite - Perhaps he was some descendant of that Agag, king of the Amalekites, spared by Saul, but destroyed by Samuel; and on this ground might have an antipathy to the Jews. Set his seat above all the princes - Made him his prime minister, and put all the officers of state under his direction.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The name, Haman, is probably the same as the Classical Omanes, and in ancient Persian, “Umana”, an exact equivalent of the Greek “Eumenes.” Hammedatha is perhaps the same as “Madata” or “Mahadata”, an old Persian name signifying “given by (or to) the moon.” The Agagite - The Jews generally understand by this expression “the descendant of Agag,” the Amalekite monarch of Esther 9:7-9 and his father, would seem to have been a genuine Persian. The Classical…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Haman seeks to destroy the Jews. (1-6) He obtains a decree against the Jews. (7-15) Verses 1-6 Mordecai refused to reverence Haman. The religion of a Jew forbade him to give honours to any mortal man which savoured of idolatry, especially to so wicked a man as Haman. By nature all are idolaters; self is our favourite idol, we are pleased to be treated as if every thing were at our disposal. Though religion by no means destroys good manners, but teaches us…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-15Haman's hatred for Mordecai grows into a plan to kill all the Jewish people.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 3:1

• Haman
• Hammedatha
• King
• Minister, Civil

In the dictionaries

• Ahasuerus
• Ahasuerus; Asseurus
• Agagite
• Haman
• Hammedatha
• Aman
• Purim; Pur
• Agag
• Purim

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