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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire.

Context of Esther 3:1

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. 2All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. 3Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”

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 said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
• Psalms 12:8who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race.
• Proverbs 29:2When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.
• Numbers 24:7Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. “Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.
• 1 Samuel 15:8He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword.
• Esther 1:14and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
• Genesis 41:40You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
• Ezra 7:14You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.
• Daniel 6:2with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss.

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

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