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 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 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. 2And all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. 3Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress 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 7:6And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!” So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
• Psalms 12:8The wicked prowl on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
• Proverbs 29:2When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.
• Numbers 24:7He shall pour water from his buckets, And his seed shall be in many waters. “His king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.
• 1 Samuel 15:8He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
• Esther 1:14those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who had access to the king’s presence, and who ranked highest in the kingdom):
• Genesis 41:40You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
• Ezra 7:14And whereas you are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand;
• Daniel 6:2and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no 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