Book of Esther - Chapter 3

Synopsis

Ahasuerus promotes Haman and Mordecai refuses to pay homage, drawing his ire. Haman seeks to destroy the Jews.

Chanting the Megillah

Commentary

(3:1) After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, ...

(RL) Agagite means a descendent of Agag.

(1 Sam 15:7-9) And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. And he took the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag...

Mordecai is a descendent of the tribe of Benjamin, the tribe of Saul.

(3:2) And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman,....

(RL) Rabbi Baruch Epstein

(3:8) Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom.

Haman nevers identifies these people as Jews.

(3:13) Letters ... with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, you and old, ... and to plunder their goods.

(AC) Thus, whoever killed a Jew had his property for his trouble! And thus the hand of every man was armed against this miserable people.

Discussion Questions