Esther 3 · Verse 1

Esther 3:1

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.
Esther 3:1, King James Version

Esther 3:1 in other translations

BSBAfter these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.
WEBAfter 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.
ASVAfter 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.
YLTAfter these things hath the king Ahasuerus exalted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and lifteth him up, and setteth his throne above all the heads who are with him,
DARBYAfter these things king Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
BBEAfter these things, by the order of the king, Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, was lifted up and given a position of honour and a higher place than all the other captains who were with him.
WebsterAfter these things king Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

What does Esther 3:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Es 3:1-15. Haman, Advanced by the King, and Despised by Mordecai, Seeks Revenge on All the Jews.

1. 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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Ahasuerus exalts Haman the Agagite, and commands all his officers to do him reverence, which Mordecai refuses, Est 3:1-3. Haman, informed of Mordecai's refusal, plots his destruction, and that of the Jews, Est 3:4-6. Lots are cast to find out the proper time, Est 3:7. Haman accuses the Jews to Ahasuerus, counsels him to destroy them, and offers ten thousand talents of silver for the damage which the revenue might sustain by their destruction, Est 3:8, Est 3:9. The king refuses the money, but gives Haman full authority to destroy them, Est 3:10, Est 3:11. Letters are written to this effect, and sent to the king's lieutenants throughout the empire, and the thirteenth day of the month Adar is appointed for the massacre, Est 3:12-15. Verse 1 Haman - 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Esther 3:1-6
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 to render honour to whom honour is due, yet by a citizen of Zion, not only in his heart, but in his eyes, such a vile person as Haman was, is contemned, Psa 15:4. The true believer cannot obey edicts, or conform to fashions, which break the law of God. He must obey God rather than man, and leave the consequences to him. Haman was full of wrath. His device was inspired by that wicked spirit, who has been a murderer from the beginning; whose enmity to Christ and his church, governs all his children.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Esther 3:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אַחַ֣ר\׀'a.CharafterH310
הַדְּבָרִ֣יםha.de.va.Rimthe thingsH1697
הָאֵ֗לֶּהha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
גִּדַּל֩gi.Dalhe made greatH1431
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
אֲחַשְׁוֵר֜וֹשׁ'a.chash.ve.Ro.oshAhasuerusH325
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָמָ֧ןha.ManHamanH2001
בֶּֽן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
הַמְּדָ֛תָאha.me.Da.ta'HammedathaH4099
הָאֲגָגִ֖יha.'a.ga.Githe AgagiteH91
וַֽיְנַשְּׂאֵ֑הוּvay.na.se.'E.huand he exalted himH5375
וַיָּ֙שֶׂם֙vai.Ya.semand he placedH7760
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כִּסְא֔וֹkis.'Oseat hisH3678
מֵעַ֕לme.'Al<from> aboveH5921
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הַשָּׂרִ֖יםha.sa.Rimthe officialsH8269
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhoH834
אִתּֽוֹ\׃'i.To[were] with himH854

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Esther 3:1

  • Numbers 24:7

    He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

  • Esther 5:11

    And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

  • Daniel 6:2

    And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

  • 1 Samuel 15:33

    And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

  • Esther 3:10

    And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.

  • Genesis 41:40

    Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

  • 1 Samuel 15:8

    And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

  • Proverbs 29:2

    When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

  • Genesis 41:55

    And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.

  • Ezra 7:14

    Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;

  • Esther 1:14

    And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)

  • Psalms 12:8

    The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Haman, advanced by the king, and despised by Mordecai, seeks revenge upon all the Jews.
7 He casts lots.
8 He obtains by calumniation a decree of the king to put the Jews to death.

A.M. 3551. B.C. 453. promote Haman.
7:6; Ps 12:8; Pr 29:2
Agagite.
Nu 24:7; 1Sa 15:8,33
above all the princes.
1:14; Ge 41:40,55; Ezr 7:14; Da 6:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Esther 3:1

    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.

  • Esther 3:2

    And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

Read all of Esther 3

Esther 3:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		DESPUÉS de estas cosas, el rey Assuero engrandeció á Amán hijo de Amadatha Agageo, y ensalzólo, y puso su silla sobre todos los príncipes que estaban con él.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Après ces choses, le roi Assuérus agrandit Haman, fils d’Hammedatha, l’Agaguite, et l’éleva, et plaça son siège au-dessus de tous les princes qui étaient avec lui;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Nach diesen Begebenheiten machte der König Ahasveros Haman, den Sohn Hammedathas, den Agagiter, groß, und er erhob ihn und setzte seinen Stuhl über alle Fürsten, die bei ihm waren.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Post hæc rex Assuerus exaltavit Aman filium Amadathi, qui erat de stirpe Agag: et posuit solium ejus super omnes principes quos habebat.