Esther 3

1 After these events [following these things, subsequent to these matters], King Xerxes [Ahasuerus, the king of Persia] honored [promoted, exalted] Haman [the son of Hammedatha, a descendant of Agag] son of Hammedatha [the father of Haman], the Agagite [a descendant of King Agag], elevating [lifting up, advancing] him to a position [throne, seat of authority] above [higher than, superior to] all the princes [rulers, leaders] who were with him [in his presence, under his authority]. word study 2 All [every single one] the royal servants [officials, attendants] at the king’s [ruler’s, sovereign] gate [entrance, doorway] bowed down [kneeling, prostrating] and paid homage [showed respect, reverence] to Haman [the Agagite, a high-ranking official], because the king [monarch, ruler] had commanded [given orders, instructed] that this be done for him [in his honor, as a sign of respect]. But Mordecai [a Jewish leader, a devout Israelite] would not [refused to, did not] bow down [kneel, prostrate] or pay homage [show respect, reverence]. word study 3 Then the royal [king’s] servants at the king’s [royal, sovereign] gate asked Mordecai, “Why [for what reason, on what account] do you disobey [transgress, violate] the command [commandment, decree] of the king [ruler, monarch]?” word study 4 Day after day [daily, every day] they warned him, but he would not comply [obey, listen]. So they reported it to Haman [the powerful Persian official] to see whether Mordecai’s behavior [actions, conduct] would be tolerated [accepted, allowed], since he had told them he was a Jew [of Judah, a Hebrew]. word study 5 When Haman [a powerful Persian official] saw that Mordecai would not [refused to] bow down [to show reverence, kneel] or pay him homage [show respect, honor], he was filled [completely filled, made full] with rage [intense anger, furious wrath]. word study 6 And when he learned the identity [discovered the origin] of Mordecai’s people [nation, family], he scorned [considered it beneath him, despised] the notion [idea, plan] of laying hands [exerting power, taking action] on Mordecai alone [by himself, individually]. Instead, he sought [planned, plotted] to destroy [annihilate, wipe out] all [every single one, the entire] of Mordecai’s people [the nation of Israel], the Jews [those belonging to Judah, God’s chosen people], throughout [across, in every part of] the kingdom [royal dominion, empire] of Xerxes [Ahasuerus, the king of Persia]. word study 7 In the twelfth [12th, a year of completion] year of King Xerxes [Ahasuerus, a powerful Persian king], in the first [initial, primary] month, the month of Nisan [Abib, a time of new life], the Pur [lot, a means of divination] (that is, the lot) was cast [thrown, determined] before Haman [a powerful adversary] to determine [decide, choose] a day [a specific time] and month [a lunar cycle]. And the lot fell [was cast, came to rest] on the twelfth [last, final] month, the month of Adar [a time of glory and celebration]. word study 8 Then Haman informed King Xerxes [Ahasuerus, the ruler of Persia], “There is a certain people [a nation, a distinct ethnic group] scattered [dispersed, spread out] and dispersed [separated, divided] among the peoples [nations, ethnic groups] of every province [region, district] of your kingdom [royal dominion, territory]. Their laws [customs, regulations] are different [diverse, unique] from everyone else’s [all other people, nations], and they do not obey [keep, follow] the king’s [royal, sovereign] laws [decrees, commands]. So it is not in the king’s [ruler’s, monarch’s] best interest [profit, advantage] to tolerate [suffer, allow] them [to remain, to exist]. word study 9 If it pleases [is good in the eyes of] the king, let a decree [a royal command, a written order] be issued to destroy [to perish, to be lost] them, and I will deposit [pay, weigh out] ten thousand [a multitude of] talents [units of weight or currency] of silver [valuable metal, wealth] into the royal treasury [the king’s storehouse, a place of riches] to pay [to give, to reward] those who carry it out [who do the work, who fulfill the command].” word study 10 So the king [ruler, monarch] removed [to turn aside, take away] the signet ring [a ring or signet] from his finger and gave [to put, set] it to Haman [the adversary] son of Hammedatha [father of Haman, the Agagite’s descendant], the Agagite [descendant of Agag, enemy of the Jews], the enemy [opponent, adversary] of the Jews [people of Judah, God’s chosen]. word study 11 “Keep your money [the silver, payment, or wealth],” said the king [the royal ruler, sovereign] to Haman [the powerful Persian official]. “These people [the nation, a group of individuals] are given [to give, put, or set] to you to do with them as you please [as it seems good, is pleasant, or is right].” word study 12 On the thirteenth day of the first [primary, initial] month, the royal [king’s, sovereign] scribes [secretaries, recorders] were summoned [called, invited] and the order [decree, command] was written [recorded, inscribed] exactly as Haman [the king’s advisor, a powerful Persian official] commanded [ordered, instructed] the royal [king’s, sovereign] satraps [governors, high-ranking officials], the governors [leaders, rulers] of each province [region, district], and the officials [rulers, leaders] of each people [nation, community], in the script [writing, alphabet] of each province [region, district] and the language [tongue, dialect] of every people [nation, community]. It was written [recorded, inscribed] in the name [authority, reputation] of King Xerxes [Ahasuerus, the king of Persia] and sealed [confirmed, authenticated] with the royal [king’s, sovereign] signet ring [a ring or signet]. word study 13 And the letters [written documents, scrolls] were sent by couriers [royal messengers, runners] to each of the royal provinces [king’s jurisdictions, districts] with the order to destroy [annihilate, utterly demolish], kill [slay, put to death], and annihilate [cause to perish, wipe out] all the Jews [people of Judah, Israelites]—young [youth, from infancy] and old [elderly, aged], women [females, wives] and children [little ones, infants]—and to plunder [seize, take by force] their possessions on a single day [one day, a specific time], the thirteenth day of Adar [a time of glory], the twelfth month [a period of completion, fulfillment]. word study 14 A copy [transcript, written document] of the text of the edict [royal command, law] was to be issued [given, published] in every [all, entire] province [region, district] and published [revealed, made known] to all [every, entire] the people [nations, Amaw], so that they would be ready [prepared, skilled] on that [this specific] day [time, period]. word study 15 The couriers [posts, runners] left, spurred on by the king’s [royal person, monarch] command [decree, law], and the edict [law, decree] was issued in the citadel [palace, fortress] of Susa [Shushan, the winter capital]. Then the king and Haman [a powerful Persian official] sat down [dwelled, remained] to drink [feast, indulge], but the city [town, metropolis] of Susa was in [experienced, suffered] confusion [perplexity, turmoil]. word study