Esther 3:1 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.

◄ Esther 3:1 ►

New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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 American Standard Bible
After these events King Ahasuerus honored Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and promoted him and established his authority over all the officials who were with him.

NASB 1995
After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him.

NASB 1977
After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him.

Legacy Standard Bible
After these things, King Ahasuerus magnified Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.

Amplified Bible
After these things King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the officials who were with him.

Christian Standard Bible
After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honored Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He promoted him in rank and gave him a higher position than all the other officials.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honored Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He promoted him in rank and gave him a higher position than all the other officials.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
Later, King Xerxes promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha to the highest position in his kingdom. Haman was a descendant of Agag,

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Later, King Xerxes promoted Haman. (Haman was the son of Hammedatha and was from Agag.) He gave Haman a position higher in authority than all the other officials who were with him.

Good News Translation
Some time later King Xerxes promoted a man named Haman to the position of prime minister. Haman was the son of Hammedatha, a descendant of Agag.

International Standard Version
Sometime later King Ahasuerus promoted Hammedatha the Agagite's son Haman, elevating him to a position above all the other officials who were with him.

Majority Standard Bible
After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.

NET Bible
Some time later King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, exalting him and setting his position above that of all the officials who were with him.

New Heart English Bible
After these things King Achshayarsh promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the officials who were with him.

Webster's Bible Translation
After 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.

World English Bible
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.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
After these things has King Ahasuerus exalted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and lifts him up, and sets his throne above all the heads who [are] with him,

Young's Literal Translation
After 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,

Smith's Literal Translation
After these words the king Ahasuerus magnified Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite; and he will lift him up and set his seat above all the chiefs that were with him.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
After these things, king Assuerus advanced Aman, the son of Amadathi, who was of the race of Agag: and he set his throne above all the princes that were with him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
After this, king Artaxerxes exalted Haman, the son of Hammedatha, who was of Agag lineage, and he set his throne above all the rulers whom he had.

New American Bible
After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, to high rank, seating him above all his fellow officials.

New Revised Standard Version
After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the officials who were with him.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
AFTER these things King Akhshirash promoted Haman the son of Hammadatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And after these events King Akhashiresh exalted Haman, son of Hammadath the Aggagite, and he exalted his throne higher than all the Princes of his people.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And after this king Artaxerxes highly honoured Aman son of Amadathes, the Bugaean, and exalted him, and set his seat above all his friends.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Haman Plots Against the Jews
1After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him. 2All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Esther 2:5-7
Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish. / He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah. / And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter.

Esther 8:1-2
That same day King Xerxes awarded Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai entered the king’s presence because Esther had revealed his relation to her. / The king removed the signet ring he had recovered from Haman and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai over the estate of Haman.

Esther 9:24-25
For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the Pur (that is, the lot) to crush and destroy them. / But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

1 Samuel 15:8-9
He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword. / Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to devote them to destruction, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless.

1 Samuel 15:32-33
Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him cheerfully, for he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” / But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

2 Samuel 1:8-10
‘Who are you?’ he asked. So I told him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ / Then he begged me, ‘Stand over me and kill me, for agony has seized me, but my life still lingers.’ / So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

2 Samuel 3:1
Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was protracted. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

2 Samuel 8:15
Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:

2 Samuel 19:13
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”

1 Kings 2:5-6
Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. / So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.

1 Kings 2:32-33
The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. / Their blood will come back upon the heads of Joab and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the LORD forever.”

1 Chronicles 4:43
and struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped. And they have lived there to this day.

Psalm 83:4-8
saying, “Come, let us erase them as a nation; may the name of Israel be remembered no more.” / For with one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against You— / the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, ...

Daniel 6:3
Soon, by his extraordinary spirit, Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps. So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

Matthew 2:16
When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi.

Treasury of Scripture

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 7:6
And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

Psalm 12:8
The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

Proverbs 29:2
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

Agagite.

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.

1 Samuel 15:8,33
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword…

above all the princes.

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;)

Genesis 41:40,55
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…

Ezra 7:14
Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellers, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;

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Advanced Agagite Ag'agite Ahasuerus Ahasu-E'rus Authority Captains Established Events Exalted Haman Hammedatha Hammeda'tha Higher Honor Honored Honour Lifted Nobles Order Position Princes Promote Promoted Seat Xerxes

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Esther 3

1. Haman, advanced by the king, and despised by Mordecai, seeks revenge upon the Jews.
7. He casts lots.
8. He obtains by false accusations a decree of the king to put the Jews to death.

Berean Study Bible

After these events
This phrase sets the stage for a new chapter in the narrative, indicating a transition from the previous events in the book of Esther. The "events" refer to the happenings in the earlier chapters, including Esther's rise to queen and Mordecai's uncovering of a plot against the king. This transition highlights the unfolding of God's providential plan, even when His name is not explicitly mentioned in the text.

King Xerxes
King Xerxes, also known as Ahasuerus, was the ruler of the Persian Empire during this time. His reign is historically placed around 486-465 BC. Xerxes is known for his vast empire and ambitious military campaigns. In the biblical narrative, he is portrayed as a powerful yet often manipulated figure, illustrating the transient nature of earthly power compared to God's sovereignty.

honored Haman
The Hebrew root for "honored" is "gadal," which means to make great or promote. Haman's elevation is significant, as it sets the stage for the conflict that will arise. This honor bestowed upon Haman is a reminder of how human recognition can be fleeting and often misaligned with divine justice.

son of Hammedatha the Agagite
Haman's lineage is crucial to understanding the depth of the conflict in the story. The term "Agagite" links Haman to Agag, the king of the Amalekites, who were long-standing enemies of Israel (1 Samuel 15). This historical enmity adds a layer of tension and foreshadows the spiritual battle between God's people and their adversaries.

elevating him
The act of elevating Haman signifies a shift in power dynamics within the Persian court. The Hebrew word "nasa" implies lifting or raising up. This elevation is a test of character, both for Haman and for those around him, and serves as a reminder that God ultimately controls the rise and fall of leaders.

giving him a seat of honor
A "seat of honor" in ancient Near Eastern culture was a symbol of authority and prestige. This phrase underscores the high status Haman achieved, which would have been visible to all in the court. It serves as a contrast to the humble beginnings of Esther and Mordecai, highlighting the theme of reversal that is central to the book.

higher than that of all the other officials
This phrase emphasizes the extent of Haman's power and influence, surpassing all other officials. It sets the stage for the impending conflict, as Haman's pride and ambition will clash with the faithfulness of Mordecai and Esther. This hierarchy reflects the world's values, which often stand in opposition to God's kingdom principles, where the last shall be first (Matthew 20:16).

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

III.

(1) Haman . . . the Agagite.--Nothing appears to be known of Haman save from this book. His name, as well as that of his father and his sons, is Persian; and it is thus difficult to see the meaning of the name Agagite. which has generally been assumed to imply descent from Agag, king of the Amalekites, with whom the name Agag may have been dynastic (Numbers 24:7; 1Samuel 15:8). Thus Josephus (Ant. xi. 6. 5) and the Chaldee Targum call him an Amalekite. But apart from the difficulty of the name being Persian, it is hard to see how, after the wholesale destruction of Amalek recorded in 1 Samuel 15, any members should have been left of the kingly family, maintaining a distinct tribal name for so many centuries. In one of the Greek Apocryphal additions to Esther (after Esther 9:24) Haman is called a Macedonian.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 1. - After these things. Probably some years after - about B.C. 476 or 475. Haman, the son of Hammedatha. "Haman" is perhaps Umanish, the Persian equivalent of the Greek Eumenes. "Hammedatha" has been explained as "given by the moon" (Mahadata), the initial h being regarded as the Hebrew article. But this mixture of languages is not probable. The Agagite. The Septuagint has Βουγαῖος, "the Bugaean." Both terms are equally inexplicable, with our present knowledge; but most probably the term used was a local one, marking the place of Haman's birth or bringing up. A reference to descent from the Amalekite king Agag (Joseph., 'Ant. Jud.,' 11:6, § 5) is scarcely possible.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

After
אַחַ֣ר ׀ (’a·ḥar)
Adverb
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

these
הָאֵ֗לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

events,
הַדְּבָרִ֣ים (had·də·ḇā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

King
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

Xerxes
אֲחַשְׁוֵר֜וֹשׁ (’ă·ḥaš·wê·rō·wōš)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 325: Ahasuerus -- king of Persia

honored
גִּדַּל֩ (gid·dal)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1431: To grow up, become great

Haman
הָמָ֧ן (hā·mān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2001: Haman -- to rage, be turbulent

son
בֶּֽן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Hammedatha,
הַמְּדָ֛תָא (ham·mə·ḏā·ṯā)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4099: Hammedatha including the article

the Agagite,
הָאֲגָגִ֖י (hā·’ă·ḡā·ḡî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 91: Agagite -- a descriptive term for Haman

elevating him
וַֽיְנַשְּׂאֵ֑הוּ (way·naś·śə·’ê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

to a position
כִּסְא֔וֹ (kis·’ōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3678: Seat of honor, throne

above
מֵעַ֕ל (mê·‘al)
Preposition-m
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the princes
הַשָּׂרִ֖ים (haś·śā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

who
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

[were] with him.
אִתּֽוֹ׃ (’it·tōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

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OT History: Esther 3:1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman (Est Esth. Es)