Introduction:
Haman, a central figure in the Book of Esther, is a prominent antagonist in the narrative of the Jewish people during their exile in Persia. His account is a vivid illustration of pride, enmity, and divine justice. Haman's actions and their consequences are pivotal in the celebration of the Jewish festival of Purim.

Background and Position:
Haman is introduced in Esther 3:1 as the son of Hammedatha, an Agagite, and is elevated by King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) to a position of high authority, making him the prime minister of Persia. The term "Agagite" suggests a lineage from Agag, the king of the Amalekites, a long-standing enemy of Israel (1 Samuel 15). This ancestral enmity sets the stage for Haman's animosity towards the Jews.

Conflict with Mordecai:
The conflict between Haman and the Jewish people is ignited by Mordecai, a Jew who refuses to bow to Haman. Esther 3:2-5 states, "All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage." Haman's wrath is not only directed at Mordecai but extends to all Jews in the kingdom, as he perceives Mordecai's actions as representative of the entire Jewish people.

Plot Against the Jews:
In his quest for vengeance, Haman devises a plan to annihilate the Jews throughout the Persian Empire. Esther 3:8-9 records Haman's proposal to King Ahasuerus: "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their laws are different from those of all other peoples, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them." The king, trusting Haman, grants him the authority to carry out this plan, leading to the issuance of a royal decree for the destruction of the Jews.

Divine Intervention and Downfall:
The narrative takes a dramatic turn as Esther, Mordecai's cousin and the queen, intervenes. Through a series of providential events, Esther reveals Haman's plot to the king, risking her own life. Esther 7:3-6 describes Esther's plea: "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and my people as my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated." The king, enraged by Haman's treachery, orders Haman to be hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:9-10).

Legacy and Significance:
Haman's account is a powerful testament to the themes of justice and divine providence. His downfall is celebrated annually during the Jewish festival of Purim, commemorating the deliverance of the Jewish people from his genocidal plot. The narrative underscores the biblical principle that pride and hatred ultimately lead to destruction, while faithfulness and courage are rewarded by God.2001b. Haman -- a Pers. leader serving under Ahasuerus
... 2001a, 2001b. Haman. 2002 . a Pers. leader serving under Ahasuerus.
Transliteration: Haman Short Definition: Haman. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/2001b.htm - 5k

2238. Zeresh -- wife of Haman
... Zeresh. 2239 . wife of Haman. Transliteration: Zeresh Phonetic Spelling:
(zeh'-resh) Short Definition: Zeresh. ... Of Persian origin; Zeresh, Haman's wife -- ...
/hebrew/2238.htm - 5k

The Net Spread
... THE BOOK OF ESTHER THE NET SPREAD. 'After these things did king Ahasuerus promote
Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the net spread.htm

The Net Broken
... 'And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought
him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the net broken.htm

Esther, the Queen.
... About this time the king gave great honors to a man named Haman. He set
him above all his princes, and when the king's servants ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xxxiv esther the queen.htm

Of Querulousness.
... Our discontents are usually such as Ahab's for his neighbor's vineyard, Haman's
for Mordecai's obeisance, Achitophel's for having his counsel rejected. ...
/.../allestree/the government of the tongue/section x of querulousness.htm

Answer to Objections: Signal Instances of Prayer
... When the people were already on the point of perishing under a single decree as
the result of Haman's conspiracy, it was the heard prayer with fasting of ...
/.../origen/origen on prayer/chapter viii answer to objections .htm

Esther
... Presently the whole Jewish race is imperilled by an act of Mordecai, the
foster-father of Esther, who refuses to do obeisance to Haman, a powerful and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/esther.htm

Of the Practice of Piety in Holy Feasting.
... praise God for their deliverance out of Egypt's bondage; or the feast of Purim
(Esther 9:19, 21), to give thanks for their deliverance from Haman's conspiracy. ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/of the practice of piety 2.htm

Man's Misery by the Fall
... of a lion.' Proverbs 19:12. How did Haman's heart tremble, when the king
rose up from the banquet in wrath! Esther 7:7. But God's ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/4 mans misery by the.htm

Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.
... While Esther stands out as the principal character, the whole story turns on the
refusal of Mordecai to bow down to Haman, which would have been to show him ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter xi ezra nehemiah and.htm

Hebrew Captives; Or, Mordecai and Esther.
... It seems also as if some latent fear that Haman, the favorite of the king"younger
than his master, and of vast ambition, might attempt to exert too great an ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/hebrew captives or mordecai and.htm

Purim (5 Occurrences)
... A lot, lots, a festival instituted by the Jews (Esther 9:24-32) in ironical
commemoration of Haman's consultation of the Pur (a Persian word), for the purpose ...
/p/purim.htm - 16k

Pur (3 Occurrences)
... A lot, lots, a festival instituted by the Jews (Esther 9:24-32) in ironical
commemoration of Haman's consultation of the Pur (a Persian word), for the purpose ...
/p/pur.htm - 15k

Gallows (8 Occurrences)
... Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet." This pleased Haman, so he
had the gallows made. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). ...
/g/gallows.htm - 10k

Susa (20 Occurrences)
... The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed. ... A decree
was given out in Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons. ...
/s/susa.htm - 13k

Edict (22 Occurrences)
... Esther 3:12 Then the king's scribes were called in on the first month, on the
thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the ...
/e/edict.htm - 14k

Hanged (36 Occurrences)
... And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made. ... Esther 7:10 So
they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. ...
/h/hanged.htm - 18k

Hanging (82 Occurrences)
... Mordecai on it. Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet." This pleased
Haman, so he had the gallows made. (WEB BBE). Esther 6 ...
/h/hanging.htm - 35k

Shushan (19 Occurrences)
... The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed. ... A decree
was given out in Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons. ...
/s/shushan.htm - 21k

Hang (37 Occurrences)
... Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet." This pleased Haman, so he had
the gallows made. (Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/h/hang.htm - 20k

Decree (82 Occurrences)
... The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed. ... A decree
was given out in Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons. ...
/d/decree.htm - 34k

Who was Haman the Agagite? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Esther in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Mordecai in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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