Topical Bible: Homicide: The Punishment of Murderers: Haman

◄ Homicide: The Punishment of Murderers: Haman ►

Topical Encyclopedia

Haman, a prominent figure in the Book of Esther, serves as a significant example of divine justice and the punishment of murderers in the biblical narrative. Haman, an Agagite and a high-ranking official in the Persian Empire under King Xerxes (Ahasuerus), harbored intense animosity towards the Jewish people, particularly Mordecai, a Jew who refused to bow to him. This personal vendetta escalated into a genocidal plot against all Jews in the empire.

Haman's plan was to annihilate the Jewish population, and he secured the king's approval by deceitfully presenting the Jews as a threat to the kingdom. Esther 3:8-9 records Haman's manipulative words to the king: "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws are different from those of all other peoples, and who do not comply with the king’s laws. So 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, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out this business, to put it into the king’s treasuries."

Haman's plot, however, was thwarted by the providential intervention of God through Queen Esther, who was herself a Jew. Esther courageously revealed her identity and Haman's scheme to the king, which led to a dramatic reversal of fortune. 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 my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept silent, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king. King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, 'Who is he, and where is the man who has dared to do this?' Esther replied, 'The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!'"

The king, enraged by Haman's treachery, ordered that Haman be executed on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Esther 7:9-10 recounts this swift justice: "Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, 'Look, the gallows fifty cubits high stands by Haman’s house. He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.' The king said, 'Hang him on it!' So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided."

Haman's fate serves as a powerful illustration of the biblical principle that those who plot evil against others will ultimately face divine retribution. His execution on the gallows he intended for another highlights the moral order upheld by God, where justice prevails and the wicked are punished for their murderous intentions. This narrative underscores the belief in a just God who intervenes in human affairs to protect His people and uphold righteousness.