Topical Bible: Pride: Haman

◄ Pride: Haman ►

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Haman, a central figure in the Book of Esther, is often cited as a quintessential example of pride and its destructive consequences. As a high-ranking official in the Persian Empire under King Xerxes (Ahasuerus), Haman's account is a cautionary tale of how pride can lead to downfall.

Background and Rise to Power

Haman is introduced in Esther 3:1 as the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, elevated by King Xerxes above all other officials. His rise to power is marked by the king's command that all royal officials at the king's gate bow down and pay homage to him. Haman's pride is immediately evident in his expectation of reverence and his intolerance for any perceived slight.

Conflict with Mordecai

The conflict between Haman and Mordecai, a Jew who refuses to bow to him, is a pivotal moment in the narrative. Esther 3:5-6 states, "When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel or pay him homage, he was filled with rage. And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the idea of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes."

Haman's pride is not satisfied with merely punishing Mordecai; it drives him to plot the annihilation of the entire Jewish population in the empire. This extreme response underscores the blinding nature of pride, which can lead to irrational and destructive decisions.

The Plot and Its Reversal

Haman's plan to destroy the Jews is set into motion with the king's unwitting approval, as described in Esther 3:8-11. Haman's pride blinds him to the potential consequences of his actions, both politically and personally. He constructs a gallows specifically for Mordecai, confident in his impending triumph.

However, the narrative takes a dramatic turn as Queen Esther, herself a Jew, intercedes on behalf of her people. In a series of providential events, the king discovers Mordecai's previous loyalty and honors him, further inflaming Haman's pride and humiliation (Esther 6:6-11).

Downfall and Death

Haman's pride ultimately leads to his downfall. Esther reveals Haman's plot to the king, and in a moment of poetic justice, Haman is executed on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:9-10). His death serves as a stark reminder of the biblical principle found in Proverbs 16:18 : "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

Theological Implications

Haman's account is a powerful illustration of the dangers of pride, a sin that is consistently condemned throughout Scripture. His life and death serve as a warning against the arrogance that seeks to elevate oneself above others and defy God's sovereign plans. The narrative of Haman in the Book of Esther highlights the ultimate futility of pride and the divine justice that prevails over human schemes.

Nave's Topical Index

Esther 3:5
And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
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Esther 5:11,13
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.
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Esther 6:6
So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?
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Esther 7:10
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
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Library

The Wall Rebuilt.
... After seven days' feasting, he sent in his pride for Vashti, his queen, to ... cousin,
and there daily saw the king's new counsellor pass by"Haman, an Agagite ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xiv the wall rebuilt.htm

Esther
... Its intensely national pride, its cruel and fanatical exclusiveness, can be best ...
century BC It has been suggested with much probability that Haman is modelled ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/esther.htm

The Fruitless vine
... Go, hang thy pride upon the gallows, as high as Haman; hang it there to rot, and
stand thou beneath, and execrate it to all eternity; for sure of all things ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the fruitless vine.htm

The Life of the Blessed in Heaven.
... the knee before him, and worshipped him, "only Mardochai did not bend the knee nor
worship him." This apparent slight so wounded the pride of Haman, that he ...
/.../boudreaux/the happiness of heaven/chapter ix the life of.htm

Of Querulousness.
... vineyard, Haman's for Mordecai's obeisance, Achitophel's for having his counsel
rejected. Every disappointment of our avarice, ambition, and pride, fills our ...
/.../allestree/the government of the tongue/section x of querulousness.htm

The Fourth vision "In Heaven"
... not merely the males, or the seed royal. He used Haman's pride as the secondary
cause. But again a small thing was used to frustrate ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the fourth vision in heaven.htm

Concerning Peaceableness
... Because Mordecai would not give Haman the cap and knee, he gets a bloody warrant ...
Esther 3:9). What made all the strife between Pompey and Caesar but pride? ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/18 concerning peaceableness.htm

The Later Hebrew Histories.
... At the close of this monumental debauch, the king, in his drunken pride, calls in
his ... Soon after this a certain Haman is made Grand Vizier of the kingdom, and ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter vi the later hebrew.htm

Letter xvi. Charity.
... upon human character and happiness are strikingly illustrated in the story of Haman,
which I ... spirit for genuine zeal; and this puffs them up with pride and vain ...
/.../a practical directory for young christian females/letter xvi charity.htm

King of Kings and Lord of Lords
... the earth; but they are by nature so strongly infected by pride, that they ... preserved
the Jews in Persia from the destructive designs of their adversary Haman. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xxxviii king of kings.htm