Haman’s Rise
Overview
- Testament: Old
- Book: Esther
- Chapters: Esther 3
- Summary: Haman was promoted above the king’s princes, demanded honor, and turned Mordecai’s refusal to bow into a plot against all Jews.
Details
After Esther became queen, Ahasuerus advanced Haman and set his seat above the other officials. The king’s servants bowed before Haman, but Mordecai refused. When Haman learned that Mordecai was a Jew, his anger expanded beyond one man into a plan to destroy Mordecai’s people throughout Persia.
Haman cast Pur, the lot, to select the day of destruction and then persuaded the king to authorize a decree against the Jews. His rise therefore becomes the beginning of the book’s central crisis.
Key People Involved
- Haman - Promoted official and enemy of the Jews
- Mordecai - Refused to bow
- Ahasuerus - King who promoted Haman
Key Places
- King’s Gate - Public setting of Mordecai’s refusal
- Persia - Empire-wide scope of Haman’s authority
Important Verses
- Esther 3:1-6
Cross-References
Notes
Haman’s exaltation sets up Esther’s great reversal: the man who rises by pride falls by the very devices he prepares for Mordecai.