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Esther
Chapter 3
{Chapters
1-5: Danger of the Jews Extermination - Continued}
{Chapters
3-5: Malevolent Plotting of the Prime Minister Haman}
1~~~After
these things did king {Xerxes}'/'Achashverowsh
promote
Haman,
the
son of Hammedatha,
the
Agagite,
and
advanced him,
and
set his seat above all the princes who were with him.
{Note:
God ordered Saul to kill all the Amalekites. Saul did not follow
God's command and it is said that the Jew and the Amalekite will be
at war in every generation. The orthodox Jew today uses the name
"Haman" to personify all Anti-Semitism throughout history.
This is the background as to why Haman will try to have all Jews in
Persia murdered - a holocaust. Satan throughout history tries to kill
all the Jews so that God can not keep His promises to the Jews.
Anyone involved in Anti-Semitism is on the side of Satan and an enemy
of God.}
2~~~And
all the king's servants,
who
were in the king's gate, bowed,
and
"reverenced in worship" {shachah} Haman . . .
{shachah - usually used in worship of a deity}
for
the king had so commanded concerning him.
But
Mordecai neither bowed down
nor
paid homage.
{Note:
Mordecai just made the best move in his lifetime. He finally
remembered he represented God on earth and reveals that he would NOT
worship anyone or anything but the God of Israel.}
3~~~Then
the king's servants,
{Mordecai's fellow judges and adjudicators}
who
were in the king's gate,
said
unto Mordecai,
"Why
transgress you the king's commandment?"
{this is no big deal, just pay homage and forget it
we all have to do it for the king all the time}
{"Friendly
Persuasion"}
4~~~Now
it came to pass,
when
they spoke daily unto him,
and
he listened not unto them,
that
they told Haman,
to
see whether Mordecai's matters would stand . . .
for
he had told them that he was a Jew.
{Note:
Apparently these associates of Mordecai were jealous of this
outsider's promotion. So they went and squealed on him! Maybe they
also were Anti-Semites. Certainly they were arrogant and upset that
Mordecai did not follow their advice!}
5~~~And
when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not
{kara` - a word of worship - to bow down in worship},
nor
paid homage to him,
then
was Haman full of 'burning anger'/wrath/'killer lust'
{not just anger here - killer lust - he went ballistic - as
only a true Anti-Semitic person can do}.
{Desire
for a Jewish Holocaust in Persia}
6~~~But
he distained to lay hands
{shalach - to lay hands on to destroy}
on
Mordecai alone . . .
for
they had had told him
who
the people of Mordecai were.
Therefore
Haman "plotted to destroy"
{baqash - Piel intensive stem}
all
the Jews
who
were throughout the whole kingdom of {Xerxes}'/'Achashverowsh,
even
the people of Mordecai.
{Note:
This would also include the Jews who returned to the land of Israel.
So this would be a desire to kill virtually all the Jews in the
world. This desire is extreme for a slight on his person by Mordecai.
This is the age old battle between the Amalekites and the Jews.}
{Parenthesis
- How the Time of the Holocaust was Determined}
7~~~(In
the first month, that is, the month Nisan,
{Niycan - first month of Jewish year - March-April}
in
the twelfth year of king {Xerxes}'/'Achashverowsh,
they
cast Pur
{Puwr - a Persian word - for casting "dice"},
that
is, the lot
{gowral - Hebrew word - to cast wood or pebbles like dice -
a game of chance - here we have the heathen counterfeit of
one of the methods God used to guide the Jews},
before
Haman
in
order "to determine a day and a month"
{choosing a day and month in which he could exterminate the Jews},
to
the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar).
{Note:
This last sentence includes an idiom - literally the phrase says
"from day to day and month to month". Haman was a pagan and
superstitious. He wanted his god to tell him when it was ok to kill
all the Jews. So he was going to cast dice type items to pick the day
of the Jewish Holocaust. The Jewish Feast of Purim (im is the plural
suffix) is literally the "Feast of Lots". The Jews
commemorate the date that Haman was going to wipe them out. Why?
Because God rescued them! He used the event to show that He keeps His
promises and will protect Israel forever - and that is what they
celebrate. Esther 3:13 gives the full detail that this was to be done
in about a year - on the 13th in Adar (February- March).}
{The
Big Lie of Anti-Semitism}
8a~~~Then
Haman said unto king {Xerxes}'/'Achashverowsh,
"There
is a certain people scattered abroad
and
dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom.
And
their laws are different from all people;
neither
do they observe the king's laws."
{Note:
The first lie is Jews are different from THEM - Hitler said the same
type thing. Next he lies that they do not observe the law of the
land. But obedience to the Mosaic Law does not preclude them from
following laws of the land.}
8b~~~"Therefore
it is not for the king's interest
to
'let them remain'/'provide a haven for them'."
{Note:
This is the state of Israel out under the 5th cycle of discipline.
They were spread through out the earth. Still there they tend to
prosper and the residents become jealous. Over and over again, a
country provides a haven for the Jews and they do well. Then they
change their minds and remove this safe haven for the Jews and try a
wealth grab. God therefore destroys that nation. A Gentile client
nation to God always provides a safe haven to the Jews.}
9a~~~"If
it please the king,
let
it be written that they may be destroyed.
{Note:
Notice that Haman has not even identified this people that he is
asking the king to exterminate.}
{Haman
Bribes King to Do His Bidding}
9b~~~And
I will pay ten thousand talents of silver
to
the hands of those that have the charge of the business,
{like the IRS - these are the king's collectors of revenue}
to
bring it into the king's treasuries."
{Note:
The annual revenue of the Persian Empire at this time was fifteen
thousand talents of silver. This is a huge bribe. And, of course,
Haman is not going to pay this himself - he is going steal it from
the Jews he kills! This pattern in Anti-Semitism continues throughout history.}
{King
Accepts Bribe}
10~~~And
the king took his ring from his hand,
{this is comparable to giving Haman his 'authorized signature'
without any restraint
any edict he stamps becomes law over the empire immediately}
and
gave it unto Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite . . .
the
Jews' enemy.
{again reminding us of the motivation behind Haman's hatred -
Agagite was a king of the Amalekites
and Haman then was also an Amalekite - who were mortal enemies of
the Jews}
11~~~And
the king said unto Haman,
"
'Well it . . . {is} your money'/'The silver . . . {is given} to you',
{polite way of saying "it is your money if you want to give it
into my coffers then fine'}
the
people also,
to
do with them as it seems good to you."
{Note:
In Chapter 4 we see the king does accept the money. So here he is
using idiom to say ok I will accept the bribe.}
{Edict
Issued for the Holocaust}
12~~~Then
were the king's scribes called
on
the thirteenth day of the first month,
and
there was written according to all that Haman had commanded
unto
the king's satraps {leaders of the 20 major 'states'},
and
to the governors that were over every province,
{sub-divisional leaders in each Satrap}
and
to the rulers of every people of every province
{the leaders of each conquered tribe or people}
according
to the writing thereof,
and
to every people after their language . . .
in
the name of king {Xerxes}'/'Achashverowsh was it written,
and
sealed with the king's ring.
13~~~And
the letters were sent by posts
{like a pony express system}
into
all the king's provinces,
to
destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish,
{shamad, harag, 'abad - seems redundant but when used
together these words of destruction give great emphasis
on the event - there is no question is was to be a holocaust}
all
Jews, both young and old,
little
children and women,
in
one day,
even
upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar,
and
to take the spoil of them for a prey.
14~~~The
copy of the writing for a commandment
to
be given in every province
was
published unto all people,
that
they should be ready against that day.
{Note:
To kill people numbering in the hundreds of thousands in one day is
a logistical nightmare. Just as the Germans also had administrative
issues in murdering millions of Jews, this holocaust was going to
take some good preparation. Of course the timing of this was part of
the plan of God - He would not let this happen.}
15~~~The
posts went out,
being
hastened by the king's commandment,
and
the decree was given in Shushan the palace.
And
the king and Haman sat down to drink
but
the city Shushan was 'in an absolute uproar' {buwk}.
{buwk - means perplexed and confused - here it means an absolute
uproar - most of the Jews outside the land were prosperous, good
citizens of Shushan and they were in a total uproar over this edict
of their extermination}
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