What happensPermalink
Haman the Agagite attains a position of power in Ahasuerus’s court. When Mordecai refuses to bow down to him, citing his Jewish heritage, Haman plots to annihilate all Jews in Persia. He promises the king a massive sum of money, and Ahasuerus authorizes him to carry it out. Letters are sent throughout the kingdom to plan for the coming extermination.
Why it mattersPermalink
Haman’s hatred of Mordecai grows into a plot against the entire Jewish people, creating the central crisis of the book. The decree threatens the survival of the covenant nation throughout the Persian Empire. At the same time, the danger reveals the providential significance of the events in the previous chapters, which placed Esther and Mordecai in positions to respond.
Key versePermalink
Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.