The Book of Esther

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Kapitel 3 -

Haman's conspiracy against the Jews

After this, king Artaxerxes exalted Haman, the son of Hammedatha, who was of Agag lineage, and he set his throne above all the rulers whom he had.

And all the king’s servants, who passed by the doors of the palace, bent their knees and adored Haman, for so the ruler had instructed them. Only Mordecai did not bend his knee, nor adore him.(a)

The king’s servants, who presided over the doors of the palace, said to him, “Why do you, more than the others, not observe the king’s command?”

And when they were saying this frequently, and he would not listen to them, they reported it to Haman, desiring to know whether he would continue in his resolution, for he had told them that he was a Jew.

Now when Haman had heard this, and had proved by a test that Mordecai did not bend his knee to him, nor adore him, he was very angry.

And he considered it pointless to lay his hands on Mordecai alone, for he had heard that he was part of the Jewish people. And so he wanted more: to destroy the entire nation of the Jews, who were in the kingdom of Artaxerxes.

In the first month, which is called Nisan, in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, the lot was cast into an urn, which in Hebrew is called Pur, in the presence of Haman, to determine on what day and in which month the Jewish people should be destroyed. And it turned out to be the twelfth month, which is called Adar.

And Haman said to king Artaxerxes, “There is a people dispersed throughout all the provinces of your kingdom and separated one from another, who make use of unusual laws and ceremonies, and who, in addition, show contempt for the king’s ordinances. And you know very well that it is not expedient for your kingdom that they should become insolent through independence.(b)

If it pleases you, declare that they may be destroyed, and I will weigh out ten thousand talents to the keepers of your treasury.”(c)

And so the king took the ring that he used, from his own hand, and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha, of Agag lineage, enemy of the Jews.

And he said to him, “Let the silver, which you promise, be for yourself. As for the people, do with them as it pleases you.”

And the scribes of the king were summoned, in the first month Nisan, on the thirteenth day of the same month. And it was written, as Haman had commanded, to all the king’s governors, and to the judges of the provinces, and to various peoples, so that each people could read and hear according to their various languages, in the name of king Artaxerxes. And the letters were sealed with his ring.

These were sent by the king’s messengers to all the provinces, so as to kill and destroy all the Jews, from children all the way to the elderly, even little children and women, on one day, that is, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is called Adar, and to plunder their goods, even their necessities.(d)

And the effect of the letters was this: that all provinces would know and prepare for the prescribed day.

The couriers, who had been sent, hurried to complete the king’s command, but the edict was hung up in Susa immediately. And the king and Haman celebrated a feast, while all the Jews in the city were weeping.

Fußnoten

(a)5:2 It is not clear from the wording of the text whether this “imperator” is the king or Haman. Imperator can mean emperor or it can mean a ruler or general. Perhaps the text is making fun of Haman, who is only a ruler, but who acts as if he were an emperor.(Conte)

(b)5:8 Novis can mean new, or it can mean strange or unusual. In this context, the laws of the Jews are seen as strange or unusual to the Persians, not as merely new.(Conte)

(c)5:9 Appendam means to weigh, but it also means to hang (as to hang on a balance or scale when weighing). Haman wants to condemn the Jews to death by hanging ten thousand talents on monetary scales. Yet he himself is killed by being hung on the scales of justice and hanged on the gallows.(Conte)

(d)5:13 The Latin vulgate places those verses found in the Greek version of Esther at the end of the book, after those verses found in the Hebrew. This places some of the text out of narrative order: “... et diriperent bona, vel substantias eorum.” This last part of verse 5:13 is a correction, based on the Latin Vulgate, which has both “... et bona eorum diriperent.” (3:13 Vulgate numbering) and a separate verse “Et diripuerunt bona, vel substantias eorum.” (12:6b Vulgate numbering). This separate verse does not fit into the narrative in its place in the Vulgate arrangement. Its only reasonable fit into the narrative is in this place in the text, as an emendation indicating that the Jews enemies planned to plunder not only their wealth, but also their most basic possessions. The verse does not fit into verses 12:11 or 14:10 (new numbering), because the king’s just order would not ask the Jews to take even the necessities of their enemies (which might go to surviving relatives in need) and also because the Jews decided not to avail themselves of the option of taking the spoils at all.(Conte)