Keraia
Esther 3

Esther 3:13

Haman’s Plot against the Jews · Esther 3:1–15
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Translations

Modern
And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.
Traditional
And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, 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.
Literal
And the letters were sent by the hand of the runners to all the provinces of the king, to destroy, to kill, and to exterminate all of the Jews from young even to old, little children and women, in a single day, on the three and tenth day of the two and tenth month, it is the month of Adar, and to plunder their spoils.
Latin
…missæ sunt per cursores regis ad universas provincias, ut occiderent atque delerent omnes Judæos, a puero usque ad senem, parvulos et mulieres, uno die, hoc est tertiodecimo mensis duodecimi, qui vocatur Adar; et bona eorum diriperent.

Original

Hebrew
English
And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.

Notes

Esther 3:13

  • The phrase destroy, kill, and annihilate is repeated with irony in Esther 8:11 and 9:5.

  • the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month: Haman's "lucky day," chosen by casting lots (Esther 3:7), was eleven months after the decree. By God's plan, this gave time to overcome the decree.

  • The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them. Haman cleverly bribed the potential executioners.

Esther 3:1–15

Haman's hatred for Mordecai grows into a plan to kill all the Jewish people.

Theme notes and profiles

The Amalekites

People

Adar: The twelfth month of the Hebrew religious calendar Judah: Israelite tribe, kingdom, and province

Glossary

Book of Esther Communication Esther, Additions to

Topics

Babylon: Empire of Tyrannical Lots, Feast of Purim: The: To Commemorate the Defeat of Haman's Wicked Design Mail: Information, Public or Private: Carried by a Courier Malice: Haman Toward Mordecai Post of Ahasuerus Revenge by Haman Revenge: Haman