7 In the first month—it 'is' the month of Nisan—in the twelfth year of the king Ahasuerus, hath one caused to fall Pur (that 'is' the lot) before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month, 'to' the twelfth, it 'is' the month of Adar. 8 And Haman saith to the king Ahasuerus, 'There is one people scattered and separated among the peoples, in all provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws 'are' diverse from all people, and the laws of the king they are not doing, and for the king it is not profitable to suffer them; 9 if to the king 'it be' good, let it be written to destroy them, and ten thousand talents of silver I weigh into the hands of those doing the work, to bring 'it' in unto the treasuries of the king.' 10 And the king turneth aside his signet from off his hand, and giveth it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, adversary of the Jews; 11 and the king saith to Haman, 'The silver is given to thee, and the people, to do with it as 'it is' good in thine eyes.' 12 And scribes of the king are called, on the first month, on the thirteenth day of it, and it is written according to all that Haman hath commanded, unto lieutenants of the king, and unto the governors who 'are' over province and province, and unto the heads of people and people, province and province, according to its writing, and people and people according to its tongue, in the name of the king Ahasuerus it hath been written and sealed with the signet of the king, 13 and letters to be sent by the hand of the runners unto all provinces of the king, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy all the Jews, from young even unto old, infant and women, on one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month—it 'is' the month of Adar—and their spoil to seize, 14 a copy of the writing to be made law in every province and province is revealed to all the peoples, to be ready for this day. 15 The runners have gone forth, hastened by the word of the king, and the law hath been given in Shushan the palace, and the king and Haman have sat down to drink, and the city Shushan is perplexed.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Esther 3:7-15
Commentary on Esther 3:7-15
(Read Esther 3:7-15)
Without some acquaintance with the human heart, and the history of mankind, we should not think that any prince could consent to a dreadful proposal, so hurtful to himself. Let us be thankful for mild and just government. Haman inquires, according to his own superstitions, how to find a lucky day for the designed massacre! God's wisdom serves its own purposes by men's folly. Haman has appealed to the lot, and the lot, by delaying the execution, gives judgment against him. The event explains the doctrine of a particular providence over all the affairs of men, and the care of God over his church. Haman was afraid lest the king's conscience should smite him for what he had done; to prevent which, he kept him drinking. This cursed method many often take to drown convictions, and to harden their own hearts, and the hearts of others, in sin. All appeared in a favourable train to accomplish the project. But though sinners are permitted to proceed to the point they aim at, an unseen but almighty Power turns them back. How vain and contemptible are the strongest assaults against Jehovah! Had Haman obtained his wish, and the Jewish nation perished, what must have become of all the promises? How could the prophecies concerning the great Redeemer of the world have been fulfilled? Thus the everlasting covenant itself must have failed, before this diabolical project could take place.