Commentary - Esther 3:12-15

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but potent section of Esther, we see the machinery of godless state power set in motion. Haman, having been granted the king's signet ring, does not delay. He summons the entire bureaucratic apparatus of the Persian empire to draft, seal, and dispatch a decree of genocide. The language is exhaustive, the logistics are impressive, and the timeline is specific. This is not a crime of passion; it is a meticulously planned, state-sanctioned atrocity. The edict goes out to every corner of the vast empire, translated into every language, ensuring no one can plead ignorance. The couriers are spurred on by the king's command, a picture of wicked urgency. The passage concludes with a stark and chilling contrast: while the city of Susa is thrown into confusion and dismay by this monstrous law, the two men responsible, the king and his vizier, sit down for a drink. It is a picture of callous indifference at the highest levels of power, a portrait of evil that is both bureaucratic and banal.

The central reality of the book of Esther is that God is nowhere mentioned, but is everywhere present. This passage is a prime example. On the surface, we see the unchecked power of a foolish king and his wicked counselor. We see the gears of a pagan empire grinding away, preparing to crush the people of God. Everything appears to be in Haman's hands. But behind the scenes, the God who is never named is sovereignly arranging all events. This decree, so absolute and final, is actually setting the stage for Haman's own spectacular downfall and the deliverance of the Jews. The very thoroughness of the decree, the speed of its delivery, and the casual depravity of its authors all serve to heighten the drama and magnify the glory of God's eventual reversal.

Outline

Context In Esther

This passage is the direct and terrible result of what has immediately preceded it. Haman the Agagite, a descendant of Israel's ancient enemy, has been promoted by King Ahasuerus. Mordecai the Jew, out of faithfulness to his God, has refused to bow to Haman. This refusal, a righteous act of defiance against a man who demanded worshipful honor, has enraged Haman. But his pride is so vast that killing one man is not enough. He determines to annihilate Mordecai's entire race. After casting the lot (Pur) to determine an auspicious day, he slanders the Jews before the king and obtains permission, along with the king's own signet ring, to do with them as he pleases. Verses 12-15 are the execution of that wicked plan. This is the low point of the story. The threat is now official, legal, and empire-wide. All appears lost. This sets the stage for Esther's courageous intervention and God's dramatic, ironic, and sovereign deliverance of His people.

Key Issues

Commentary

12 Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its tongue, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring.

The first thing to notice is the efficiency of evil. Haman does not waste a moment. On the thirteenth day of the first month, Nisan, the scribes are called. This is the day before Passover would begin, a high and holy time for the Jews, and here is Haman plotting their complete destruction. This is the ancient hatred, the enmity God put between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, on full display. The machinery of the state is summoned, not for justice, but for murder. The scribes, the satraps, the governors, the princes, the whole org chart of the Persian empire is marshaled. Evil loves bureaucracy. It loves to create systems and processes that diffuse responsibility and give the appearance of legitimacy to the most heinous of acts. Notice the thoroughness: every province, every people, every script, every tongue. This is a comprehensive effort. No Jew is to be missed because of a translation error. And it is all done with the full weight of the throne behind it, written in the king's name and sealed with his ring. Ahasuerus has outsourced his authority to a wicked man, and the result is that the power of the state becomes the instrument of Haman's personal vendetta. This is what happens when rulers forget they rule under God. They become pawns for proud and foolish men.

13 And letters were sent by the hand of couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, to kill, and to cause all the Jews to perish, both young and old, little ones and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their spoil.

Here is the substance of the decree. The language is piled up for emphasis: to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish. There is to be no ambiguity. This is not deportation or subjugation; it is annihilation. And the scope is breathtakingly cruel. It includes everyone, "both young and old, little ones and women." This is the logic of genocide. It is not enough to defeat the men; the future must be erased, which means the women and children must be slaughtered. This is the kind of bloody-mindedness that has characterized the enemies of God's people throughout history, from Pharaoh's decree against the Hebrew infants to the abortion mills of our own day. The date is set far in the future, on the thirteenth of Adar, almost a year away. This was the date determined by Haman's casting of the lot, and in God's providence, this long delay will provide the time necessary for Esther and Mordecai to act. The final clause is key: "and to plunder their spoil." Wickedness is rarely just about hatred; it is also about greed. Haman offers a financial incentive to the citizens of the empire. He is not just licensing murder; he is making it profitable. He is appealing to the basest instincts of fallen man, turning neighbor against neighbor for the sake of material gain.

14 A copy of that which was written down to be given as law in every province was revealed to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day.

This was not a secret plot. It was published, proclaimed, and posted as the law of the Medes and Persians, which could not be revoked. The copy of the decree was revealed to all the peoples. The intent was to prepare them, to get them ready for the day of slaughter. Think of the psychological effect of this. For eleven months, every Jew in the empire would have to live with this death sentence hanging over their heads. And every non-Jew would have eleven months to sharpen their swords, covet their neighbor's property, and prepare themselves to become murderers. This public proclamation was a form of terrorism, designed to crush the spirit of the Jews and embolden their enemies. But in the hidden counsel of God, this very public decree will become the basis for a very public deliverance. When God turns the tables, He will do so in a way that no one can miss.

15 The couriers went out, hastened by the word of the king. And the law was given at the citadel in Susa. Now the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.

The pace is urgent. The couriers are hastened, spurred on by the king's command. There is a terrible energy to this evil. The law is promulgated in the capital city, Susa. And then we have one of the most chilling verses in all of Scripture. "Now the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion." After signing off on the systematic murder of an entire people group within his kingdom, the king sits down for drinks. This is the banality of evil in its purest form. For Ahasuerus, this is just another piece of administrative business, now concluded. For Haman, it is a moment of triumph. He has achieved his goal, and now he celebrates. Their drinking is a picture of their moral stupor, their complete detachment from the horrific consequences of their actions. They are insulated by their power and their pride. But the common people in Susa are not so detached. The city was in confusion. They recognized the monstrosity of this law. The conscience of the ordinary pagan was more sensitive than the conscience of the king. This confusion is the first crack in Haman's perfect plan. It is the first sign that this decree, though legally binding, is not morally tenable. And it is in this soil of confusion and fear that the seeds of resistance and deliverance will begin to grow.

Application

This passage is a stark reminder that evil is often bureaucratic, efficient, and legal. The greatest atrocities in history were not committed by disorganized mobs, but by well-organized states with scribes, couriers, and official seals. We must be wary of placing our ultimate trust in any earthly government, because even the most powerful state can be hijacked by the pride and hatred of a single wicked man when the king is a fool.

We also see the ancient and unrelenting hatred that the world, the flesh, and the devil have for the people of God. The spirit of Haman is not dead. The desire to destroy, kill, and cause to perish the covenant people is a constant feature of a fallen world. This should not cause us to despair, but rather to be sober-minded and vigilant, knowing that our true citizenship is in heaven and our ultimate protection is in God alone.

Finally, the callous indifference of the king and Haman, drinking while the city is in turmoil, is a warning to us. It is easy to become detached from the consequences of our decisions, especially when we have a measure of power or influence. We must cultivate a tender conscience, one that is shocked by injustice and moved with compassion for the vulnerable. And above all, we must remember that even when a genocidal decree has been sealed and sent out, when all appears lost, and when the wicked are celebrating their apparent victory, our God is still on the throne. He is a God of dramatic reversals, and He delights in using the prideful schemes of evil men as the backdrop for His glorious salvation. The confusion in Susa was the prelude to the joy of Purim. And the cross of Christ, the moment of evil's greatest apparent triumph, was the prelude to the resurrection. Therefore, we do not lose heart.