Esther 3:8 kjv
And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
Esther 3:8 nkjv
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people's, and they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain.
Esther 3:8 niv
Then Haman said to King Xerxes, "There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king's laws; it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them.
Esther 3:8 esv
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate them.
Esther 3:8 nlt
Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, "There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king's interest to let them live.
Esther 3 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:6-8 | "Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations..." | Israel's distinct laws are a sign of wisdom. |
| Exod 17:14-16 | "Write this for a memorial in a book... that I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." | Perpetual enmity against Amalek (Haman's lineage). |
| 1 Sam 15:7-9 | "...Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur... But Saul and the people spared Agag..." | Saul's failure with Agag, relevant to Haman the Agagite. |
| Neh 2:19, 4:7-8 | "...Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite... despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do?" | Opposition and false accusations against God's people. |
| Psa 83:3-5 | "They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones... come, and let us cut them off from being a nation..." | Enemies conspire to eradicate God's chosen. |
| Psa 105:24-25 | "He increased his people greatly... He turned their heart to hate his people..." | God allows nations to hate His people. |
| Dan 3:12 | "There are certain Jews... these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods..." | False accusation of disloyalty and refusal to worship king's gods. |
| Dan 6:5 | "Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." | Attempts to use religious laws against God's servants. |
| Gen 12:3 | "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee..." | Divine promise protecting God's covenant people. |
| Zech 8:23 | "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew..." | Jewish people distinctive, yet attracting interest. |
| Acts 16:20-21 | "...These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive..." | Similar accusations of distinct unlawful customs against Jews in the New Testament. |
| Rom 3:1-2 | "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God." | The unique distinctness of the Jewish people given by God. |
| Rom 9:4-5 | "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law..." | God's unique chosen status of Israel, including laws. |
| Phil 3:18-19 | "For many walk, of whom I have told you often... whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame..." | Contrast to those whose primary loyalty is not to the true God. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people..." | New Testament believers as a "distinct" people to God. |
| Titus 3:1 | "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates..." | Believers are to obey civil laws when not conflicting with God's law. |
| Jer 29:7 | "And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray unto the LORD for it..." | Counsel for exiles to live peacefully and prosperously under foreign rule. |
| Matt 5:10-12 | "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." | Persecution for righteous distinction. |
| John 15:18-19 | "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you... because ye are not of the world..." | The world's animosity towards God's chosen people. |
| 1 John 3:13 | "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you." | Reminder of the world's hatred for true believers. |
Esther 3 verses
Esther 3 8 Meaning
Esther 3:8 records Haman's insidious accusation against the Jewish people before King Ahasuerus, painting them as a disruptive and disloyal element within the Persian Empire. He claims they are widely scattered, possess laws differing from all other peoples, and crucially, do not obey the king's laws. Haman cunningly presents their distinctiveness as a threat to royal authority and financial stability, suggesting their continued existence is detrimental to the kingdom.
Esther 3 8 Context
This verse is pivotal in the book of Esther, occurring directly after Mordecai's refusal to bow to Haman has inflamed Haman with rage. Instead of seeking revenge only on Mordecai, Haman, an Agagite, extends his malicious intent to the entire Jewish people throughout the vast Persian Empire. This reflects an ancient enmity stemming from Amalek, their ancestral enemies. Esther chapter 3 details Haman's rise to power, his decree that all should bow to him, and Mordecai's defiant refusal, setting the stage for Haman's genocidal plot. Historically, the Persian Empire, spanning from India to Ethiopia, embraced diverse peoples, allowing a certain degree of cultural and religious autonomy within its vast domain. However, Haman capitalizes on any perceived non-conformity to stir the king's xenophobic prejudices, highlighting the distinctiveness of the Jewish people and manipulating it into an accusation of disloyalty to undermine their tolerated existence.
Esther 3 8 Word analysis
And Haman said unto King Ahasuerus: This immediately establishes the antagonists and their unequal power dynamics, with Haman addressing the supreme authority. Haman (Hebrew: הָמָן, Haman), son of Hammedatha the Agagite, is a descendent of Agag, king of the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:8), Israel's ancient and perpetual enemy (Exod 17:16; Deut 25:17-19). This lineage foreshadows his deep-seated hatred.
There is a certain people: (Hebrew: יֶשְׁנוֹ עַם אֶחָד, yeshno 'am echad). Haman avoids directly naming the Jews at first, employing a subtly dehumanizing and generic term, which prevents immediate recognition and judgment while building his case with general accusations. This tactic focuses on their collective identity rather than specific individuals, making the scale of the "problem" seem larger.
scattered abroad and dispersed: (Hebrew: מְפֻזָּר וּמְפֹרָֽד, mefuzar u'mforad). Mefuzar (scattered) implies a wide geographical spread. Mforad (dispersed/separated) suggests they are not integrated or unified with other populations. This accurately describes the Jewish Diaspora, a reality post-exile, but Haman uses it pejoratively to imply weakness, rootlessness, and lack of common cause with the empire, portraying them as alien and potentially unloyal.
among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom: Emphasizes the wide geographical spread and pervasive presence of the Jews, enhancing the perceived "threat" by suggesting their influence is widespread. It highlights the vulnerability of the entire empire to this alleged danger.
and their laws are diverse from all people: (Hebrew: וְדָתֵיהֶם שֹׁנוֹת מִכָּל־עָם, ve'datehem shonot mikol-'am). "Laws" (dathim) refer not just to legal statutes but also customs, religious practices, and way of life. Haman highlights their distinctive dietary laws, Sabbath observance, festivals, and monotheistic worship (distinct from pagan polytheism), portraying their unique covenantal identity as problematic and divisive. This is a half-truth; their laws are different, but this doesn't automatically mean disloyalty.
neither keep they the king's laws: (Hebrew: וְאֶת־דָּתֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵינָם עֹשִׂים, ve'et-datei hammelekh einam osin). This is a direct lie or gross distortion. Jews generally obeyed the laws of the land as long as they did not contradict God's commands (cf. Jer 29:7; Rom 13:1). Haman twists their loyalty to God into disloyalty to the king, implying rebellion or sedition, the most serious accusation to make against any group in an empire. This is the lynchpin of his argument.
therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them: (Hebrew: וְלַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא־שָׁוֶה לְהַנִּיחָם, vela'melekh lo-shaveh lehanniacham). Haman presents his argument based on expediency and royal advantage, framing the issue in terms of cost-benefit. "Profit" refers to material gain or political stability. "To suffer them" (to tolerate them) implies that their very existence and distinctness is a detriment to the empire's welfare, subtly introducing the idea that their removal would be beneficial, thus laying the groundwork for the genocidal decree.
Words-group Analysis:
- "a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed": This phrase functions as a manipulative generalization. By avoiding specific identification ("Jews"), Haman creates an image of a nameless, ubiquitous threat, allowing the King's potential xenophobia to fill in the blanks without concrete information. The scattering, a historical reality of the diaspora, is turned into a liability.
- "their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws": This pairing is Haman's core charge. The distinct religious and cultural identity (diverse laws) is linked to alleged civil disobedience (not keeping king's laws). He presents distinctiveness not as mere difference, but as outright opposition and disloyalty, cleverly turning a truth (their distinct laws) into the foundation for a lie (they don't obey).
- "therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them": This concluding statement transitions from accusation to suggested remedy. It's an appeal to the king's self-interest, painting the continued existence of this distinct people as an economic and political liability, implicitly advocating for their removal. It makes a moral issue seem like a practical matter of governance.
Esther 3 8 Bonus section
- Haman's immediate pivot from Mordecai to all Jews demonstrates a deep, ancestral hatred rooted in the conflict between Israel and Amalek (of whom Agag, Haman's forefather, was king). This extends beyond personal offense to collective vengeance.
- The charge of not keeping the king's laws is a common accusation against God's people in scripture when their devotion to God's higher law is perceived as civil disobedience (cf. Dan 3, Dan 6, Acts 16).
- The distinctness of God's people, though presented by Haman as a fault, is in fact a mark of their covenant relationship with God and His specific call for them to be a unique nation (Deut 7:6).
Esther 3 8 Commentary
Esther 3:8 reveals Haman's strategic malice, twisting the historical reality of the Jewish people's dispersion and unique covenantal identity into a pretext for genocide. He masterfully combines partial truths (their scattered presence and distinct laws) with outright fabrication (disobedience to the king's laws) to create a compelling, though false, narrative of disloyalty. His appeal to King Ahasuerus's "profit" underscores a self-serving, materialistic worldview that prioritizes imperial expediency over justice or human life. This verse serves as a powerful historical example of how fear-mongering, misinformation, and the "othering" of distinct cultural or religious groups can be exploited to justify persecution and mass violence. It reflects the spiritual conflict between those aligned with God's people and those seeking to erase them, an ancient battle resonating throughout biblical narrative.