Esther 3:10
in Esther 3So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.
KJV
And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.
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This verse in Esther 3
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy. As a token of his affection for him, and a mark of honour to him; with the Persians (w) for a king to give a ring to anyone was a token and bond of the greatest love and friendship imaginable; and it may be this was given to Haman, to seal with it the letters that were or should be written, giving order for the destruction of the Jews.
This site's exposition
gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy
on Esther 3:10-11
The king takes his ring from his own hand and gives it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy, the narrator’s own naming of him now fixed for the rest of the book. With the ring goes the silver and the people both, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee, an abdication of judgment as much as of jewelry. Wesley reads the king’s carelessness as the chapter’s real villain alongside Haman’s malice, a throne that will sign what it never reads.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
So Haman promised ten thousand talents of silver to the king, and asked for the death of the Jews; and so too the Jewish people, who were dedicated to the fleshly observance of the rites of the Law in the belief that they were pleasing …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Miserable is the kingdom that is at the disposal of such a head as this, which has one ear only, and a nose to be led by, but neither eyes nor brains, nor scarcely a tongue of its own.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The king took his ring - In this ring was no doubt included his privy seal, and he gave this to Haman, that when he had formed such a decree as he thought fit, he might seal it with this ring, which would give it its due force and influence among the rulers of the provinces. The privy seal of many of our sovereigns appears to have been inserted in their rings; and the seals of Eastern potentates were worn in rings upon their fingers.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman--There was a seal or signet in the ring. The bestowment of the ring, with the king's name and that of his kingdom engraven on it, was given with much ceremony, and it was equivalent to putting the sign manual to a royal edict.
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How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The king removed his ring. This represents the granting of any great matter that is required of the king; 6 Otherwise why would the king present the ring to Haman who did not ask for it but rather requested to annihilate the Jews.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֧סַר | vaiyasar | and he removed | H5493 → | 299 times |
| הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| טַבַּעְתּ֖וֹ | taba'to | signet-ring his | H2885 → | 49 times |
| מֵעַ֣ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יָד֑וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַֽיִּתְּנָ֗הּ | vaiyitenah | and he gave it | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְהָמָ֧ן | lehaman | to Haman | H2001 → | 54 times |
| בֶּֽן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַמְּדָ֛תָא | hamedata' | Hammedatha | H4099 → | 5 times |
| הָאֲגָגִ֖י | haagagi | the Agagite | H91 → | 5 times |
| צֹרֵ֥ר | tzorer | [the] opposer of | H6887 → | 54 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃ | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
וַיָּ֧סַרand he removed
vaiyasarH5493 →299 times
הַמֶּ֛לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
טַבַּעְתּ֖וֹsignet-ring his
taba'toH2885 →49 times
מֵעַ֣לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
יָד֑וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
וַֽיִּתְּנָ֗הּand he gave it
vaiyitenahH5414 →2011 times
לְהָמָ֧ןto Haman
lehamanH2001 →54 times
בֶּֽן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
הַמְּדָ֛תָאHammedatha
hamedata'H4099 →5 times
הָאֲגָגִ֖יthe Agagite
haagagiH91 →5 times
צֹרֵ֥ר[the] opposer of
tzorerH6887 →54 times
הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃the Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Esther 8:8Now you may write in the king’s name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king…
it leads to
- Esther 1:19
So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never…
- Esther 3:12
On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of…
- Esther 1:19
Through
Genesis 41:42Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
it leads to
- Daniel 5:7
The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be…
- Daniel 5:29
Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
- Daniel 5:7
Through
Esther 3:1After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.
it leads to
- Numbers 24:7
Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed will have abundant water. His king will be greater than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted.
- Esther 5:11
Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other officials and servants.
- Daniel 6:2
and over them three administrators, including Daniel, to whom these satraps were accountable so that the king would not suffer loss.
- Numbers 24:7
Through
Esther 7:6Esther replied, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked man—Haman!” And Haman stood in terror before the king and queen.
it leads to
- Job 18:5–12
Indeed, the lamp of the wicked is extinguished; the flame of his fire does not glow.
- Job 18:5–12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Esther
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther.