Haman
The proud official who plotted to destroy the Jews because one man wouldn’t bow, and fell into his own trap.
Old Testament · c. 480–470 BC · Esther · Also known as Haman the Agagite, Son of Hammedatha
About Haman
King Ahasuerus promoted "Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite" above all his princes, and everyone at the king’s gate bowed to him, except Mordecai. "then was Haman full of wrath," and decided to destroy not just Mordecai but all the Jews in the empire. "They cast Pur, that is, the lot," to pick the day, and Haman persuaded the king to sign the decree. He built a gallows for Mordecai, but the night before, the king could not sleep, and Haman found himself leading Mordecai through the city on the king’s horse, proclaiming his honour. At Queen Esther’s banquet she unmasked him: "The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman." He was executed on the gallows he had built.
This guide speaks about Haman, not as him, out of care. "Agagite" may link him to Agag, the Amalekite king Saul spared, recalling an ancient enmity with Israel. The Jewish feast of Purim, named after his lots, celebrates the deliverance he tried to prevent.
The story
Above all the princes
King Ahasuerus did "promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him." All bowed to him, "But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence." "then was Haman full of wrath," and "thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone... wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews."
Esther 3:1-6
They cast Pur
"They cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month." Haman told the king, "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." He offered ten thousand talents of silver, and the king gave him his ring.
Esther 3:7-11
Availeth me nothing
Invited to Queen Esther’s banquet, Haman went home "joyful and with a glad heart," and boasted of his riches and honours. "Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate." His wife and friends said, "Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high," and he had it built.
Esther 5:9-14
The man whom the king delighteth to honour
That night the king, unable to sleep, learned that Mordecai had once saved his life. In the morning he asked Haman, "What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour?" Haman thought, "To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?" and described a royal parade. The king said, "Make haste... and do even so to Mordecai the Jew." Haman had to lead Mordecai through the street, proclaiming, "Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour."
Esther 6:1-12
Key moments
- Promoted above all princes: All must bow. (Esther 3:1-2)
- Casts Pur: To choose the day. (Esther 3:7)
- Builds a gallows: "Fifty cubits high." (Esther 5:14)
- Honours Mordecai: On the king’s horse. (Esther 6:11)
- Exposed by Esther: "This wicked Haman." (Esther 7:6)
Questions about Haman
Why did Haman hate the Jews?
It began with wounded pride: "Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence," and "then was Haman full of wrath." But he "thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone" and set out to destroy all Mordecai’s people. Scripture calls him "the Agagite," which may link him to Agag the Amalekite, recalling an old hostility. Pride turned into hatred of a whole people.
What is Purim?
A joyful Jewish festival celebrating the rescue in Esther’s day. It’s named after the lots Haman cast: "they cast Pur, that is, the lot." "Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur." It’s kept with feasting, gifts to friends, and "gifts to the poor."
What does Haman’s story teach?
That "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Haman had riches and honour, yet said, "all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai." He imagined the king honouring himself and ended up honouring his enemy. The book of Esther never names God, but the reversals are so precise that readers see God quietly at work.
Connected people
- Mordecai: Enemy
- Esther: Exposed him
- Ahasuerus: King who promoted him
- Saul: Spared Agag, perhaps his ancestor
Read it yourself
Start with Esther 3; 5:9-14; 6:1-12; 7.