Section 3:7–15
Haman plotted to kill the Jews
Haman went to the king and told him that the Jews in the empire did not obey the laws of the land, and so they all should be killed. The king authorized him to write an order saying that the Jews should be killed. Haman caused the order to be sent out everywhere in the kingdom on the thirteenth day of the first month of the next year. The order told the public to be ready to attack the Jews on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month.
Paragraph 3:7–11
3:7a
Nisan: See the note about Tebeth in 2:16. The month of Nisan was mid-March to mid-April.
3:7b-c
the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman: The verse does not say who cast the Pur. The Hebrew text says “he cast…” but this cannot refer to Haman, because the verse contains the phrase “in the presence of Haman.” Because of this, many versions make this phrase passive and say, “the Pur was cast.” The Pur, or the lot, were probably cast by an astrologer or another person who claimed to be able to predict the future. If your language has no passive, you could say: “Haman ⌊ordered the people ⌋ to cast the Pur (that is, the lot).”
Pur: This was another word for “lot.” This word is important because the Jews used the plural of this word, purim, as the name of the festival they would later hold to celebrate their victory over their enemies (see 9:20–32).
lot: No one knows exactly how Persians cast lots. One possible method could have been that someone threw a group of small objects like stones or sticks in the air. After they fell to the ground, this person would study the pattern they made and from it answer the question being asked.
3:7d
Adar: See the note about Tebeth in 2:16. The month of Adar was mid-February to mid-March.
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