The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.
Parallel translations
- WEB the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy, but they didn’t lay their hand on the plunder.
- BSB They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
- NKJV the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews—they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
- NASB the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
- NLT the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not take any plunder.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The ten sons of Haman, the Jews' enemy, were killed, yet the Jews deliberately took no plunder. Their restraint shows the day was about self-defense and justice, not greed.
Overview
The narrator stresses three times in this chapter that the Jews did not lay hands on the spoil (vv. 10, 15, 16), even though the king's decree had permitted it (8:11). This restraint distinguishes them from Saul, who unlawfully kept Amalekite plunder (1 Samuel 15), and shows their aim was deliverance, not enrichment. Such self-denial points to a righteousness that seeks God's vindication rather than personal gain.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Esth 8:11Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
- Esth 5:11And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
- Gen 14:23That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
- Job 18:18–19He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
- Job 27:13–15This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
- Esth 9:15–16For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand.
- Phil 4:8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
- Ps 109:12–13Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
- Ps 21:10Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.
- Exod 17:16For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
- Rom 12:17Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
- Exod 20:5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
- Esth 3:1After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
- Esth 7:6And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
- Esth 7:4For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.
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Christ at the center
Though God is never named, his hidden hand preserves the people from whom the Messiah will come — a deliverance 'for such a time as this' that anticipates the open deliverance of Christ.
How Esther 9:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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