Who was Haman the Agagite?

Now let us take account of the origin and character of Haman. He was the son of Hammedatha the Agagite. (v. 1) Agag was the title of the kings of Amalek, probably a generic title, as was the title of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. (1 Sam. 15:9, 32; Num. 24:7) Thus Haman came from this royal race. Amalek, the people of Haman, descended from Esau, through Eliphaz: he was primitively a chief, and then became the people of Edom. (Gen. 36; 12, 16) Indeed, under Hezekiah, we see that the remnant of Amalek lived among the Edomites, that is to say in "the mountain of Seir," the territory of these Edomites. Amalek occupied the south-east region of the Seir mountains, and probably part of the wilderness of Sin and of the wilderness of Paran. This geographical position explains the capital interest Amalek had (Ex. 17) in opposing Israel's onward march to enter Canaan; for Amalek occupied the first buttressing range of mountains in Palestine and defended the southern frontier (Num. 13:30; Num. 15:45; 1 Sam. 14; 7; 1 Sam. 27:8) on which side this country could be most easily penetrated.

King of the Amalekites whom Saul should have killed, but whom he spared. Samuel slew him, declaring that as Agag's sword had made women childless so his mother should now be childless. 1 Sam. 15:8-33. The name also occurs in Num. 24:7, where Balaam said of Israel "his king shall be higher than Agag." It is supposed that 'Agag' was the common title of the kings of the Amalekites, as Pharaoh was that of the Egyptians.

Haman was the son of Hammedatha the Agagite. Esther 3:1-10; Esther 8:3, 5; Esther 9:24. Fürst says the Gentile name "of Haman is therefore explained by Josephus τὸ γένος Ἀμαλεκίτες and so too by Jewish tradition." That is, that Haman was an Amalekite. This explains why Mordecai refused to bow down before Haman. He was of that race with which Jehovah had sworn to have war for ever, and which Saul was directed to utterly exterminate. Ex. 17:16; Deut. 25:19; 1 Sam. 15:3.

The chief minister of Ahasuerus in the time of Esther. He was called 'the Agagite,' which associated him with the Amalekites, a people that had attacked Israel maliciously. Perpetual warfare had been pronounced against them by Jehovah and this accounts for Mordecai's refusal to pay Haman reverence, which so wounded his pride and aroused his anger that he plotted to destroy not only Mordecai but all the Jews that were in the king's dominions. His offer of the immense sum of 10,000 talents of silver ought to have shown the king that he had some sinister end in view. Lots were drawn to get a propitious day for their destruction. Not wishing however to wait for that distant day, he thought he would get rid of Mordecai at once by hanging him, and prepared a gallows for the purpose, intending in the morning to ask for his life. But God, who was watching over all, caused that the king on that very night should be reminded of Mordecai's services, which resulted in Haman being compelled to take his intended victim through the city on the king's horse, and proclaim him as the man whom the king delighted to honour. Then Esther pleaded for her life, and the salvation of her people, pointing out Haman as the one who had plotted their destruction; and he was hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai: cf. Prov. 26:27. The ten sons of Haman lost their lives also. Thus God watched over His people in their captivity and made the device of their enemy to fall upon his own head, as it will be with Satan. Esther 3 - 9.

Verses 1-6. How long after these things the history of this chapter came to pass is not definitely stated. It probably happened after a short interval. We are now introduced to Haman, the Son of Hammedatha the Agagite. Him the king promoted and set his seat above all the princes. The tracing of this man's name is of interest. Its meaning is "A magnificent one." Philologists derive it from the Persian god Haoma or Hom, who was thought to be a spirit, possessing life-giving power. There can be no doubt that his name has a religious sentiment connected with it and his activity shows zeal in religious things. What interests us the most is that he was a descendant of Agag, the king of Amalek (1 Sam. 15:8) who descended from Esau, Jacob's brother and enemy. Amalek is always the bitter enemy of Israel. His final overthrow will come with the second coming of Christ. Thus Balaam announced in his prophetic utterance. When the sceptre at last rises out of Israel to smite the nations, then Amalek will find his end. "And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable and said, Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be that he perish forever" (Numbers 24:17-20). This Haman, the Amalekite, is later called "the Jew's enemy" (verse 10). He foreshadows that final enemy, who arises to trouble Israel and attempts their extermination before the King of Israel appears. The dispensational and typical applications at the close of this chapter deal more fully with this interesting character.

What makes the rise of Haman into the highest place next the throne so surprising is that we have not had the least trace of him before. Privy counsellors and chamberlains- many have been personally named. But now at this juncture comes forward no Mede or Persian, but a stranger to the ruling races, into a seat above all the princes that were with the monarch. He, like his father, is described as "the Agagite," which seems to have been the royal seed among the Amalekites. No doubt Saul had crushed them, and David yet more. But here in the highest and most, influential position is, not an Amalekite only, but "the Agagite" to whom Mordecai refused reverence. The king had commanded it on his behalf; but Mordecai bowed not. Had not Jehovah caused it to be written down that He would utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens? He persists and takes the consequence, whatever the fury of Haman, and his resolve to destroy all the Jews throughout the empire.

After this (though we are not told how long after) King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, an Agagite, to a position above all the princes (v. 1). Agag had been the king of the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:8), who were bitter enemies of Israel from the time Israel came out of Egypt (Ex. 17:8-16) concerning whom God said He would utterly blot out the remembrance of them from under heaven (Ex. 17:8-14). King Saul had later spared Agag when destroying the Amalekites, but "Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord" (1 Sam. 15:32-33). We may wonder how this man Haman came into the favor of a Persian king, but this is not explained.

Ahasuerus gave command that all the servants who were in the gate should bow in allegiance to Haman, but Mordecai would not bow to him. The king's servants saw this and asked why he disobeyed the king's commandment (v. 3). He told them he was a Jew, no doubt inferring that it would be wrong for him to bow to Haman. Eventually the servants brought the matter to Haman's attention, including the fact that Mordecai was a Jew. Of course Haman, every time he passed the gate, would particularly observe Mordecai and his not bowing to Haman, so that the man was filled with anger (vv. 4-5). Haman was a shrewd man who bitterly hated all Jews, so that he conceived a plan of not only getting rid of Mordecai, but all the Jews in the realm of King Ahasuerus (vv. 5-6). But Haman was a religious man of the superstitious sort. He with others (perhaps his relatives) cast lots to determine the best day on which to approach the king with the project of getting rid of the Jews (v. 7). His confidence was really in Satan, and just as is often the case at first, this cunning approach worked.

That Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the Agagite (or, the Amalekite) "after these things" (Esther 3:1). Thus the sworn foe of the Jew did not Obtain his exalted position with its vast potentialities of mischief until after the lines were laid for checkmating his evil designs.

But, if the Jew be thus strangely brought into personal favour and acceptance, with equal strangeness is the Jew's enemy brought into high and honourable elevation, and seated in the very position which capacitated him to gratify all his enmity. An Amalekite sits next in dignity and rule to the king. Above all the princes of the nation, Haman, the Agagite, is preferred; why, we are not told. No public virtue or service is recorded of him. Apparently it is simply the royal pleasure that has done it. A stranger to the nation he was — a distant stranger; one, too, of a race now all but forgotten; we might say, once distinguished in the day of the infancy of nations, but now all but blotted out from the page of history, superseded by others far loftier in their bearing than ever he had been, the Assyrian first, then the Chaldean, and now the Persian. And yet there he now is before us, an Amalekite seated next to Ahasuerus the Persian; in dignity, office, and power, Haman is only second to him.

In the third chapter we have a very different scene. "After 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."

It is only a type — only a shadow, and not the very image. In the millennial day there will be no Haman. Till that day come, whatever may be the vivid picture of coming blessing, there is always a dark shadow. There is an enemy; there is one that tries to frustrate all the plans of God: and, of all the races of the earth, there was one that was particularly hostile to God's people of old — the Amalekites, — so much so that Jehovah swore and called upon His people to carry on perpetual war against that race. He would blot them out from under heaven. The Amalekites were the peculiar object of God's most righteous judgment, because of their hatred of His people. Now this Haman belonged not only to Amalek, but even to the royal family of Amalek. He was a descendant of Hammedatha the Agagite, as it is said, and Ahasuerus advances this noble to the very highest place. But in the midst of all his thick honours there was one thorn! Mordecai bowed not. The consequence was that Mordecai became an object of reproach. The king's servants asked him, "Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?" And after this went on for a time Haman hears of it. "He told them that he was a Jew."

b) Haman, the Agagite

According to Numbers 24:7 and 1 Samuel 15, Agag seems to have been the title of the kings of the Amalekites. - Saul, the son of Kish, spared Agag, King of the Amalekites, and was rejected by God for his disobedience (1 Sam. 15). Mordecai who was a son of Kish as well (Esther 2:5) arranged the execution of Haman, the Agagite (Esther 3:1). By this he fulfilled the judgment of God and attained great honour.