And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
But Haman thought it would be beneath him to punish only Mordecai. Since the officials had told him that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman decided to destroy all the Jewish people throughout King Ahasuerus's entire kingdom—all of Mordecai's people.
Haman's pride and hatred toward one man, Mordecai, led him to plot the genocide of an entire people group—the Jews.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place in the Persian Empire around 480 BC, when many Jews were living in exile after being conquered by Babylon and then Persia. Haman was the king's second-in-command who had demanded everyone bow to him, but Mordecai refused because of his faith. This refusal triggered Haman's murderous plot against all Jews in the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire.
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