Esther 3:8-11
3:8 a who keep themselves separate: Jews intermarried within tight-knit communities and resisted integration into the larger culture.• Their laws are different: They had a unique set of laws (eating and religious customs) and were to be separate from the sinful customs of the people around them (Lev 14:42-45 b; 15:31 c; 19:2 d, 26-37 e).
• they refuse to obey the laws of the king: This accusation, which is false in general, probably refers to Mordecai’s refusal to bow to Haman.
• So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live: Haman played on the king’s fears and interests as Memucan had done in Esth 1:16 f. Intolerance toward any particular group of people ran against the general Persian tendency to be respectful of other people’s cultural and religious differences.
3:9 g Haman tipped his hand by offering to bribe the king with a large sum of silver, which should have made the king suspicious of Haman’s motives. The value of the proposed gift is so astronomical that Haman may have been exaggerating to show his intended generosity.
Summary for Esth 3:10-11: 3:10-11 h The king agreed with no inquiry. The king is presented as someone very irresponsible and easily manipulated. By removing his signet ring, the king gave up his control over official policies; by giving it to Haman, he signified that Haman had complete authority to seal the decree.
• the enemy of the Jews: The narrator’s new title for Haman is an ominous note regarding his power to persecute the Jews (see also 8:1 i; 9:10 j, 24 k).
• The money and the people are both yours: It may appear that the king did not want the bribe, but 4:7 l suggests that Haman did give the money. The king was following a customary protocol to make the bribe and his greed less obvious (cp. Gen 23:10-16 m). For the sake of public appearance the king pretended not to be interested in the money, but in reality he was.
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