Esther 3:13-14
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This devastating decree includes the shocking phrase "to take the spoil of them for a prey," revealing that the annihilation of the Jewish people was meant to be a financially lucrative venture for the Persian subjects, incentivizing their participation in this horrific act. This detail underscores how deeply ingrained greed and prejudice were, making it a communal responsibility rather than just the king's will.
Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Haman's successful manipulation of King Xerxes, a royal decree is rapidly disseminated throughout the vast empire via swift couriers. This decree commands the complete annihilation of all Jewish people, regardless of age or gender, on a specific day, with their property to be seized as plunder. This genocidal order is set for the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, a date chosen by lot, plunging the Jewish community into desperate fear and prompting Mordecai to act.
Imagine an official message that could reach every corner of a vast empire in mere days. The decree against the Jews traveled with terrifying speed.
A Network of Terror
The Persian Empire was known for its advanced communication system. Couriers, often called 'runners,' used relay stations with fresh horses and riders to deliver messages with incredible speed across the empire. This network, designed for efficiency, was weaponized by Haman.
The decree wasn't just about death; it included a powerful incentive for those who would carry out the king's command. What was it?
An Incentive for Cruelty
The decree offered more than just royal authority; it included the promise of plunder. '...and to take the spoil of them for a prey.' This added a deeply materialistic and sinister motive to the genocide.
Ask a follow-up
A specific day was appointed for this horrific event. Why was this date so significant, and what does it reveal about God's hidden hand?
Providence in the Plan
The decree set a precise date: 'the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.' This deliberate timing is a crucial detail.
Understand the original words
yehudim · Hebrew Noun
Specifically refers to the covenant people of God, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, through whom the Savior of the world would eventually come. It denotes their distinct identity, their historical relationship with God, and their role as targets of hostility due to their witness to the one true God.
lehashmid · Hebrew Verb
The complete and final destruction or wiping out of a group of people, often associated with divine judgment or, in this context, wicked genocide. It denotes total elimination and the extinguishing of a people group.
dath · Hebrew Noun
A formal, public command or pronouncement issued by authority that carries the force of law. It represents the administrative mechanism through which power is exercised over a population.
The decree in Esther 3:13 wasn't just an arbitrary act of cruelty, but a sophisticated, empire-wide communication that leveraged Persia's advanced postal system to ensure rapid and total execution, offering the plundered goods as a incentive for widespread participation.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Edict
Cyrus the Great allows exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the beginning of the return from Babylonian exile.
c. 483 BC
Ahasuerus's Feast
King Ahasuerus (likely Xerxes I) holds a lavish feast where Queen Vashti is deposed, setting the stage for Esther to become queen.
c. 478 BC
Esther Becomes Queen
Esther, a Jewish orphan, is chosen as queen by Ahasuerus, unaware of her ethnic identity.
c. 475 BC
Haman's Malice Grows
Haman the Agagite is promoted to high office, but his hatred for Mordecai, who refuses to bow to him, escalates into a plot against all Jews.
c. 474 BC— this verse
The Edict of Annihilation
Haman casts lots (Pur) to determine a date and persuades Ahasuerus to issue a decree for the extermination of all Jews on the 13th of Adar.
c. 474 BC
Esther's Plea
Esther, after learning of the decree and Mordecai's uncovering of the plot, risks her life to plead with Ahasuerus on behalf of her people.
c. 474 BC
The Jews Defend Themselves
On the 13th of Adar, instead of being annihilated, the Jewish people are empowered to defend themselves and defeat their enemies.
This verse, like Esther 3:13, describes an ancient decree that would lead to the eradication of a specific people, highlighting a recurring theme of societal persecution and the targeting of an entire group.
Joshua 7:24-25Similar to the decree in Esther, this passage shows a historical precedent where an entire family, including children, was put to death due to the sin of one individual, demonstrating a pattern of collective punishment.
Jeremiah 20:11This prophetic passage expresses a sentiment of vindication and divine protection against those who plot destruction, echoing the underlying hope and eventual reversal of fortune for the Jewish people depicted in Esther.
Matthew 5:41Jesus' teaching on not resisting an evil person directly contrasts with the forced compliance and execution of a wicked decree like the one in Esther 3:13, showing a radical shift in how followers of God should respond to injustice.
Esther 9:1-10This passage directly shows the fulfillment and reversal of the decree in Esther 3:13, illustrating how God can turn a plan for destruction into a day of deliverance for His people.
barnesEsther 3:13: "And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey."
Present, the Jews keep three days - the 13th, the 14th, and the 15th of Adar - as connected with "the Feast of Purim;" but they make the 13th a fast, commemorative of the fast of Esther…
pooleEsther 3:13: "And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey."
Which was to oblige them to the greater severity and readiness, to execute this edict for their own advantage.
This devastating decree includes the shocking phrase "to take the spoil of them for a prey," revealing that the annihilation of the Jewish people was meant to be a financially lucrative venture for the Persian subjects, incentivizing their participation in this horrific act. This detail underscores how deeply ingrained greed and prejudice were, making it a communal responsibility rather than just the king's will.
Following Haman's successful manipulation of King Xerxes, a royal decree is rapidly disseminated throughout the vast empire via swift couriers. This decree commands the complete annihilation of all Jewish people, regardless of age or gender, on a specific day, with their property to be seized as plunder. This genocidal order is set for the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, a date chosen by lot, plunging the Jewish community into desperate fear and prompting Mordecai to act.
Following Haman's successful manipulation of King Xerxes, a royal decree is rapidly disseminated throughout the vast empire via swift couriers. This decree commands the complete annihilation of all Jewish people, regardless of age or gender, on a specific day, with their property to be seized as plunder. This genocidal order is set for the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, a date chosen by lot, plunging the Jewish community into desperate fear and prompting Mordecai to act.
"Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar,…" — This devastating decree includes the shocking phrase "to take the spoil of them for a prey," revealing that the annihilation of the Jewish people was meant to be a financially lucrative venture for t…
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Last reviewed October 2026
