Boy Old Testament Known
Haman
noise; tumult
הָמָן ha.man
Haman (Hebrew: הָמָן, ha.man) means “noise; tumult”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 45 verses across 1 book of the Bible. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Agag in Esther 8.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Haman
son of Hammedatha
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 45 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Second Temple
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Esther 3:1 |
| Last appears | Esther 9:24 |
| Cross-references | 724 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Mordecai co-occurrence Appears with Mordecai in Esther 6.
- Hammedatha co-occurrence Appears with Hammedatha in Esther 3.
- Esther co-occurrence Appears with Esther in Esther 8.
- Zeresh co-occurrence Appears with Zeresh in Esther 5.
- Agag co-occurrence Appears with Agag in Esther 8.
- Ahasuerus co-occurrence Appears with Ahasuerus in Esther 3.
- Harbona co-occurrence Appears with Harbona in Esther 7.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.3.1;
son of: Hammedatha (H4099); married to Zeresh (H2238);
father of: Parshandatha (H6577), Dalphon (H1813), Aspatha (H0630), Poratha (H6334), Adalia (H0118), Aridatha (H0743), Parmashta (H6534), Arisai (H0747), Aridai (H0742), Vaizatha (H2055)
§ Haman = "magnificent"
chief minister of Ahasuerus, enemy of Mordecai and the Jews, who plotted to kill the Jews but, being foiled by Esther, was hanged, with his family, on the gallows he had made for Mordecai
Haman, a high-ranking Persian official, conspired to kill all the Jews in the empire but was ultimately thwarted by Queen Esther and Mordecai.
The biblical story
Haman is the primary antagonist in the book of Esther. He was an Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekite kings, and a high-ranking official in the Persian Empire during the reign of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). Haman was promoted to a position of authority and commanded all the royal officials to bow down to him (Est.3.1-2). However, Mordecai, a Jew, refused to bow to Haman (Est.3.2-4). Enraged, Haman plotted to destroy not only Mordecai but all the Jews in the empire (Est.3.5-6). He convinced the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of the Jews (Est.3.8-15). Haman also had a gallows built to hang Mordecai (Est.5.14). However, Haman's plans were thwarted by Queen Esther, who revealed her Jewish identity to the king and exposed Haman's plot (Est.7.1-6). The king ordered Haman to be hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (Est.7.7-10). Haman's ten sons were also executed (Est.9.10-14). The king then issued a new decree, allowing the Jews to defend themselves against their enemies (Est.8.1-14). Haman's story serves as a powerful example of how God can use individuals to protect His people and bring about justice, even in the face of great adversity.
Key verses
Haman appears in 45 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
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.
Esther 3:1 -
And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
Esther 3:2 -
Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.
Esther 3:4 -
And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
Esther 3:5 -
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.
Esther 3:6
Show all 45 references
Esther (45)
- Esther 3:1
- Esther 3:2
- Esther 3:4
- Esther 3:5
- Esther 3:6
- Esther 3:7
- Esther 3:8
- Esther 3:10
- Esther 3:11
- Esther 3:12
- Esther 3:15
- Esther 4:7
- Esther 5:4
- Esther 5:5
- Esther 5:8
- Esther 5:9
- Esther 5:10
- Esther 5:11
- Esther 5:12
- Esther 5:14
- Esther 6:4
- Esther 6:5
- Esther 6:6
- Esther 6:7
- Esther 6:10
- Esther 6:11
- Esther 6:12
- Esther 6:13
- Esther 6:14
- Esther 7:1
- Esther 7:6
- Esther 7:7
- Esther 7:8
- Esther 7:9
- Esther 7:10
- Esther 8:1
- Esther 8:2
- Esther 8:3
- Esther 8:5
- Esther 8:7
- Esther 9:10
- Esther 9:12
- Esther 9:13
- Esther 9:14
- Esther 9:24