Five times in the book, Haman will be referred to as the Agagite (Esther 3:1, Esther 3:10; Esther 8:3; Esther 8:5; Esther 9:24). In the Bible, the name Agag is always used for an Amalekite king (Numbers 24:7; 1 Samuel 15:8). It was probably a royal title, just as Pharaoh was a title used for Egyptian kings. Thus, we can assume that Haman was of royal Amalekite descent. This fact is of great importance for our understanding of the book.

King Ahasuerus gave to Haman the same position that Joseph had had under Pharaoh, and Daniel under Nebuchadnezzar. Haman was the king’s viceroy, which made of him the second most powerful person in the Persian empire. Yet by the time Haman entered the scene, God had already put in place everything needed to protect his people against this powerful enemy.