The term Agagite (Hebrew: אגגי, romanized: ’Ǎḡāḡî) is used in the Book of Esther as a description of Haman. The term is understood to be an ethnonym although nothing is known with certainty about the people designated by the name.

Feb 9, 2025 · In Esther, the Jew-hating Haman is called “the Agagite” (Esther 3:1). Haman was probably a descendant of Agag, but the designation could simply refer to his Amalekite heritage.

Jul 17, 2024 · Explore the historical and cultural significance of the Agagites, focusing on their biblical roots and impact in the Book of Esther. Throughout history, the Agagites have held a unique position in biblical narratives and cultural interpretations.

Mar 13, 2016 · Haman, the villain of the Purim story, was an Amalekite. Specifically, he is called “Haman the Agagite.” Agag was an Amelekite king who was defeated by King Saul in Samuel I 15. In that chapter, King Saul spared Agag’s life and that of some of his livestock.

Haman (Hebrew: הָמָן Hāmān; also known as Haman the Agagite) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who according to the Hebrew Bible was an official in the court of the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus, commonly identified as Xerxes I (died 465 BCE) but traditionally equated with Artaxerxes I or Artaxerxes II. [1]

In the cultural and literary context of the Book of Esther, the term "Agagite" serves to heighten the tension and drama of the account. It evokes the historical memory of the Amalekite threat and sets the stage for the dramatic deliverance of the Jewish people.

Haman is called an Agagite to link him directly to the failure of Saul to kill Agag before he could reproduce. Mordechai and Saul were both of the tribe of Benjamin and it is literarily significant that one Benjaminite avenges the failure of another.

As his name indicates, Haman was a descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites. On account of his attempt to exterminate the Jews in the kingdom of Ahasuerus, he is frequently called "the persecutor of the Jews" ( ; Esth. iii. 10; viii. 1; ix. 10, 24). His machinations against the Jews and his downfall are remembered during the Feast of Purim.

Haman the Agagite remains a symbol of anti-Semitism and the perennial struggle between good and evil. His narrative underscores the themes of divine justice and the reversal of fortunes, as seen in the elevation of Mordecai and the salvation of the Jewish people.

AGAGITE ā’ gə gīt (הָֽאֲגָגִ֗י, LXX βουγαιον, Esth 3:1, ὁμακεδων, Esth 9:24; omits it in other passages). A term used to describe Haman (Esth 3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24). Perhaps a general term for enemy, cf. modern use of “Hun.”