The BibleGospel Companion

Hammedatha

הַמְּדָתָא · me.da.ta · H4099“he that troubles the law” Hitchcock's 18695 mentions, all in Esther

Who he was

Hammedatha is mentioned in the book of Esther as the father of Haman, the primary antagonist who plotted to destroy the Jews in the Persian Empire. He is identified as an Agagite (Esther 3:1), which suggests that he may have been a descendant of Agag, the Amalekite king who was defeated by King Saul (1Samuel 15). Hammedatha's son, Haman, rose to a high position in the court of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) and used his influence to persuade the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of all Jews in the empire (Esther 3:8–15). However, Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai ultimately thwarted Haman's plans, leading to his downfall and execution, along with his ten sons (Esther 7-9). The mention of Hammedatha in the book of Esther serves to provide background information on Haman's lineage and to emphasize the long-standing enmity between the Amalekites and the Israelites.

Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Family

ChildrenHaman
Family relations: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Every mention

5 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)

Esther 5 mentions

Esther 3:1After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.Esther 3:10The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.Esther 8:5She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seems right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters…Esther 9:10the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy, but they didn’t lay their hand on the plunder.Esther 9:24because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast “Pur”, that is the lot, to consume them and to…

What the dictionary says

Father of Haman, designated usually “the Agagite” (Esther 3:1, 10; 8:5).

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
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Sources