“When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus” (Esth 3:5-6).
At first glance, Haman’s decision to destroy all the Jews because of his contempt for one man defies human logic. Why so much hatred? We might attempt to analyze Haman’s genocidal behavior in light of his ego or a troubled past—were it not for the fact that this same irrational hatred for the Jewish people has persisted throughout history.
Yet when we reflect on God’s promise to Jacob in Genesis 27, we discover not only the root of Haman’s hatred but also the hope for Israel’s survival.
What is it about the Jews that provokes multitudes to chant, “Death to Israel”? Why do so many prefer that we simply didn’t exist?
Without ever mentioning God, the author of Esther uses subtle yet strategic allusions to earlier Scripture to help us understand the supernatural roots of antisemitism. By calling Haman an “Agagite” (Esth 3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24; see Num 24:7; 1 Sam 15:8–9, 20, 32–33), the author reminds us that Haman descended from Esau, the father of the Amalekites (Gen 36:12, 16).
Haman’s war against Mordecai and his people traces back to Genesis 27, where God promises to bless the nations through Jacob. There, Isaac foretells that peoples and nations will bow down to Jacob, and that his older brother Esau will serve him (Gen 27:29). This blessing escalated into conflict, and Esau soon resolved to kill Jacob (Gen 27:41). That hostility has continued ever since. It is no surprise, then, that Amalek—Esau’s descendants—tried to destroy the Israelites as soon as they left Egypt (Exod 17:8–11, 13–14, 16).
Yet when we reflect on God’s promise to Jacob in Genesis 27, we discover not only the root of Haman’s hatred but also the hope for Israel’s survival. In Genesis 27:29, Isaac proclaims that those who curse Jacob will be cursed, and those who bless him will be blessed—echoing God’s promise to Abraham (Gen 12:3). The same assurance reappears in Balaam’s prophecy, where a Messianic king will rise to bless the nations and triumph over Agag (Num 24:7–9; see also Psa 72:8–9, 17).
So why does antisemitism keep rising? Yeshua’s words to the Samaritan woman in John 4:22 give us the answer: “Because salvation is from the Jews.” Haman’s hatred, Hitler’s hatred, Hamas’ hatred, and Harvard’s hatred for the Jewish people are not merely natural—they are supernatural. Satan, that ancient serpent, has always hated the “seed of the woman” and seeks to destroy both him and his descendants (Gen 3:15), knowing that his own defeat—and the world’s redemption—come through the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Although the recent surge in global antisemitism is deeply troubling, it is also a hopeful reminder that Satan knows his time is short.
“For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child” (Rev 12:12-13).
