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Nehemiah 2:1
And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king,that winewas before him: and I took up the wine, and gaveit unto the king. Now I had not beenbeforetime sad in his presence.

in the twelfth.

Esther 1:3
In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces,being before him:

Esther 2:16
So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, whichis the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

they cast Pur.

Esther 9:24-26
Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, thatis, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; …

Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereofis of the LORD.

Ezekiel 21:21,22
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he madehis arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver…

Adar.

Esther 9:1,5,17-19,21
Now in the twelfth month, thatis, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) …

Ezra 6:15
And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

in the first month, the month of Nisan
Nisan is the first month of the Jewish religious calendar, corresponding to March-April in the Gregorian calendar. It is a significant month for the Jewish people, as it includes the celebration of Passover, commemorating their deliverance from Egypt. The mention of Nisan highlights the providential timing of the events in Esther, as the Jewish people are once again facing a threat to their existence, echoing the themes of deliverance and divine intervention.

the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman
Casting lots was a common practice in ancient cultures to make decisions or determine fate, believed to reveal divine will. The term "Pur" is of Persian origin, indicating the influence of Persian culture on the narrative. Haman, the antagonist in the story, uses this method to decide the date for the planned destruction of the Jews, showing his reliance on chance rather than divine guidance. This act of casting lots contrasts with the Jewish understanding of God's sovereignty over events.

to determine a day and month
Haman's intention was to find an auspicious date for his plot against the Jews. The use of lots to determine the timing underscores the randomness and impersonal nature of his plan, in contrast to the personal and covenantal relationship the Jews have with God. This phrase also foreshadows the eventual reversal of Haman's plans, as the date chosen by lot becomes a day of deliverance rather than destruction.

And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar
Adar is the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar, corresponding to February-March. The selection of this month gives the Jewish people nearly a year to prepare for the impending threat, allowing for the unfolding of God's providential plan through Esther and Mordecai. The eventual deliverance of the Jews during the month of Adar is celebrated in the festival of Purim, named after the "Pur" or lot, highlighting the theme of divine reversal and protection.

• The narrative leaps from Esther’s coronation in the king’s seventh year (Esther 2:16) to his twelfth year, a span of about five years.

• Scripture’s chronology reminds us that God is working even when the text is silent (cf.Daniel 2:20–21, “He changes the times and seasons”).

• By dating the event so precisely, the writer anchors Haman’s plot in real history, affirming that this is no myth but fact.

• Nisan is the month of Passover (Exodus 12:2, 14); the same season that once celebrated Israel’s deliverance now sees a plan for their destruction.

• The contrast is striking: while Israel annually remembered God’s saving power, their enemy schemed to erase them.

• God’s timing is never accidental; He often begins to reverse evil at the very moment it seems most threatening (cf.Isaiah 46:10).

• “Pur” is a Persian term for casting lots—dice-like objects used for decision-making.

• Haman trusted chance and pagan superstition, yet “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33).

• This single word will later give its name to the feast of Purim (Esther 9:24–26), a yearly reminder that God turns the enemy’s tools into His people’s testimony.

• Haman sought the most “auspicious” date to annihilate the Jews, illustrating both his cruelty and his confidence in fate.

• His careful planning shows a calculated evil—yet “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail” (Proverbs 19:21).

• The verse quietly assures readers that God, not fortune, determines history.

• Eleven months now stand between the decree’s conception and its execution (compareEsther 3:12 with 8:12).

• That long interval becomes the window through which Esther, Mordecai, and the Jews fast, pray, and act—evidence of God’s providential delay.

• What Haman meant for destruction ends in celebration: “On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month… when the king’s command and edict were to be executed, the tables were turned” (Esther 9:1; see alsoGenesis 50:20).

Esther 3:7 shows that while Haman trusted an impersonal lot, the living God ruled the outcome. The date chosen gave nearly a year for divine intervention, culminating in deliverance and the feast of Purim. Hidden in a single verse is the assurance that no scheme, calendar, or “chance” can overrule the sovereign purposes of the Lord.

Nisan.--The later name of the month, known in the Pentateuch as Abib. In this month the Passover had been first instituted, when God smote the Egyptians with a terrible visitation, the death of the first-born, and bade the destroying angel spare the houses with the blood-besprinkled door-posts. It was in the same month that the Passover received its final fulfilment, when "Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us," when no mere earthly Egypt was discomfited, but principalities and powers of evil.

Pur.--This is evidently a Persian word for "lot," for both here and inEsther 9:24 the usual Hebrew word is added. It is doubtless connected with the Latinpars, portio. and the Englishpart. The people who cast Pur were seeking for a lucky day, as indicated by the lots, for the purpose in hand. A lot was cast for each day of the month, and for each month in the year, and in some way or other one day and one mouth were indicated as the most favourable. The notion of lucky and unlucky days seems to have been prevalent in the East in early times. and iudeed has, to a certain extent. found credence in the West.

The twelfth month.--The lucky month is thus indicated, but not the day. The LXX. adds a clause saying that it was on the fourteenth day, doubtless an interpolation on the strength ofEsther 3:13.

Adar.--The lunar month ending at the new moon in March. It was the twelfth month, so that nearly a year would intervene between the throwing of the lot and the carrying out of the scheme. Thus in God's providence ample time was allowed for redressing matters.