the enemy of the Jews.
Why was Haman ‘the enemy of the Jews’? Because he was an Amalekite, and because Amalekites and Jews had always hated each other. The problem actually starts with Mordechai. Haman is appointed Prime Minister, and everybody bows and shows respect to him – everybody except Mordechai. Mordechai shows no respect to this man, despite his office. Why? Because he is a damned Amalekite.
This is a helpful reflection, I think, of the piety of Mordechai. What did it mean to him to be a Jew? Did it mean a personal devotion to the God of the Hebrews? Did it mean praying each day while facing Jerusalem? Did it mean a strict adherence to the 10 commandments? No! None of these things, but it did mean hating the Amalekites. Mordechai was not a model Jew.
Haman decides to punish Mordechai for his insolence by killing off all the Jews, and he convinces the king that this is a good idea. He sets a date for his holocaust 11 months hence.
In Chapter 4, Mordechai appeals to Esther for help. Esther says that she’d like to help but that she can’t really do anything at the moment because the king, it seems, has already grown sick of her. She’s not allowed to just waltz in for a chat with the king uninvited. The king is quite entitled to have her cut in half for showing that sort of insolence.
Mordechai tells her that she shouldn’t live under the illusion that she will be safe in the palace while others suffer. She will end up getting it in the neck too. Esther relents and in chapter 5 she takes her chances with Xerxes and wanders into his throne-room to invite him to dinner. Esther catches Xerxes in a good mood. He doesn’t kill her, but accepts the dinner