Original Word: אֲגָגִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Agagiy
Pronunciation: ah-gah-GHEE
Phonetic Spelling: (ag-aw-ghee')
KJV: Agagite
NASB: Agagite
Word Origin: [patrial or patronymic from H90 (אֲגַג - Agag)]

1. an Agagite or descendent (subject) of Agag

Agagite

Patrial or patronymic from 'Agag; an Agagite or descendent (subject) of Agag -- Agagite.

see HEBREW 'Agag

Word Origin
from Agag
Definition
a descriptive term for Haman
NASB Translation
Agagite (5).

אֲגָגִי adjective, of a people of Haman (= Amalekite ? so Jewish tradition & compare Jos^Ant.xi.6.5) Esther 3:1,10; Esther 8:3,5; Esther 9:24.

אגד (bind, so Talmud אָגַד, Aramaic אֲגַד). **Aramaic ׳א (Talmud, once, Levy) probably Hebraism.

Definition and Identity

An “Agagite” designates a person descended from, or identified with, Agag the Amalekite king (compare 1 Samuel 15). In the Book of Esther the description marks Haman as heir to the age-long hostility between Amalek and the covenant people of Israel (Exodus 17:16).

Occurrences in Scripture

• Esther 3:1 – “After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other officials who were with him.”
• Esther 3:10
• Esther 8:3
• Esther 8:5
• Esther 9:24 – “For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) to crush and destroy them.”

Historical Context

Agag was the royal title borne by the kings of Amalek, a nation first opposing Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 17:8-16). Centuries later King Saul spared Agag in disobedience to God’s command (1 Samuel 15), only for the prophet Samuel to execute the condemned ruler. The “Agagite” label therefore casts Haman as a surviving thread of Amalekite enmity. His elevation in Persia reprises the earlier clash between Saul (a Benjamite) and Agag, now mirrored in the confrontation between Mordecai the Benjamite (Esther 2:5) and Haman.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Justice. Haman’s downfall fulfills the divine oath, “The LORD will be at war against Amalek from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:16). God’s purposes cannot be thwarted by human power or political intrigue.
2. Covenant Preservation. The Agagite plot threatens the very existence of the Messianic line; its defeat secures the continuity that will culminate in Jesus Christ (Matthew 1).
3. Providence and Reversal. The book repeatedly highlights providential reversals: the gallows planned for Mordecai become Haman’s gallows; the edict for Jewish destruction becomes authorization for Jewish deliverance (Esther 9:1-2).

Typological Insights

Haman the Agagite prefigures the ultimate adversary of God’s people—Satan—while Mordecai’s vindication anticipates Christ’s exaltation. The casting of the “pur” (lot) foreshadows God’s sovereignty over seemingly random events (Proverbs 16:33).

Intertextual Connections

• Numbers 24:7 prophetically links the rise of Israel’s king to the downfall of Agag, setting a pattern later witnessed in Esther.
• Deuteronomy 25:17-19 commands Israel to blot out Amalek’s memory, a mandate provisionally realized through the defeat of the Agagite.
• 1 Samuel 15 highlights the consequences of incomplete obedience; Esther records God’s provision despite past failure.

Practical and Ministry Applications

• Vigilance Against Persisting Sin. Just as Amalek resurfaces in the Agagite, unchecked sin can revive across generations; believers are called to “put to death the deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13).
• Confidence in Sovereign Deliverance. The Agagite conspiracy reminds congregations that God orchestrates circumstances for His people’s welfare, inviting trust amid cultural hostility.
• Encouragement to Intercession. Esther’s petitions before the king illustrate the power of advocating for others; churches are exhorted to “first of all, make petitions, prayers, intercessions” (1 Timothy 2:1).

Summary

The title “Agagite” compresses a complex biblical narrative—ancient enmity, divine justice, and providential rescue—into a single word. In Haman it identifies the perennial foe of God’s people; in his defeat it magnifies the faithfulness of the LORD who preserves His covenant and accomplishes redemptive purposes through seemingly ordinary events.

הָֽאֲגָגִ֔י הָֽאֲגָגִ֗י הָאֲגָגִ֔י הָאֲגָגִ֖י האגגי hā’ăḡāḡî hā·’ă·ḡā·ḡî haagaGiInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts