Esther 2:5

2:5 Now there happened to be a Jewish man in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai. ¹  He was the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite,

Esther 3:4

3:4 And after they had spoken to him day after day ²  without his paying any attention to them, they informed Haman to see whether this attitude on Mordecai’s part would be permitted. ³  Furthermore, he had disclosed to them that he was a Jew. ⁴ 

¹ sn Mordecai is a pagan name that reflects the name of the Babylonian deity Marduk. Probably many Jews of the period had two names, one for secular use and the other for use especially within the Jewish community. Mordecai’s Jewish name is not recorded in the biblical text.

² sn Mordecai’s position in the service of the king brought him into regular contact with these royal officials. Because of this association the officials would have found ample opportunity to complain of Mordecai’s refusal to honor Haman by bowing down before him.

³ tn Heb “Will the matters of Mordecai stand?”; NASB “to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand.”

⁴ sn This disclosure of Jewish identity is a reversal of the practice mentioned in 1:10, 20.