In Esther, chapter three, verse two, Mordecai refuses to bow before Haman because of his loyalty to God, as in verse four. The honor paid to Haman by the king’s servants and others either was undeserved or bordered on conduct reserved by the Jews only for the worship of God. Therefore, Mordecai would not consent to bow down or prostrate himself before Haman. Daniel’s three companions manifested the same conviction in the book of Daniel three, verses one through twelve.
In Haman’s plot against the Jews section, the king advanced Haman and set him above all the princes, as in verse one. However, even though all the king’s servants reverenced him, Mordecai chose not to do so. The servants recognize this reaction and proceed to ask Mordecai the question. Why transgressest thou the king’s commandment? Mordecai did not reverence Haman because he was not God.
Mordecai was the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite from the palace in Shushan. He took Esther as his daughter when both of her parents were dead. Mordecai was the kind of character who did not have the same character as Haman. Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, was the opposite of the character of Mordecai. Therefore, these were two different people with different lifestyles.
Mordecai had a kind, godly quality that did not resemble the character of Haman. Mordecai bowed not to such was the ordinary practice. However, the main reason for not bowing was mainly on religious grounds, as giving to a man divine honors, for it elicits from him the fact that he was a Jew. To whom such an act of obeisance would be disgusting. To bow a knee and give reverence to all great persons was a common respect due to them, and there needed not a particular command for a king requiring to be shown by all his servants to Haman.