Esther 7 8

Esther 7:8 kjv

Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

Esther 7:8 nkjv

When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, "Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?" As the word left the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

Esther 7:8 niv

Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, "Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?" As soon as the word left the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

Esther 7:8 esv

And the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. And the king said, "Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?" As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face.

Esther 7:8 nlt

In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden. The king exclaimed, "Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?" And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman's face, signaling his doom.

Esther 7 verses

Esther 7 8 Meaning

Esther 7:8 describes the climax of Haman’s downfall, as King Ahasuerus returns from his palace garden to the banquet hall. Upon seeing Haman prostrate on the queen's private couch, he interprets this desperate plea for mercy as an assault, specifically an attempt to "assault" or sexually violate the queen within the king's own house. This rhetorical question signals the king's irreversible decision, immediately prompting his attendants to cover Haman’s face, a symbolic action indicating his swift condemnation and impending execution. The verse highlights the culmination of divine providence and human agency leading to the antagonist’s destruction.

Esther 7 8 Context

Esther 7:8 occurs at the pinnacle of Haman’s destruction, following Esther’s revelation of his wicked plot against her and her people (Esther 7:5-6) during the second banquet. King Ahasuerus, enraged by Haman’s treachery, had withdrawn to the palace garden to compose himself and decide Haman's fate. Meanwhile, Haman, terrified, remained in the banquet hall, desperately pleading with Queen Esther for his life. His fear and panic led him to prostrate himself on the royal couch where Esther was reclining. This desperate act, when interpreted by the returning king, sealed Haman's doom. The king's sudden outburst and his command to cover Haman’s face signifies a definitive judgment and marks the point of no return for Haman, ushering in the swift execution detailed in the following verse. This event encapsulates the theme of divine reversal and the swift turn of fortunes against the wicked.

Esther 7 8 Word analysis

• Then the king returned (וַיָּשָׁב הַמֶּלֶךְ, vayyashav ha-melech):
  • וַיָּשָׁב (vayyashav): "And he returned." This specific verb form (waw consecutive imperfect) emphasizes the swift and direct consequence of the king’s departure. His return is timely and pivotal, reflecting divine orchestration. It is not a casual stroll, but a moment charged with destiny.
  • הַמֶּלֶךְ (ha-melech): "The king." His title here signifies absolute authority and judicial power. His decision is final.
• from the palace garden (מִגִּנַּת הַבִּיתָן, mi-ginat ha-bitan):
  • גִּנַּת הַבִּיתָן (ginat ha-bitan): "Garden of the palace." The king's temporary retreat to the garden is not merely for cooling his temper but likely for deliberating judgment, perhaps consulting advisors, or meditating. In Persian culture, the royal garden was a significant place, sometimes for judicial pronouncements or strategic thinking, reminiscent of other biblical narratives where gardens are settings for pivotal decisions or encounters (e.g., Garden of Eden, Gethsemane).
• into the banquet hall (אֶל בֵּית מִשְׁתֵּה הַיָּיִן, el beit mishteh ha-yayin):
  • בֵּית מִשְׁתֵּה הַיָּיִן (beit mishteh ha-yayin): "House of the drinking feast / wine banquet." This private setting emphasizes the personal nature of Haman's offense against Esther and the king, occurring in their intimate space.
• Haman had fallen (וְהָמָן נֹפֵל, ve-haman nofel):
  • נֹפֵל (nofel): "Falling, fallen, prostrating." The Hebrew verb naphal (נָפַל) implies falling down, collapsing, often in humiliation, desperation, or defeat. It suggests a sudden, involuntary collapse, contrasting starkly with his former elevated status. His literal fall reflects his metaphorical downfall.
• on the couch where Esther was (עַל הַמִּטָּה אֲשֶׁר אֶסְתֵּר עָלֶיהָ, al ha-mittah asher Esther aleiha):
  • הַמִּטָּה (ha-mittah): "The couch." In this context, it refers to the reclining couch used for banqueting. Its proximity to the queen's person makes Haman's desperate act highly sensitive.
  • אֲשֶׁר אֶסְתֵּר עָלֶיהָ (asher Esther aleiha): "where Esther was upon it." This highlights Haman’s invasion of Esther’s personal space. The act itself was likely a frantic plea, grasping her clothing or person, a desperate attempt to gain clemency from the one person who could save him.
• Then the king said (וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ, vayyomer ha-melech):
  • וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyomer): "And he said." Indicates immediate reaction, swift judgment.
• “Will he even assault the queen (הַגַּם לִכְבּוֹשׁ אֶת הַמַּלְכָּה, ha-gam likhbosh et ha-malkah)
  • הַגַּם (ha-gam): "Even, also." Used here emphatically in a rhetorical question, expressing incredulity and outrage.
  • לִכְבּוֹשׁ (likhbosh): "To subdue, to conquer, to rape, to assault." The Hebrew verb kabash (כָּבַשׁ) typically means "to subdue" or "to subjugate," but in relation to a person, especially a woman, it carries strong connotations of sexual assault or violation (Gen 34:2). While Haman’s intent was to beg for his life, the king interprets his act, in the heat of his anger and with knowledge of Haman's overall wickedness, as an aggressive and illicit move against the queen. This misinterpretation (or deliberate reinterpretation) provides the final justification for Haman's immediate execution.
  • אֶת הַמַּלְכָּה (et ha-malkah): "The queen." This underscores the high office and inviolability of the queen. An assault on her is an ultimate affront to the king’s honor and authority.
• in my own house (עִמִּי בַּבַּיִת, immi ba-bayit)?":
  • עִמִּי בַּבַּיִת (immi ba-bayit): "With me in the house / In my house." The phrase "in my own house" (or "while I am still here/present in the house," literally "with me in the house") amplifies the insult. It implies an unthinkable violation of royal privacy, dignity, and personal ownership, particularly because the king himself had just been there.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Then the king returned from the palace garden into the banquet hall": This sequence establishes the pivotal moment. The king’s brief departure (v. 7) allows for Haman's desperate plea and simultaneously positions the king to walk in on what he perceives as a direct insult. This return is God's timing, exposing Haman and sealing his fate. The choice of "palace garden" could be a literary device signaling a contemplative or decisive return, like other moments in Scripture.
• "Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was": This depicts Haman's complete loss of composure and status. His physical posture of prostration, though intended for mercy, is perceived as a physical threat. The "couch where Esther was" symbolizes a place of intimacy and royal privacy, now desecrated by the desperate villain. This underscores Haman’s moral and spiritual depravity, unable to discern proper conduct even in extremis.
• "Then the king said, 'Will he even assault the queen in my own house?'": This rhetorical question is the definitive turning point. It's an outburst of indignation. The king, already inflamed by Haman’s plot, projects the worst possible intent onto Haman’s actions. The perceived affront to the queen "in my own house" adds personal offense to Haman’s crimes, crossing a line beyond forgiveness for King Ahasuerus. The use of "my own house" asserts ultimate royal ownership and privilege.
• "As the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face": The swiftness of this action highlights the absolute authority of the king's spoken word. Covering the face was a common practice indicating a person condemned to death, a symbol of impending execution and public shame. It prevents the condemned from looking upon royalty or receiving a final view of the world they are leaving. This seals Haman’s doom, as his dignity and light are extinguished even before his breath.

Esther 7 8 Bonus section

The seemingly misinterpreted action by Haman (begging for life vs. king perceiving it as assault) can be seen as an instance of lex talionis at play, though not in strict sense of exact injury, but rather an overarching poetic justice. Haman had plotted total annihilation for the Jewish people (Esth 3:6), including women and children. Now, in the king's heated judgment, Haman is accused of threatening the queen, a woman, in the most egregious manner. The very ruthlessness and disregard for life he advocated are now projected onto him, resulting in his own total destruction. This highlights that while God's direct intervention is not explicitly stated in Esther, His providential hand clearly orchestrates events, including the precise timing of Ahasuerus's return and his interpretation, leading to the precise and inescapable judgment of the wicked. This is the fulfillment of many Old Testament proverbs and principles about the self-inflicted destruction of the proud and evil.

Esther 7 8 Commentary

Esther 7:8 marks the critical turning point in Haman's saga. It portrays the swift and definitive moment of divine retribution and human judgment. The king's strategic withdrawal and return, Haman’s desperate but misconstrued plea, and the king's final, wrathful interpretation all align to secure Haman’s demise. Haman's fall, both literal onto Esther’s couch and metaphorical from power, is a powerful visual of "pride goes before destruction." His frantic attempt to save his life becomes the very trigger for his immediate condemnation. The king's outrage, amplified by the idea of an assault in "his own house," underscores the immense sacredness and authority of the royal sphere. The act of covering Haman’s face signifies not just shame and public disgrace but the immediate pronouncement of his death sentence, showing the irrevocable power of the monarch. This scene is a potent demonstration of how the schemes of the wicked are turned against them, reflecting a deeper divine justice working behind human events, often bringing about downfall through their own devices and the very desires that animated them. It provides a sharp contrast between Haman's past glory and his abrupt ignominy.