Esther 7:8

Esther 7:8 in other versions

• King James Version (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 the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
• New International Version (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.
• English Standard Version (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.
• New King James Version (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.

Context of Esther 7:8

6Esther said, “An adversary and an enemy is Haman, this evil man.” Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen. 7Then in his fury, the king stood up from drinking wine and went into the palace garden [to decide what he should do]; but Haman stayed to plead for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm had been determined against him by the king. When the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even attempt to assault the queen with me in the palace?” As the king spoke those words, the servants covered Haman’s face [in preparation for execution]. 9Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs serving the king said, “Now look, there are gallows fifty cubits (75 ft.) high standing at Haman’s house, which Haman made for Mordecai, whose good warning saved the king.” And the king said, “Hang him on it.” 10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s anger subsided.

Esther 7:8 word by word

וְהַמֶּ֡לֶךְ שָׁב֩ מִגִּנַּ֨ת הַבִּיתָ֜ן אֶל־בֵּ֣ית׀ מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֗יִן וְהָמָן֙ נֹפֵ֔ל עַל־הַמִּטָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶסְתֵּ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הֲ֠גַם לִכְבּ֧וֹשׁ אֶת־הַמַּלְכָּ֛ה עִמִּ֖י בַּבָּ֑יִת הַדָּבָ֗ר יָצָא֙ מִפִּ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּפְנֵ֥י הָמָ֖ן חָפֽוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• out of the palaceבִּיתָןbîythân · palaceH1055
• gardenגִּנָּהginnâh · gardenH1594
• into the placeבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• of the banquetמִשְׁתֶּהmishteh · feastH4960
• of wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• and Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
• was fallenנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• upon the bedמִטָּהmiţţâh · bedH4296
• whereon Estherאֶסְתֵּר'estêr · EstherH635
• Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Will he forceכָּבַשׁkâbash · to subdueH3533
• the queenמַלְכָּהmalkâh · queenH4436
• As the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: speakH3318
• mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• they coveredחָפָהchâphâh · to coverH2645
• faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440

Cross-references for Esther 7:8

• Esther 1:6There were curtains (draperies) of fine white and violet linen fastened with cords of fine purple linen to silver rings and marble columns. The couches of gold and silver rested on a mosaic floor of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious colored stones.
• Isaiah 49:23Kings will be your attendants, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And you shall know [with an understanding based on personal experience] that I am the Lord; For they shall not be put to shame who wait and hope expectantly for Me.
• Esther 6:12Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his [own] house, mourning and with his head covered [in sorrow].
• Job 9:24The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice]. If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?
• Isaiah 22:17Listen carefully, the Lord is about to hurl you away violently, O man; And He is about to grasp you firmly

Commentaries on Esther 7:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Will he force the queen - On the king's return he found him at the queen's knees; and, professing to think that he intended to do violence to her honor, used the above expressions; though he must have known that, in such circumstances, the thought of perpetrating an act of this kind could not possibly exist. They covered Haman's face - This was a sign of his being devoted to death: for the attendants saw that the king was determined on his destruction…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Like the Greeks and Romans, the Persians reclined at their meals on sofas or couches. Haman, in the intensity of his supplication, had thrown himself upon the couch at Esther‘s feet. They covered Haman‘s face - The Macedonians and the Romans are known to have commonly muffled the heads of prisoners before executing them. It may have also been a Persian custom.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-10Verses 7-10 The king was angry: those that do things with self-will, reflect upon them afterward with self-reproach. When angry, we should pause before we come to any resolution, and thus rule our own spirits, and show that we are governed by reason. Those that are most haughty and insolent when in power and prosperity, commonly, like Haman, are the most abject and poor-spirited when brought down. The day is coming when those that hate and persecute God's…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining: This was a major mistake because no one should touch the queen or be on the same couch with her. Would he actually assault the queen while I am in the palace?: This exaggerated rhetorical question suggests Haman has the worst possible motives.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was--We do not know the precise form of the couches on which the Persians reclined at table. But it is probable that they were not very different from those used by the Greeks and Romans. Haman, perhaps, at first stood up to beg pardon of Esther; but driven in his extremity to resort to an attitude of the most earnest supplication, he fell prostrate on the couch where the queen was recumbent. The king…Read the comment

Topics related to Esther 7:8

• Readings, Select

In the dictionaries

• Esther
• Esther, Hadassah
• Banquet
• Esther, Book of
• Face
• Garden
• Head
• Persians

Commentaries on Esther 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings