American Standard Version
Esther 7:8
8Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the couch whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he even force the queen before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
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
6And Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. 7And the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the couch whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he even force the queen before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9Then said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains that were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who spake good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him thereon. 10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.
Read all of Esther 7Esther 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
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- gardenגִּנָּהginnâh · gardenH1594
- wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
- Hamanהָמָןhâmân · HamanH2001
- fallenנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
- couchמִטָּהmiţţâh · bedH4296
- Estherאֶסְתֵּר'estêr · EstherH635
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- queenמַלְכָּהmalkâh · queenH4436
- houseבֵּיתbayith · betweenH1004
- wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- wentיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- coveredחָפָהchâphâh · to coverH2645
- faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
Cross-references for Esther 7:8
- Esther 1:6There were hangings of white cloth, of green, and of blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and white, and yellow, and black marble.
- Isaiah 49:23And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah; and they that wait for me shall not be put to shame.
- Esther 6:12And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
- Job 9:24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof: Ifit benothe, who then is it?
- Isaiah 22:17Behold, Jehovah, like a strong man, will hurl thee away violently; yea, he will wrap thee up closely.
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
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries