John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine , etc.] Being a little cooler, and more composed in his mind, see (see Gill on “ Esther 1:5”) and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was ; not the bed she lay on to sleep in the night, (for it cannot be thought that it was a bedchamber in which the banquet was,) but on the bed or couch on which she sat or reclined at the banquet, as was the custom in the eastern countries; now, “by”, or “near” this, as the word may be rendered, Haman fell down, even at the feet of the queen, begging for mercy; and some think he might embrace her feet or knees, as was the custom of the Greeks and Romans as they were supplicating f160 ; and so it seems to have been with the Jews, (see 2 Kings 4:27), and being in this posture, it might appear the more indecent, and give the king an opportunity to say as follows: then said the king, will he force the queen also before me in the house? , that is, ravish her; not that he really thought so; it was not a time nor place for such an action; nor can it be thought that Haman, in such terror and confusion he was in, could be so disposed; and besides there were others present, as the next clause shows: but this he said, putting the worst construction on his actions, and plainly declaring his opinion of him, that he thought him a man capable of committing the vilest of crimes, and that his supplications were not to be regarded: as the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face ; the servants present, as a man unworthy to see the light; and they took what the king said to amount to a sentence of condemnation, and that it was his will he should die; and they covered his face, as condemned malefactors used to be; which was a custom among the Greeks and Romans, of which many instances may be given f161 ; though Aben Ezra says it was the custom of the kings of Persia, that their servants covered the face of him the king was angry with, that he might not see his face any more, which was well known in the Persian writings.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-10 - The king was angry: those that do things with self-will, reflect upo them afterward with self-reproach. When angry, we should pause befor we come to any resolution, and thus rule our own spirits, and show tha we are governed by reason. Those that are most haughty and insolen when in power and prosperity, commonly, like Haman, are the most abjec and poor-spirited when brought down. The day is coming when those tha hate and persecute God's chosen ones, would gladly be beholden to them The king returns yet more angry against Haman. Those about him wer ready to put his wrath into execution. How little can proud men be sure of the interest they think they have! The enemies of God's church have often been thus taken in their own craftiness. The Lord is known by such judgments. Then was the king's wrath pacified, and not till then And who pities Haman hanged on his own gallows? who does not rathe rejoice in the Divine righteousness displayed in the destruction his own art brought upon him? Let the workers of iniquity tremble, turn to the Lord, and seek pardon through the blood of Jesus _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew והמלך4428 שׁב7725 מגנת1594 הביתן1055 אל413 בית1004 משׁתה4960 היין3196 והמן2001 נפל5307 על5921 המטה4296 אשׁר834 אסתר635 עליה5921 ויאמר559 המלך4428 הגם1571 לכבושׁ3533 את853 המלכה4436 עמי5973 בבית1004 הדבר1697 יצא3318 מפי6310 המלך4428 ופני6440 המן2001 חפו׃2645
