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.
Then the king came back from the palace garden into the banquet hall where they had been drinking wine. He found Haman had thrown himself down on the couch where Esther was lying. The king said, 'Will he even assault the queen right here in front of me in my own house?' As soon as the king spoke these words, the servants covered Haman's face.
The king discovers Haman appearing to assault Queen Esther and immediately orders his execution by having his face covered - the sign of a man condemned to die.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Esther, set in the ancient Persian Empire under King Ahasuerus, Queen Esther has cleverly arranged a banquet to expose Haman's plot to annihilate the Jewish people. As the king returns from the palace garden, he walks in on Haman pleading with Esther on her couch, which the king mistakenly sees as an assault on the queen, leading to Haman's swift condemnation. This scene reflects the cultural norms of Persian royal courts, where accusations of treason could result in immediate and severe consequences.
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