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Esther 7 · a question people ask

"Will he even assault the queen?" (7:8). What was Haman doing?

In the text

The chapter says only what it says. Haman had "stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen" (7:7). When the king returned, "Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was" (7:8). The king's words are a question: "Will he even assault the queen in front of me in the house?" (7:8). The chapter doesn't say what Haman meant, what the king thought had happened, or why he spoke as he did, and these notes add nothing to it. What it tells next is what was done: "As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face" (7:8).

The verses

“The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden. 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 had fallen on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in front of me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.”
Esther 7:7-8 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Esther 7

Esther 7: An adversary and an enemy

In 7:1, banquet is the verb drink, as when "The king and Haman sat down to drink" (Esther 3:15). Esther's "to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish" (7:4) are the three verbs of Haman's letters, and her "I would have held my peace" (7:4) is the verb of Mordecai's "if you remain silent now" (Esther 4:14).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions