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Est_7:8 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.
Ver. 8. Then the king returned out of the palace garden] Where he had either increased his choler, and cast on more fuel by plodding, or, as some think, strove to digest it, as horses do by biting on the bit.
Ut fragilis glacies occidit ira mora.
Unto the house of the banquet of wine] Called also by the Hebrew, Bethmittoth, the house of beds, triclinium; because at beds they used to sit, as we do at tables, to eat and drink. See Est_1:6.
And Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was] He had stood up before (for he saw the queen took no felicity in his company) to make request for his life, which now was in suspense; here he falls down, either as swooning, or supplicating at the queen’s feet, to beg her favour. But she very well knew that there is both a cruel mercy and a pious cruelty, and that although the sword of justice should be furbished with the oil of mercy, yet there are cases (and this was one) wherein severity ought to cast the scale; when there is no hope of curing, men must fall to cutting, Immedicabile vulnus, &c.
Then said the king, Will he force the queen also] Haman had little mind of any such matter, as being now in the hands of the king of terrors, and ready to be devoured by the firstborn of death, as Bildad hath it, Job_18:13. But the angry king was willing to misinterpret him, and to take all things at the worst. It is an easy matter to find a club for a dog, to pick a quarrel where men intend a mischief. Ahasuerus was not unwilling to misconstrue the posture of Haman’s body, while prostrate, he spread his arms in a vehement imploration up to the queen’s bed. How oft might he have done so, and more, while he was in favour, uncensured? Actions are not the same when the man alters. Men either judge or not judge, as their passions and affections carry them. See this Act_23:9. Before Paul had reveal himself to be a Pharisee, This man is not worthy to live, said they; but when he had cried out in the council, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, oh how finely do they mince the matter! Perhaps an angel hath revealed it to him, &c. Paul was an honest man then.
Impedit ira animum, ne possit cernere verum.
But though the king were unjust in judging thus amiss of Haman, yet God was righteous in measuring to him as he had meted to others, by belying and slandering so many innocents as he had designed to destruction. The devil was, and still is, first a liar, and then a murderer, he cannot murder without slandering first. But God loves to retaliate and proportion device to device, Mic_2:1; Mic_2:3, frowardness to frowardness, Psa_18:26, spoiling to spoiling, Isa_33:1, tribulation to them that trouble his people, 2Th_1:6.
As the word went out of the king’s mouth] Either the former words, or else some words of command not here related, such as are Corripite, velate vultum, Take him away, cover his face. And this word was to Haman the messenger of death, driving him from the light into darkness, and chasing him out of the world, Job_18:18. Nay, worse. That Book of Job elegantly sets forth the misery of a wicked man dying, under the notion of one not only driven out of the light by devils, where he shall see nothing but his tormentors, but also made to stand upon snares or gins with iron teeth, ready to strike up and grind him to pieces, having gall poured down to his belly, with an instrument raking in his bowels, and the pains of a travailing woman upon him, and a hideous noise of horror in his ears, and a great giant with a spear running upon his neck, and a flame burning upon him round about, &c., and yet all this to hell itself is but as a prick with a pin, or a flea biting, Job_18:18; Job_20:15; Job_20:24; Job_15:20-21; Job_15:26; Job_15:30.
They covered Haman’s face] In token of his irrevocable condition. See Job_9:24 Isa_22:17. The Turks cast a black gown upon such, as they sit at supper with the Great Turk, and presently strangle them. Many of their viziers or greatest favourites die in this sort, which makes them use this proverb, He that is greatest in office is but a statue of glass. Plutarch wittily compareth great men to counters, which now stand for a thousand pounds, and anon for a farthing. - Sic transit gloria mundi. so passes the glory of the world.
Quem dies veniens vidit superbum,
Hunc dies abiens vidit iacentem.
Haman, for instance, and so Sejanus; the same senators who accompanied him to the senate, conducted him to prison; they which sacrificed unto him as to their god, which kneeled down to adore him, scoffed at him, seeing him dragged from the temple to the jail, from supreme honour to extreme ignominy, Ludit in humanis divina potentia rebus (Pertinax Imp. fortunae pila dictus est). One reason why the king flung out of the room, and went into the palace garden, might be because he could not endure the sight of Haman any more. Wherefore upon his return they instantly covered his face. Some say the manner was, that when the king of Persia was most highly offended with any man, his face was immediately covered, to show that he was unworthy to see the sun, whom they counted their god; or to be an eye-sore to the displeased king, Tanquam indignus qui regem oculis usurparet just as great an indignity ro see the king with their eyes. (Drus.). Among the Romans it was, Maiestas laesa si exeunti Proconsuli meretrix non summovetur, high treason for any strumpet to stand in the proconsuls way, whenever he came abroad. The statues of the gods were transported or covered in those places where any punishment was inflicted. That in Cicero and Livy is well known, I lictor colliga manus, caput abnubito, arbori infelici suspendito, Go, hangman, bind his hands, cover his face, hang him on the gallow-tree. This was their condemnatory sentence.