This banquet probably took place in the afternoon since Haman had already led Mordecai around Susa on a horse that day and since Haman died later that day.
Esther was in a very dangerous position. She not only now identified herself with a minority group that Haman had represented to the king as subversive, but she also accused one of his closest confidential advisers of committing an error in judgment. Nevertheless she appealed to the king to do what was in his best interests (v. 4). Ahasuerus saw at once that his enemy, whoever he was, was going to rob him of his queen and his wealth. When Esther finally named the culprit, Ahasuerus had already decided to punish him severely.
The fact that his enemy sat in his presence at that very moment evidently made the king pause before issuing his obvious verdict. He wanted to think about it for a moment and walked out into his garden to do so. Upon returning, what he saw confirmed his decision. Haman found himself trapped between an angry king and an offended queen. Ironically this enemy of the Jews ended up pleading for his life with a Jewess. Haman fell at Esther's feet to beg as she reclined, but the king misunderstood his intentions when he reentered the banquet room unexpectedly (v. 8).
"The irony here is that Haman, who had demanded that Mordecai bow before him, was at the feet of the Jew Esther."87
". . . one must remember that in antiquity very strong feelings and strict regulations centered on the harem. . . . Had Haman knelt as much as a foot away from the queen's couch, the king's reaction could still have been justified."88
"A Targum adds that the angel Gabriel pushed Haman as the king entered the room!"89
Esther's words had so predisposed Ahasuerus against Haman that the king viewed Haman's posture in the worst possible light. Covering the face of a condemned person was evidently customary in such cases (v. 8).90
Harbonah's suggestion that they hang Haman on the gallows he had built for Mordecai drove the final nail in Haman's coffin (v. 9). Certainly Ahasuerus had not known of Haman's plan to execute the king's savior.
We do not know if Esther asked for mercy for Haman or not. In either case the king carried out his execution (v. 10). Thus ended the life of one of the most hostile Jew-haters that ever walked the stage of history (cf. Ps. 9:15-16).
