Menu

Esther 2:21 — Word Study

Depth

WLCבַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם וּמָרְדֳּכַ֖י יֹשֵׁ֣ב בְּשַֽׁעַר־ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ קָצַף֩ בִּגְתָ֨ן וָתֶ֜רֶשׁ שְׁנֵֽי־ סָרִיסֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מִשֹּׁמְרֵ֣י הַסַּ֔ף וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ לִשְׁלֹ֣חַ יָ֔ד בַּמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵֽרֹשׁ׃

BSAIn thosehêm daysyôwm [a period of time, a season] while MordecaiMordᵉkay [a brave Israelite, a faithful Jew] was sittingyâshab [dwelling, residing] at the king’smelek [royal, sovereign] gateshaʻar [entrance, doorway] BigthanBigthân [a eunuch, a high-ranking official] and TereshTeresh [a co-conspirator, a fellow plotter] twoshᵉnayim [a pair, a duo] of the king’smelek eunuchsçârîyç [attendants, servants] who guardedshâmar [protected, watched over] the entranceçaph [threshold, doorway] grew angryqâtsaph [furious, enraged] and conspiredbâqash [plotted, schemed] to assassinateshâlach [kill, murder] Kingmelek XerxesʼĂchashvêrôwsh [Ahasuerus, the ruler of Persia]

Word
Listen & take awayEsther 2
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 21 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration ('a.chash.Ve.rosh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Esther 2:21quick helps
In a sentenceMordecai is sitting at the king’s gate when two eunuchs plot to assassinate King Xerxes.
Who is speakingThe narrator describes the events involving Mordecai and the eunuchs.
Where we areIn the context of Esther's story, during a time of political intrigue in Persia.
The hard wordקָצַף
Take awayThe plot against the king is discovered through Mordecai's vigilance.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectמׇרְדֳּכַי verbיָשַׁב The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Esther 2:21

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Plot Against King Xerxesgenerated

20Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care.
21In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
22When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf.
23After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.

Esther 2:21 describes a critical moment when Mordecai, sitting at the king’s gate, learns of a conspiracy against King Xerxes. This event sets the stage for future developments in the story, showcasing Mordecai's role in protecting the king and his people. The narrative highlights the tension between the royal court and those who sought to undermine it.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Esther 6:2And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
22 Samuel 4:5–6Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while the king was taking his midday nap.
32 Samuel 16:11Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son, my own flesh and blood, seeks my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone and let him curse me, for the LORD has told him so.
41 Kings 15:25–27In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned two years.
51 Kings 16:9However, while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his household there, Elah’s servant Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

BigthanEsther 6:2

The Key Word קָצַף, ka.Tzafgenerated

The verb קָצַף (ka.Tzaf) means 'to be angry' and is used here to describe the intense anger of Bigthan and Teresh. It indicates a strong emotional response, which leads them to conspire against the king.

The parsing as a perfect third person masculine singular verb shows that the action of growing angry is complete and reflects the state of the eunuchs at that moment. This choice of verb emphasizes their emotional state as a catalyst for their subsequent actions.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb קָצַף governs the sentence, indicating the emotional response of the eunuchs, while several phrases elaborate on the context: Mordecai's position and the actions of Bigthan and Teresh.

The structure emphasizes the sequence of events: Mordecai is sitting, the eunuchs grow angry, and they conspire, creating a flow that leads to the plot against the king.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates the term for 'eunuchs' as εὐνοῦξοι, indicating their high status and role in the royal court. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but emphasizes their function within the palace.

The Greek version does not match the Hebrew word order, reflecting a different narrative style but maintaining the core elements of the story.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Esther 2:21 tells us that while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, two eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, became angry and plotted to kill King Xerxes. This moment is crucial as it highlights Mordecai's role in uncovering the conspiracy.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What was Mordecai's role in this event?

Mordecai's position at the king's gate allowed him to overhear the plot against Xerxes, which he later reported to Queen Esther.

Why did Bigthan and Teresh want to kill King Xerxes?

The text does not specify their motives, but their anger suggests they may have felt wronged or disrespected in their roles.

How does this event impact the story of Esther?

This plot against the king sets the stage for Mordecai's later significance in the narrative, as it leads to his eventual recognition and reward.

What does the king's gate symbolize?

The king's gate represents a place of authority and decision-making, where significant events in the royal court unfold.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I be vigilant in my own life to protect those around me from harm?
  2. What lessons can I learn from Mordecai's actions in this story?
  3. In what ways do I respond to anger, and how can I manage it better?
  4. How can I support those in positions of authority in my community?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Rabanus Maurus comments on the symbolic nature of the eunuchs in this verse, likening them to the scribes and Pharisees of the Jews.

Rabanus MaurusCommentary on Esther c. 780–856
Now, what can these two eunuchs, who were doorkeepers of the royal house and presided over the first rank in the palace, symbolize if not the scribes and the Pharisees of the Jews about whom it is said that though they had the key to…
Early Church Fathers on Esther 2 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Esther 2:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate,.... Being, as before observed, an officer at court: two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those that kept the door; of the inner

Read John Gill on Esther 2 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and

Read Robert Jamieson on Esther 2 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Which kept the door; either, 1. Of the king’ s chamber. Or, 2. Of his court; and so they sat in the gate, as Mordecai did, who by that means contracting some familiar acquaintance with them, might make some discovery of their minds and design. Sought to lay hand, i.e. violent hand; to kill him, as this phrase is used, , and elsewhere.

Read Matthew Poole on Esther 2 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Esther 2:21 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’ s gate, two of the king’ s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.Ver. 21. In those days] While the king was drowning himself in pleasure, and dreadeth no danger; while he was ravishing and deflouring virgins, and bragging, perhaps, as Proculus, the emperor, did, that when he made war upon the Sarmatians, in fifteen days he got with child a hundred virgins of that country, there taken prisoners; while this voluptuous prince was in the glut of his carnal delights, in the flagrancy of his sinful lusts, his life is sought for, and hell gapes for him: so…

Read John Trapp on Esther 2 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) In those days.—Here the thread of Est 2:19 is taken up, “then I say, in those days—“ Bigthan.—Called Bigtha in Esther 1:10; Bigthana in Esther 6:2. Sought to lay hand on the king.—It is noticeable that Xerxes was ultimately murdered by Artabanus, captain of the guard, and Mithridates, a chamberlain.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Esther 2 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 21. Mordecai sat in the kings gate] Mordecai might have been one of the officers of the king, as the gate was the place where such usually attended to await the king's call. It is not likely that he was the porter; had he been only such, Haman could have removed him at once. Two of the king's chamberlains] Eunuchs. Why they conspired against the life of the king, we are not informed. The Targum says that they found out that Esther had intended to use her influence with the king to get them removed from their office, and Mordecai put in their place; therefore they determined to poison Esther, and slay the king in his bedchamber. It is very likely that they were creatures of Haman, who…

Read AdamClarke on Esther 2 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

21. In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate] The main course of the story is thus resumed from Esther 2:19. chamberlains] eunuchs. Bigthan and Teresh] The former is possibly the Bigtha of Est 1:10. In Esther 6:2 he is called Bigthana. of those which kept the door] who guarded the entrance to the room where the king slept. It was a position in which the strictest fidelity was obviously needed, and which gave a conspirator who could attain it a great prospect of success. In point of fact Xerxes himself in the end fell a victim to a murderous attack by an officer of this kind (Diodor. xi. 69. 1), and such too was the fate of one of his successors, Artaxerxes III (Ochus), in b.c.…

Read Cambridge on Esther 2 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Conspiracies inside the palace were ordinary occurrences in Persia. Xerxes was ultimately murdered by Artabanus, the captain of the guard, and Aspamitras, a chamberlain and eunuch.

Read Albert Barnes on Esther 2 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

NETBNew English Translation2006

In those days while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who protected the entrance, became angry and plotted to assassinate King Ahasuerus.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those that kept the threshold, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.

RVARevised Version, American1894

In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those who kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

In those dayes whe Mordecai sate in the Kings gate, two of the Kings eunuches, Bigthan and Teresh, which kept the doore, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the King Ahashuerosh.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the threshold, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

In those days, when Mordecai is sitting in the gate of the king, hath Bigthan been wroth, and Teresh, (two of the eunuchs of the king, the keepers of the threshold,) and they seek to put forth a hand on king Ahasuerus,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

In those days, when Mordecai is sitting in the gate of the king, has Bigthan been angry, and Teresh (two of the eunuchs of the king, the keepers of the threshold), and they seek to put forth a hand on King Ahasuerus,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate, Bigthan and Theresh, two chamberlains of the king, of those who kept the door, became wroth, and sought to lay [their] hand on king Achashverosh.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, two of the king's officials, Bigthana and Teresh, who guarded the doorway, became angry and sought to do harm to King Ahasuerus.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

At that time, therefore, when Mardochai abode at the king’s gate, Bagathan and Thares, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were porters, and presided in the first entry of the palace, were angry: and they designed to rise up against the king, and to kill him.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

At that time, as Mordecai was doing his work at the palace gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two eunuchs who guarded the entrance to the king's rooms, became furious with King Xerxes and looked for a way to assassinate him.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

In those days, while Mordecai was seated at the king's doorway, two of the king's servants, Bigthan and Teresh, keepers of the door, being angry, were looking for a chance to make an attack on King Ahasuerus.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּinnoun phrasethenoun phraseיָּמִ֣יםdaysadjective phraseהָ(the)הֵ֔םthoseוּandclausesubjectמָרְדֳּכַ֖יMordecaiverbיֹשֵׁ֣ב[was].sittingprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּatnoun phraseשַֽׁעַרthe.gatenoun phraseהַofמֶּ֑לֶךְthe.kingclauseverbקָצַף֩he.was.angrynoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseבִּגְתָ֨ןBigthanוָandתֶ֜רֶשׁTereshnoun phrasenoun phraseשְׁנֵֽיtwonoun phraseסָרִיסֵ֤יof.the.eunuchsnoun phraseהַofמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙the.kingprepositional phraseמִofnoun phraseשֹּׁמְרֵ֣יthe.keepersnoun phraseהַofסַּ֔ףthe.thresholdוַandclauseverbיְבַקְשׁוּ֙they.soughtprepositional phrase · prepositionalלִtoclauseverbשְׁלֹ֣חַstretch.outobjectיָ֔דa.handprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּonnoun phrasenoun phrasetheמֶּ֖לֶךְkingאֲחַשְׁוֵֽרֹשׁAhasuerus

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint show agreement in the main elements of the verse, though the Septuagint's word order differs significantly. The Hebrew text provides a clearer sequence of actions, while the Greek version rearranges them.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם וּמָרְדֳּכַ֖י יֹשֵׁ֣ב בְּשַֽׁעַר־ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ קָצַף֩ בִּגְתָ֨ן וָתֶ֜רֶשׁ שְׁנֵֽי־ סָרִיסֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מִשֹּׁמְרֵ֣י הַסַּ֔ף וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ לִשְׁלֹ֣חַ יָ֔ד בַּמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵֽרֹשׁ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
בַּיָּמִ֣ים’’הָהֵ֔ם’’וּמָרְדֳּכַ֖י’’יֹשֵׁ֣ב’’בְּשַֽׁעַר־’’הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ’’שְׁנֵֽי־δύοסָרִיסֵ֤יεὐνοῦξοιהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙βασιλέωςהַסַּ֔ףοἱוַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ἐζήτουνאֲחַשְׁוֵֽרֹשׁ׃ἀρταχέρχην

12 of the 19 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Esther 2:21יוֹםin the daysin the daysיוֹםהֵ֫מָּהthosethoseהֵ֫מָּהמָרְדֳּכַיand Mordecaand Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַייָשַׁב[was] sitti[was] sittingיָשַׁבשַׁ֫עַרat [the] gaat [the] gate oשַׁ֫עַרמֶ֫לֶךְthe kingthe kingמֶ֫לֶךְקָצַףhe was angrhe was angryקָצַףבִּגְתָןBigthanBigthanבִּגְתָןתֶּ֫רֶשׁand Tereshand Tereshתֶּ֫רֶשׁשְׁנַ֫יִםtwo oftwo ofשְׁנַ֫יִםסָרִיס[the] eunuc[the] eunuchs oסָרִיסמֶ֫לֶךְthe kingthe kingמֶ֫לֶךְשָׁמַרfrom [the] from [the] guarשָׁמַרסַףthe threshothe thresholdסַףבָּקַשׁand they soand they soughtבָּקַשׁשָׁלַחto stretch to stretch outשָׁלַחיָדa handa handיָדמֶ֫לֶךְon the kingon the kingמֶ֫לֶךְאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁAhasuerusAhasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְהֲלַךְto goto goהֲלַךְשָׁעַרto calculato calculateשָׁעַרספףstand at ostand at or guaספףכַּףpalmpalmכַּףבִּגְתָאBigthaBigthaבִּגְתָאשֵׁנִיsecondsecondשֵׁנִירַברַבנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּרNebuchadneNebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּראַשּׁוּרAsshurAsshurאַשּׁוּרשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִישַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּתמְרִיrebellionrebellionמְרִיסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶראֶסְתֵּרEstherEstherאֶסְתֵּרהָמָןHamanHamanהָמָןבֶּ֫טַחsecuritysecurityבֶּ֫טַחכְּנַעֲנִיCanaanitesCanaanitessכְּנַעֲנִי
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Esther 2:21

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
בַּיָּמִ֣יםbai.ya.Mim in the days H3117 Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
a period of time, a season
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

day, opp. night

Day as division of time

יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

Pl. days of anyone

Days

יוֹם = time

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night

. Day as division of time

. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

. Pl. days of anyone

. Days

. יוֹם = time

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3117 yowm yome

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm

hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one

sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by

an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +

chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)

day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +

(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as

(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,

presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,

then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,

weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole

(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹם (yom) — day.

: day/when/time/period

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: old.

: old/(full/many)[days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: year.

: year[of_days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
HRd/Ncmpa
in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
הָהֵ֔םha.Hem those H1992 Particle · pronoun
553× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to refer to a group of men, emphasizing that it is specifically them. It is often translated as 'they' or 'them' in the Bible, and appears in books like Exodus and Isaiah.
Tyndale gloss
they(masc.)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֵ֫מָּה (hemmah) is a masculine plural pronoun meaning 'they.' The entries indicate that it can also mean 'these,' 'the same,' or refer to people in an emphatic context. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its usage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֵ֫מָּה and הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) pron. 3 pl. masc. they

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1992 הֵ֫מָּה, הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) they

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1992 hem haym

or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural from

1981; they (only used when emphatic):--it, like, X (how, so)

many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such,

their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.

see HEBREW for 01981

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֵ֫מָּה (hem.mah) — they(masc.).

they, these, the same, who

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Pron — Particle · pronoun
HTd/Pp3mp
in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
וּמָרְדֳּכַ֖יu.ma.re.do.Khai and Mordecai H4782 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
60× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Mordecai was a brave Israelite who lived during the Exile and Return, and is known for saving the Jews from Haman's plot with Queen Esther's help. He's also the cousin and adoptive father of Esther.
Amplified meaning
a brave Israelite, a faithful Jew
Tyndale gloss
Mordecai
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָרְדֳּכַי (Mordkay) refers to Mordecai, a significant figure in the Old Testament. He is described as the cousin and adoptive father of Queen Esther, known for his role in saving the Jewish people from Haman's plot. The name may mean "little man" or "worshipper of Mars." Mordecai is first mentioned in Ezra 2:2 and Esther 2:5, and he also returned from exile with Zerubbabel.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָרְדֳּכַי (van d. H מָרְדְּכַי) n.pr.m. Mordecai

companion of Zerub.

cousin and adoptive father of Esther

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4782 מָרְדֳּכַי, מָרְדְּכַי

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4782 Mordkay mor-dek-ah'-ee

of foreign derivation; Mordecai, an Israelite:--Mordecai.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מׇרְדֳּכַי (mor.de.khay) — Mordecai.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.2

§ Mordecai = "little man" or "worshipper of Mars"

1) cousin and adoptive father of queen Esther; son of Jair of the tribe of Benjamin; deliverer under Divine providence of the children of Israel from the destruction plotted by Haman the chief minister of Ahasuerus; institutor of the feast of Purim

2) a Jew who returned from exile with Zerubbabel

מׇרְדֳּכַי (mor.de.khay) — Mordecai.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.5;

son of: Jair (H2971J)

§ Mordecai = "little man" or "worshipper of Mars"

1) cousin and adoptive father of queen Esther; son of Jair of the tribe of Benjamin; deliverer under Divine providence of the children of Israel from the destruction plotted by Haman the chief minister of Ahasuerus; institutor of the feast…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mor'-de-ki, mor-de-ka'-i (mordekhay; Mardochaios): An Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, whose fate it has been to occupy a distinguished place in the annals of his people. His great-grandfather, Kish, had been carried to Babylon along with Jeconiah, king of Judah (Es 2:5-6). For nearly 60 years before the scenes narrated in Esther, in which Mordecai was greatly concerned, took place, the way to Palestine had been open to the Israelites; but neither his father, Jair, nor afterward himself chose to return to the ancient heritage. This seems to have been the case also with the rest of his house, as it was with the vast majority of the Israelite people; for his uncle died in Persia leaving his motherless daughter, Hadassah, to the care of Mordecai. Employed in the royal palace at Susa, he attracted, through the timely discovery of a…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Mordecai

The son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin. It has been alleged that he was carried into captivity with Jeconiah, and hence that he must have been at least one hundred and twenty-nine years old in the twelfth year of Ahasuerus (Xerxes). But the words of Esther do not necessarily lead to this conclusion. It was probably Kish of whom it is said (ver. 6) that he “had been carried away with the captivity.”

He resided at Susa, the metropolis of Persia. He adopted his cousin Hadassah (Esther), an orphan child, whom he tenderly brought up as his own daughter. When she was brought into the king’s harem and made queen in the room of the deposed queen Vashti, he was promoted to some office in the court of Ahasuerus, and was one of those who “sat in the king’s gate” (Esther 2:21). While holding this office, he discovered a plot of the…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(little man , or worshipper or Mars), the deliverer, under divine Providence, of the Jews from the destruction plotted against them by Haman the chief minister of Xerxes; the institutor of the feast of Purim. The incidents of his history are too well known to need to be dwelt upon. [ESTHER, BOOK OF] Three things are predicated of Mordecai in the book of Esther: (1) That he lived in Shushan; (2) That his name was Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish the Benjamite who was taken captive with Jehoiachin; (3) That he brought up Esther.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The uncle of Esther, who rose to dignity and honor in the court of Ahasuerus. See the book of Esther.

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
יֹשֵׁ֣בyo.Shev [was] sitting H3427 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
1,079× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Amplified meaning
dwelling, residing
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell

Qal

sit

sit, sit down

sit down

sit = be set (as a jewel)

remain, stay, tarry

with special emphasis of qualifying phr.

dwell, have one’s abode

of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited

Niph. be inhabited, of land

Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee

Hiph.

cause to sit

cause to abide

cause to dwell

cause cities to be inhabited

marry (prop. give a dwelling to)

Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3427 yashab yaw-shab'

a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as

judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to

remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)

abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease

self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)

inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),

(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),

(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),

take, tarry.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.

1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sit, sit down

1a2) to be set

1a3) to remain, stay

1a4) to dwell, have one's abode

1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited

1c) (Piel) to set, place

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to sit

1d2) to cause to abide, set

1d3) to cause to dwell

1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited

1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)

1e) (Hophal)

1e1) to be inhabited

1e2) to make to dwell

Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sit'-ing (yashabh, "to sit down or still," daghar, "to brood," "hatch"; kathezomai, "to sit down," anakeimai, "to lie back," "recline"): The favorite position of the Orientals (Mal 3:3; Mt 9:9; 26:55 (compare Mt 5:1; Lu 4:20; 5:3); Mr 14:18; Lu 18:35; Joh 2:14, etc.).

"In Palestine people sit at all kinds of work; the carpenter saws, planes, and hews with his hand-adze, sitting upon the ground or upon the plank he is planing. The washerwoman sits by the tub, and, in a word, no one stands where it is possible to sit.…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Sitting

The attitude generally assumed in Palestine by those who were engaged in any kind of work. “The carpenter saws, planes, and hews with his hand-adze, sitting on the ground or upon the plank he is planning. The washerwoman sits by the tub; and, in a word, no one stands when it is possible to sit. Shopkeepers always sit, and Levi sitting at the receipt of custom (Matt. 9:9) is the exact way to state the case.”, Thomson, Land and Book.

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
בְּשַֽׁעַר־be.sha.'ar- at [the] gate of H8179 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
374× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a gate or door, often referring to city entrances or temple doors, like in Genesis and Exodus. It can also symbolize a meeting place or marketplace. The word is used to describe important locations in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
entrance, doorway
Tyndale gloss
gate
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שַׁ֫עַר (sha'ar) means 'gate' and is derived from a root that signifies an opening. It encompasses various types of gates, including those of cities, palaces, and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like 'gate of heaven.' The entries consistently highlight its role as an entrance or threshold.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שַׁ֫עַר 373 n.m. gate

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8179 שַׁ֫עַר gate

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8179 sha`ar shah'-ar

from 8176 in its original sense; an opening, i.e. door or

gate:--city, door, gate, port (X -er).

see HEBREW for 08176

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) — gate.

: gate

1) gate

1a) gate (of entrance)

1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)

1b1) city, town

1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)

1d) heaven

שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) — gate: town.

: town

1) gate

1a) gate (of entrance)

1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)

1b1) city, town

1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)

1d) heaven

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekh the king H4428 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Amplified meaning
royal, sovereign
Tyndale gloss
King's
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4428 melek meh'-lek

from 4427; a king:--king, royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.

1) king

Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.

'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.

Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

King

Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (1 Pet. 2:13, 17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:22).

This title is applied to God (1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:15, 16;

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Called KING OF KINGS Ezr 7:12; Eze 26:7; Da 2:37

→ Divinely authorized De 17:15; 1Sa 9:16,17; 16:12; 1Ch 22:10; 2Ch 2:11,12; Pr 8:15; Da 2:21,37; 4:17; 5:20; Ho 8:4; 13:11

→ How chosen

By divine appointment, Saul 1Sa 10:1

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
קָצַף֩ka.Tzaf he was angry H7107 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
34× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to be angry or furious, like God's wrath in Psalm 2:12. It describes intense rage or displeasure, often used to warn against provoking God's anger. This word appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
furious, enraged
Tyndale gloss
be angry
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קָצַף (qatsaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be wroth or angry. It covers various aspects of anger, including being displeased, fretting oneself, and provoking to wrath. The verb has different stems: Qal indicates being wroth, Hiphil means to provoke to anger, and Hithpael refers to putting oneself in a rage. Its Aramaic equivalent is קְצַף (H7108).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָצַף vb. be wroth

Qal be wroth

Hiph. provoke to wrath

Hithp. put oneself in a rage

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7107 קָצַף be wroth

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7107 qatsaph kaw-tsaf'

a primitive root; to crack off, i.e. (figuratively) burst out

in rage:--(be) anger(-ry), displease, fret self, (provoke to)

wrath (come), be wroth.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָצַף (qa.tsaph) — be angry.

1) to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth

1a) (Qal) to be wroth, to be full of wrath, to be furious

1b) (Hiphil) to provoke to wrath or anger

1c) (Hithpael) to put oneself in a rage, anger oneself

Aramaic equivalent: qe.tsaph (קְצַף "be angry" H7108)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
בִּגְתָ֨ןbig.Tan Bigthan H904 Noun proper masculine
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Bigthan was a eunuch in King Xerxes' court, mentioned in Esther 2:21 and 6:2. He was also called Bigthana, with his name meaning 'in their wine-press'.
Amplified meaning
a eunuch, a high-ranking official
Tyndale gloss
Bigthan
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בִּגְתָן (Bigthan) refers to a eunuch who served in the court of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes). The name may derive from a phrase meaning 'in their wine-press.' He is first mentioned in Esther 2:21 and is also referred to as Bigthana in Esther 6:2. The entries provide limited information, focusing primarily on his identity and role.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בִּגְתָן n.pr.m. (gift of God?) a eunuch of Ahasuerus

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H904 בִּגְתָן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

904 Bigthan big-thawn'

or Bigthanad {big-thaw'naw}; of similar derivation to 903;

Bigthan or Bigthana, a eunuch of Xerxes:--Bigthan, Bigthana.

see HEBREW for 0903

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בִּגְתָן (big.tan) — Bigthan.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.21; also called Bigthana at Est.6.2;

§ Bigthan = "in their wine-press"

a eunuch in king Ahasuerus' (Xerxes) court

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Bigthan

One of the eunuchs who “kept the door” in the court of Ahasuerus. With Teresh he conspired against the king’s life. Mordecai detected the conspiracy, and the culprits were hanged (Esther 2:21-23; 6:1-3).

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A eunuch at the court of Ahasuerus, whose conspiracy against that king was frustrated by the vigilance of Mordecai, Es 2:21.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

in the press; giving meat

Nave's Topical Bible

→ A conspiring Persian courtier Es 2:21-23; 6:2

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
וָתֶ֜רֶשׁva.Te.resh and Teresh H8657 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Teresh was a eunuch of King Xerxes who plotted to kill him, but was discovered by Mordecai, as told in Esther 2:21.
Amplified meaning
a co-conspirator, a fellow plotter
Tyndale gloss
Teresh
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תֶּ֫רֶשׁ (Teresh) refers to a eunuch mentioned in the Book of Esther, specifically in Esther 2:21. The name is associated with the concept of 'strictness.' Teresh was involved in a plot against King Ahasuerus of Persia, which was uncovered by Mordecai.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תֶּ֫רֶשׁ n.pr.m. eunuch at court of Ahasuerus

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8657 תֶּ֫רֶשׁ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8657 Teresh teh'-resh

of foreign derivation; Teresh, a eunuch of Xerxes:--Teresh.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תֶּ֫רֶשׁ (te.resh) — Teresh.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.21

§ Teresh = "strictness"

one of the 2 eunuchs who plotted to kill king Ahasuerus of Persia but whose plot was discovered by Mordecai

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

te'-resh (teresh (Es 2:21; 6:2); Codex Vaticanus, Codex Alexandrinus, and Codex Sinaiticus omit it; but Codex Sinaiticus' margin has Tharas and Tharras): A chamberlain of King Ahasuerus. Oppert compares the name with Tiri-dates, the name of the governor of Persepolis in the time of Alexander. Another explanation identifies it with the Persian word turs "firm"; Scheft links it with the Persian tarsha, "desire."

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Teresh

Severe, a eunuch or chamberlain in the palace of Ahasuerus, who conspired with another to murder him. The plot was detected by Mordecai, and the conspirators were put to death (Esther 2:21; 6:2).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(strictness), one of the two eunuchs whose plot to assassinate Ahasuerus was discovered by Mordecai. (Esther 2:21; 6:2) He was hanged. (B.C. 479.)

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (A Persian chamberlain)

→ Plotted against Ahasuerus Es 2:21-23; 6:2

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
שְׁנֵֽי־she.nei- two of H8147 Adj
769× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for the number two appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing pairs and dualities. It can also mean double or twice. In the Bible, it is often used to describe things that come in twos, like two witnesses or two tablets.
Amplified meaning
a pair, a duo
Tyndale gloss
two
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It can denote 'both,' 'double,' or 'twice,' and is used in various combinations with other numbers. The word is derived as a dual form of שָׁנָה (shanah), which relates to the concept of pairs.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8147 שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם two

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim

dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also

(as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, +

twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.

see HEBREW for 08145

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) — two.

1) two

1a) two (the cardinal number)

1a1) two, both, double, twice

1b) second (the ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

1d) both (a dual number)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcbdc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
סָרִיסֵ֤יsa.ri.Sei [the] eunuchs of H5631 Noun common · masculine plural construct
42× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A eunuch was a high-ranking official in a royal court, often in charge of the female apartments. This word is used in the Bible to describe important ministers of state. In the book of Acts, the Ethiopian eunuch was a prominent official who met Philip and became a Christian.
Amplified meaning
attendants, servants
Tyndale gloss
eunuch
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָרִיס (sārîs) means 'eunuch' and is derived from a root implying castration. It can also refer to an official or minister of state, particularly one serving in female quarters. The term appears in contexts related to royal or governmental roles.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָרִיס 45 n.m. eunuch

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5631 סָרִיס eunuch

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5631 cariyc saw-reece'

or caric {saw-reece'}; from an unused root meaning to

castrate; a eunuch; by implication, valet (especially of the

female apartments), and thus, a minister of

state:--chamberlain, eunuch, officer. Compare 7249.

see HEBREW for 07249

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָרִיס (sa.ris) — eunuch.

official, eunuch

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekh the king H4428 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Tyndale gloss
King's
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4428 melek meh'-lek

from 4427; a king:--king, royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.

1) king

Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.

'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.

Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

King

Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (1 Pet. 2:13, 17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:22).

This title is applied to God (1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:15, 16;

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Called KING OF KINGS Ezr 7:12; Eze 26:7; Da 2:37

→ Divinely authorized De 17:15; 1Sa 9:16,17; 16:12; 1Ch 22:10; 2Ch 2:11,12; Pr 8:15; Da 2:21,37; 4:17; 5:20; Ho 8:4; 13:11

→ How chosen

By divine appointment, Saul 1Sa 10:1

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
מִשֹּׁמְרֵ֣יmi.sho.me.Rei from [the] guards of H8104 Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common
469× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To keep or obey means to protect, attend to, or guard something, like keeping a promise or watching over someone, as seen in the commands to observe the Sabbath.
Amplified meaning
protected, watched over
Tyndale gloss
to keep: obey
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַר (*shamar*) is a primitive root meaning to keep, guard, or observe. It encompasses a wide range of actions including protecting, waiting for, and celebrating obligations like the Sabbath. The verb appears in various forms, indicating nuances such as being on guard or refraining from certain actions. It is used extensively in the Old Testament, reflecting both physical and moral vigilance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve

Qal 425

keep, have charge of

keep, guard, captives

hence, watch for, wait for

watch, observe

keep, retain, of storing up (food)

keep within bounds, restrain

observe, celebrate

keep sabbath

of other obligations

observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)

sts. י׳ subj.

keep, reserve, weeks of harvest

Niph.

36be on one's guard

keep oneself, refrain, abstain

be kept, guarded

Pi. those paying regard to false vanities

Hithp. I kept myself from

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8104 שָׁמַר keep, watch, preserve .. . keep, have charge of

. keep, guard, captives

. hence, watch for, wait for

. watch, observe

. . keep, retain, of storing up (food)

. keep within bounds, restrain

. . observe, celebrate

. keep sabbath

. of other obligations

. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)

. sts. י׳ subj.

. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest

. . be on one's guard

. keep oneself, refrain, abstain

. be kept, guarded

. those paying regard to false vanities

. I kept myself from

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8104 shamar shaw-mar'

a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns),

i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward,

be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark,

look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save

(self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: obey.

: obey/observe

1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to keep, have charge of

1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life

1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)

1a3) to watch for, wait for

1a4) to watch, observe

1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)

1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain

1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)

1a8) to keep, preserve, protect

1a9) to keep, reserve

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware

1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain

1b3) to be kept, be guarded

1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed

1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from

שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: guard.

: guard

1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to keep, have charge of

1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life

1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common
HR/Vqrmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
הַסַּ֔ףha.Saf the threshold H5592 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
32× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a threshold, like a door sill, or a container for holding liquids. It can also mean a gate or post. The KJV translates it as threshold or bason.
Amplified meaning
threshold, doorway
Tyndale gloss
basin
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סַף (saph) refers to both a basin or goblet and a threshold or sill. It is derived from a root meaning to contain, indicating its use for holding liquids or marking a boundary. The entries highlight its dual meanings, with Brown-Driver-Briggs and Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon both emphasizing its applications in physical structures and vessels.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סַף n.m. basin, goblet

base

סַף 24 n.m. threshhold, sill

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5592a סַף basin, goblet H5592b סַף threshhold, sill

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5592 caph saf

from 5605, in its original sense of containing; a vestibule

(as a limit); also a dish (for holding blood or

wine):--bason, bowl, cup, door (post), gate, post, threshold.

see HEBREW for 05605

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סַף (saph) — basin.

1) a spreading out, basin, goblet, bowl

1a) basin, goblet

סַף (saph) — threshold.

1) threshold, sill

1a) threshold, sill, door-keeper

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

thresh'-old.

See HOUSE, II, 1, (7).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Threshold

(1.) Heb. miphtan, probably a projecting beam at a higher point than the threshold proper (1 Sam. 5:4,5; Ezek. 9:3; 10:4,18; 46:2; 47:1); also rendered “door” and “door-post.”

(2.) ‘Asuppim, pl. (Neh. 12:25), rendered correctly “storehouses” in the Revised Version. In 1 Chr. 26:15, 17 the Authorized Version retains the word as a proper name, while in the Revised Version it is translated “storehouses.”

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Of the two words so rendered is the Authorized Version, one,miphthan, ,seems to mean sometimes a projecting beam or corbel. (Ezekiel 9:3; 10:4,18)

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙vay.vak.Shu and they sought H1245 Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
225× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew verb means to seek or search for something. In Psalm 105:4, it's used to encourage seeking God's face. It's also used in 1 Samuel 28:8 where Saul seeks a medium.
Amplified meaning
plotted, schemed
Tyndale gloss
to seek
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּקַשׁ (baqash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek or search out, often in the context of worship or prayer. It encompasses a range of actions including asking, desiring, and requiring. The verb can appear in different forms, such as Piel and Pual, indicating various nuances of seeking or being sought.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּקַשׁ] 224 vb. seek

Pi.

seek to find

seek to secure

seek the face

desire, demand

require, exact

exact equivalent or penalty for

(late) ask, request

Pu. be sought

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1245 בָּקַשׁ seek

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1245 baqash baw-kash'

a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically

in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:--ask,

beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure,

(make) request, require, seek (for).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּקַשׁ (ba.qash) — to seek.

1) to seek, require, desire, exact, request

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to seek to find

1a2) to seek to secure

1a3) to seek the face

1a4) to desire, demand

1a5) to require, exact

1a6) to ask, request

1b) (Pual) to be sought

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vpw3mp
in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
לִשְׁלֹ֣חַlish.Lo.ach to stretch out H7971 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
847× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To send or depart is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which has various applications in the Bible. It can describe sending someone or something away, or letting something go.
Amplified meaning
kill, murder
Tyndale gloss
to send: depart
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁלַח (shalach) is a primitive root meaning 'to send' with a wide range of applications. It can refer to sending away, stretching out (especially a hand), or letting go. The entries indicate various forms, including sending off, casting out, and setting free. Notably, it can also imply divorce or being sent away in a marital context.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁלַח 814 vb. send

Qal

send: human subj.

send: subj. י׳ (God)

stretch out, esp. acc. hand

rarely send away: human subj.

let loose

Niph. letters were sent

Pi.

send off, away, human subj.

send away, subj. י׳

give over

cast out

send out, forth

let go, set free

shoot forth branches

let down

shoot

Phrases

Pu. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)

Hiph. and I (י׳) will send

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7971 שָׁלַח send .. send: human subj.

. send: subj. י׳ (God)

. stretch out, esp. acc. hand

. rarely send away: human subj.

. let loose

. letters were sent

. . send off, away, human subj.

. . send away, subj. י׳

. give over

. cast out

. send out, forth

. let go, set free

. shoot forth branches

. let down

. shoot

. Phrases

. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)

. and I (י׳) will send

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7971 shalach shaw-lakh'

a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great

variety of applications):--X any wise, appoint, bring (on the

way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give

(up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose),

push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send

(away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread,

stretch forth (out).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: depart.

: depart/send

1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to send

1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct

1a3) to send away

1a4) to let loose

1b) (Niphal) to be sent

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out

1c2) to let go, set free

1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)

1c4) to let down

1c5) to shoot

1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled

1e) (Hiphil) to send

שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: let go.

: let_go/free

1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to send

1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct

1a3) to send away

1a4) to let loose

1b) (Niphal) to be sent

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out

1c2) to let go, set free

1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)

1c4) to let down

1c5) to shoot

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
יָ֔דYad a hand H3027 Noun common · both singular absolute
1,619× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, 'yad' refers to an open hand, symbolizing power or direction. It can also mean strength or a part of something, like a side or a share. The word is used in many contexts, including anatomy and everyday life.
Tyndale gloss
hand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָד 1604 n.f. hand

hand

Fig. = strength, power

Fig. = side

יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—

sign, monument

part, fractional part or share

time, repetition

axle-trees

stays, supports for laver

tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

a (beckoning) hand

יַד with prep.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3027 יָד hand . hand

. Fig. = strength, power

. Fig. = side

. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument

. part, fractional part or share

. time, repetition

. axle-trees

. stays, supports for laver

. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

. a (beckoning) hand

. יַד with prep.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3027 yad yawd

a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,

means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed

one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of

applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate

and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,

at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,

(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +

creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,

force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,

labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,

ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,

power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,

draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by

them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,

+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָד (yad) — hand.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: power.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcbsa — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(yadh, "hand"; kaph, "the hollow hand," "palm"; yamin, "the right hand"; semo'l, "the left hand"; cheir, "hand"; dexia, "the right hand"; aristera, "the left hand" (only Lu 23:33; 2Co 6:7), or euphemistically (for evil omens come from the left hand; compare Latin sinister, German linkisch, etc.); euonumos, literally, "having a good name"): The Hebrew words are used in a large variety of idiomatic expressions, part of which have passed into the Greek (through the Sepuagint) and into modern European languages (through the translations of the Bible; see Oxford Hebrew Lexicon, under the word "yadh"). We group what has to be said about the word under the following heads:

1. The Human Hand: Various Uses:

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hand

Called by Galen “the instrument of instruments.” It is the symbol of human action (Ps. 9:16; Job 9:30; Isa. 1:15; 1 Tim. 2:8). Washing the hands was a symbol of innocence (Ps. 26:6; 73:13; Matt. 27:24), also of sanctification (1 Cor. 6:11; Isa. 51:16; Ps. 24:3, 4). In Ps. 77:2 the correct rendering is, as in the Revised Version, “My hand was stretched…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Often put of strength, power; so to be "in the hand" of any one, is to be in his power. Joining hands, or striking hands, is a very common method of pledging one’s self to a contract or bargain; just as persons among us often shake hands in token of an agreement. To "lift the hand," means to make oath. "At the right hand of God," is the place of honor, power, and happiness, Ps 16:11 45:9 110:1 Mt 26:64 Col 3:1. The right hand meant towards the south, the Jews being wont to speak as if facing the east. The "laying on of hands," signified consecration to office, and the bestowal of a blessing or of divine gifts, Ge 48:14 Nu…

→ Imposition of hands Heb 6:2

→ In consecration Ge 48:14; Ex 29:10,15,19; Le 1:4; 3:2,8,13; 4:15,24,33; 16:21

→ In ordaining the Levites Nu 8:10,11

→ Joshua Nu 27:18-23; De 34:9

→ Timothy 1Ti 4:14; 2Ti 1:6

→ In healing Mr 6:5; 7:32; 16:18; Lu 4:40; Ac…

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
בַּמֶּ֖לֶךְba.Me.lekh on the king H4428 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Tyndale gloss
King's
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4428 melek meh'-lek

from 4427; a king:--king, royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.

1) king

Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.

'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.

Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

King

Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (1 Pet. 2:13, 17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:22).

This title is applied to God (1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:15, 16;

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Called KING OF KINGS Ezr 7:12; Eze 26:7; Da 2:37

→ Divinely authorized De 17:15; 1Sa 9:16,17; 16:12; 1Ch 22:10; 2Ch 2:11,12; Pr 8:15; Da 2:21,37; 4:17; 5:20; Ho 8:4; 13:11

→ How chosen

By divine appointment, Saul 1Sa 10:1

in the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus
אֲחַשְׁוֵֽרֹשׁ׃'a.chash.Ve.rosh Ahasuerus H325 Noun proper masculine
31× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ahasuerus, also known as Xerxes, was a powerful king of Persia who ruled during the time of the Israelites' exile. He's mentioned in the book of Ezra and is known for his marriage to Vashti and his role in biblical history. Ahasuerus played a significant part in shaping the fate of the Israelites.
Amplified meaning
Ahasuerus, the ruler of Persia
Tyndale gloss
Ahasuerus
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ (Achashverosh) refers to Ahasuerus, a title for the Persian king Xerxes. It is of Persian origin and is associated with the time of the Exile and Return, first mentioned in Ezra 4:6. The name is interpreted to mean 'I will be silent and poor' and is linked to his marriage to Vashti.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ n.pr.m. Ahasuerus = Xerxes king of Pers.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H325 אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

325 'Achashverowsh akh-ash-vay-rosh'

or (shortened) pAchashrosh {akh- ash-rosh'} (Esth. 10:1); of

Persian origin; Achashverosh (i.e. Ahasuerus or Artaxerxes,

but in this case Xerxes), the title (rather than name) of a

Persian king:--Ahasuerus.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ (a.chash.ve.rosh) — Ahasuerus.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.4.6; married to Vashti (H2060);

father of: Darius (H1868H)

§ Ahasuerus = "I will be silent and poor"

title of the king of Persia, probably Xerxes

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Ahasuerus

There are three kings designated by this name in Scripture. (1.) The father of Darius the Mede, mentioned in Dan. 9:1. This was probably the Cyaxares I. known by this name in profane history, the king of Media and the conqueror of Nineveh.

(2.) The king mentioned in Ezra 4:6, probably the Cambyses of profane history, the son and successor of Cyrus (B.C. 529).

(3.) The son of Darius Hystaspes, the king named in the Book of Esther. He ruled over the kingdoms of Persia, Media, and Babylonia, “from India to Ethiopia.” This was in all probability the Xerxes of profane history, who succeeded his father Darius (B.C. 485). In the LXX. version of the Book of Esther the name Artaxerxes occurs for Ahasuerus. He reigned for twenty-one years (B.C. 486-465). He invaded Greece with an army…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(lion-king), the name of one Median and two Persian kings mentioned in the Old Testament. In (Daniel 9:1) Ahasuerus is said to be the father of Darius the Mede. [DARIUS] This first Ahasuerus is Cyaxares, the conqueror of Nineveh. (Began to reign B.C. 634.) The Ahasuerus king of Persia, referred to in (Ezra 4:6) must be Cambyses, thought to be Cyrus’ successor, and perhaps his son. (B.C. 529.) The third is the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther. This Ahasuerus is probably Xerxes of history, (Esther 1:1) (B.C. 485), and this conclusion is fortified by the resemblance of character and by certain chronological indications, the account of his life and character agreeing with the book of Esther In the third year of Ahaseuerus was held a…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A royal title, common to several Median and Persian kings named in Scripture.

1. The father of Dares the Mede, Da 9:1. The most probable opinion is that the name here designates Astyages, the grandfather of Cyrus. See below, and DARIUS I.

2. Mentioned Ezr 4:6, the son and successor of Cyrus; probably Cambyses, who reigned seven and a half years from B. C. 529.

3. The husband of Esther, most probably Xerxes. Commentators have been much divided, and have understood under this name all the Persian kings in succession. But the other kings of Persia are all mentioned in Scripture by their own names, or at least definitely pointed out; while Xerxes is not mentioned, unless under this name. Besides, recent researches show that Hebrew word for Ahasuerus is readily formed from the Persian name…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

prince; head; chief

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate