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אֲדָר

𐤀𐤃𐤓

Adar

H143 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (loanword; core meaning not recoverable from Hebrew)

Definition

Proper noun denoting the twelfth month of the traditional Israelite lunisolar calendar, corresponding to late winter/early spring (February–March in the modern calendar). In the post-exilic period, 'Adar' became the standard name for this month, frequently mentioned in calendrical and administrative contexts. The primary lexical meaning is the name of this specific month.

Semantic Range

the twelfth month of the Israelite post-exilic calendar, the name of a calendrical month; by extension, sometimes used for the period or events occurring in that month

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain; likely a loanword from a foreign (potentially Akkadian or Persian) calendrical term, as Hebrew month names of the post-exilic period often derive from Babylonian or Persian sources. The root is not native to Hebrew, and no related root with a clear lexical meaning exists in biblical Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the early Israelite calendar, months were usually numbered or designated by agricultural events rather than named. Month names such as 'Adar' appear in Hebrew texts primarily from the exilic and post-exilic periods, reflecting Babylonian influence during and after the Babylonian exile. In the context of the Tanakh, 'Adar' is specifically referenced in late books such as Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. In some post-exilic years, an intercalary month (second Adar, 'Adar Sheni', אֲדָר שֵׁנִי) was added to align the lunar calendar with the solar year. The suggestion that 'Adar' means 'fire' is speculative and not supported by securely attested linguistic evidence. The English translations often simply transliterate the term, though later Jewish calendars and rabbinic sources universally use 'Adar' as the twelfth month, with significant festival associations, most notably Purim (celebrated on the 14th of Adar in most communities). Thus, the meaning of the term is primarily chronological and administrative, not descriptive.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably of foreign derivation; perhaps meaning fire; Adar, the 12th Hebrew month; Adar.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אדר (ʾ-d-r) — uncertain; loanword; calendrical month name

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H115 אֲדוֹרַיִם Two Eminences
H117 אַדִּיר mighty
H142 אָדַר being made majestic
H144 אֲדָר Adar
H146 אַדָּר Adar

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H143-01 אֲדָֽר adar HNp Adar Adar 8

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H143-01 Esther 3:7 אֲדָֽר adar HNp Adar Adar
H143-01 Esther 3:13 אֲדָ֑ר adar HNp Adar Adar
H143-01 Esther 8:12 אֲדָֽר adar HNp Adar Adar
H143-01 Esther 9:1 אֲדָ֗ר adar HNp Adar Adar
H143-01 Esther 9:15 אֲדָ֔ר adar HNp of Adar Adar
H143-01 Esther 9:17 אֲדָ֑ר adar HNp Adar Adar
H143-01 Esther 9:19 אֲדָ֔ר adar HNp Adar Adar
H143-01 Esther 9:21 אֲדָ֔ר adar HNp Adar Adar
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