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אֲדָר

𐤀𐤃𐤓

Adar

H144 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain; adopted month name

Definition

Name of the twelfth month of the Israelite lunisolar calendar, corresponding approximately to late February through March in the modern Gregorian reckoning. Used specifically as a month name in the postexilic period, particularly in administrative, calendrical, and narrative contexts.

Semantic Range

twelfth month of the Israelite/Persian-Babylonian year, month name in administrative and narrative texts, late winter period

Root / Etymology

The word derives either directly or by loan from Persian (Old Persian adara, 'fire'), reflecting the influence of Persian administration in the postexilic period. It does not derive from a typical triliteral Hebrew root. The original meaning as a common noun is obscure; the use as a month name is borrowed or adapted via Aramaic from Persian.

Historical & Contextual Notes

'Adar' appears in postexilic biblical texts influenced by Persian administrative practices, such as Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah, as the twelfth month of the Israelite calendar. Its appearance coincides with the adoption of Babylonian and Persian month names after the exile, reflecting the shift in calendrical reckoning and terminology. In preexilic texts, native Hebrew numerals or designations were used for months (first month, second month, etc.). 'Adar' does not denote ethnic, religious, or other social categories; its use is strictly calendrical. In the later Jewish tradition, Adar remained the twelfth month, and in leap years, a second Adar ('Adar Sheni') was added to synchronize the lunar calendar with the solar year. The use of 'Adar' in the Hebrew Bible is confined to texts with strong Aramaic or Persian influence, and it corresponds closely with Akkadian and Aramaic calendrical terminology of the postexilic era. Standard English translations render it consistently as 'Adar,' but the cultural significance depends on the context; for example, it is the month in which the festival of Purim is observed (Esther 9:1, 9:15, 9:17, 9:19, 9:21).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to אֲדָר; {Adar, the 12th Hebrew month}; Adar.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H115 אֲדוֹרַיִם Two Eminences
H117 אַדִּיר mighty
H142 אָדַר being made majestic
H143 אֲדָר Adar
H146 אַדָּר Adar

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H144-01 אֲדָ֑ר adar ANp Adar Adar 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H144-01 Ezra 6:15 אֲדָ֑ר adar ANp Adar Adar
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