הֵגֵא
𐤄𐤂𐤀
Hege
H1896 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper name denoting an individual at the Persian court in Susa, specifically a palace official (eunuch) who had authority over the women in the royal harem during the reign of King Xerxes I (Ahasuerus). The primary referent is the official who oversaw the selection of candidates for queen, notably in the Book of Esther. The name itself does not carry lexical meaning in Hebrew outside its function as a name.
Semantic Range
personal name of a Persian official, eunuch in charge of royal harem, proper noun
Root / Etymology
The name הֵגֵא (Hêgêʼ or Hegai; also appearing as הֵגַי, Hegai) is likely of Old Persian origin, possibly reflecting an Iranian personal name. There is no clear Hebrew etymology. The word appears only as a personal name for a Persian court official in the Book of Esther. The distinct spelling variants in the Masoretic text may reflect transliteration of a foreign name rather than internal Hebrew formation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
הֵגֵא appears exclusively in the Book of Esther (Esther 2:3, 2:8, 2:15), applied to a Persian official in Susa during the reign of Xerxes I (Ahasuerus). He is identified as a סָרִיס sārîs (court official, typically 'eunuch'), tasked with overseeing the king's harem and the process of selecting a new queen. As this is a foreign (Persian) name in the Hebrew text, it lacks a broader semantic or lexical field in Hebrew and functions solely as a personal name. English translations may render this as Hegai or Hege, following the MT spelling variants; in some older translations, there is confusion with other similar names. The context is strictly Persian imperial, situated in the post-exilic era of the Hebrew Bible. The use of this term illustrates the international, imperial administrative context in which the narrative of Esther is set. No attempt to link this name to other Hebrew roots or terms is warranted.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or (by permutation) הֵגַי; probably of Persian origin; Hege or Hegai, a eunuch of Xerxes; Hegai, Hege.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain (foreign personal name)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
| H1114 | בִּלְשָׁן | Bilshan |
| H1150 | בִּנְעָא | Bin'a |
| H116 | אֱדַיִן | and then |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1896-01 |
הֵגָ֑י | hegay | HNp |
of Hegai | Hegai | 3 |
H1896-02 |
הֵגֶ֛א | hege | HNp |
Hege | Hegai | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1896-02 |
Esther 2:3 | הֵגֶ֛א | hege | HNp |
Hege | Hegai |
H1896-01 |
Esther 2:8 | הֵגָ֑י | hegay | HNp |
of Hegai | Hegai |
H1896-01 |
Esther 2:8 | הֵגַ֖י | hegay-2 | HNp |
of Hegai | Hegai |
H1896-01 |
Esther 2:15 | הֵגַ֥י | hegay | HNp |
Hegai | Hegai |