הָמָן (H2001) — Hebrew Lexicon

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הָמָן

𐤄𐤌𐤍

Haman

H2001 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain; proper name

Definition

Proper name referring to a high-ranking official at the Persian court, identified in the Book of Esther as an 'Agagite,' who serves as the primary antagonist in the narrative. The term functions exclusively as a personal name with no other lexical usage in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

proper name of a Persian official; personal name only

Root / Etymology

Of foreign (Persian or Elamite) derivation; the etymology is uncertain, and the name does not derive from an identifiable Hebrew root. The Hebrew spelling is a phonetic adaptation of a non-Hebrew name, likely reflecting the individual's foreign origin in the narrative.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name הָמָן (Hâmân) appears exclusively in the Book of Esther as the senior minister to King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). Described as an 'Agagite,' the name's ethnic or ancestral significance has been debated—possibly implying an adversarial connection to Israelite history (see Agag, king of the Amalekites), but no contextual evidence confirms genealogical continuity. The Hebrew text presents הָמָן as a foreigner at the Persian court, and this is consistent with the narrative's setting during the Achaemenid Empire. English translations regularly render the name as 'Haman.' The word is used only as a proper name and has no broader lexical field in Hebrew. Later Jewish tradition identified Haman as a prototype of anti-Israelite adversaries, but this is post-biblical interpretive development. The Book of Esther uses Persian names for several key figures, indicating the influence of the Persian imperial context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign derivation; Haman, a Persian vizier; Haman.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

המן (uncertain, foreign origin) (h-m-n (uncertain)) — uncertain; proper name

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H2001-01`	הָמָ֧ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman	38
`H2001-04`	וְ/הָמָן֙	vehaman	`HC/Np`	and Haman	and Haman	10
`H2001-02`	לְ/הָמָ֔ן	lehaman	`HR/Np`	to Haman	to Haman	5
`H2001-03`	מֵֽ/הָמָ֔ן	mehaman	`HR/Np`	from Haman	from Haman	1

Occurrences in Scripture

54 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H2001-01`	Esther 3:1	הָמָ֧ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-02`	Esther 3:2	לְ/הָמָ֔ן	lehaman	`HR/Np`	to Haman	to Haman
`H2001-02`	Esther 3:4	לְ/הָמָ֗ן	lehaman	`HR/Np`	to Haman	to Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 3:5	הָמָ֔ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 3:5	הָמָ֖ן	haman-2	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 3:6	הָמָ֗ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 3:7	הָמָ֗ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 3:8	הָמָן֙	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-02`	Esther 3:10	לְ/הָמָ֧ן	lehaman	`HR/Np`	to Haman	to Haman
`H2001-02`	Esther 3:11	לְ/הָמָ֔ן	lehaman	`HR/Np`	to Haman	to Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 3:12	הָמָ֡ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-04`	Esther 3:15	וְ/הָמָן֙	vehaman	`HC/Np`	and Haman	and Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 4:7	הָמָן֙	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-04`	Esther 5:4	וְ/הָמָן֙	vehaman	`HC/Np`	and Haman	and Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 5:5	הָמָ֔ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-04`	Esther 5:5	וְ/הָמָ֔ן	vehaman	`HC/Np`	and Haman	and Haman
`H2001-04`	Esther 5:8	וְ/הָמָ֗ן	vehaman	`HC/Np`	and Haman	and Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 5:9	הָמָן֙	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 5:9	הָמָ֨ן	haman-2	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 5:9	הָמָ֛ן	haman-3	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 5:10	הָמָ֔ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 5:11	הָמָ֛ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 5:12	הָמָן֒	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 5:14	הָמָ֖ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-04`	Esther 6:4	וְ/הָמָ֣ן	vehaman	`HC/Np`	Now Haman	and Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 6:5	הָמָ֖ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 6:6	הָמָן֒	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 6:6	הָמָן֙	haman-2	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 6:7	הָמָ֖ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-02`	Esther 6:10	לְ/הָמָ֗ן	lehaman	`HR/Np`	to Haman	to Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 6:11	הָמָן֙	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-04`	Esther 6:12	וְ/הָמָן֙	vehaman	`HC/Np`	But Haman	and Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 6:13	הָמָ֜ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 6:14	הָמָ֔ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-04`	Esther 7:1	וְ/הָמָ֔ן	vehaman	`HC/Np`	and Haman	and Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 7:6	הָמָ֥ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-04`	Esther 7:6	וְ/הָמָ֣ן	vehaman	`HC/Np`	and Haman	and Haman
`H2001-04`	Esther 7:7	וְ/הָמָ֣ן	vehaman	`HC/Np`	and Haman	and Haman
`H2001-04`	Esther 7:8	וְ/הָמָן֙	vehaman	`HC/Np`	and-Haman	and Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 7:8	הָמָ֖ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman's	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 7:9	הָמָ֟ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 7:9	הָמָ֔ן	haman-2	`HNp`	of Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 7:10	הָמָ֔ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 8:1	הָמָ֖ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-03`	Esther 8:2	מֵֽ/הָמָ֔ן	mehaman	`HR/Np`	from Haman	from Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 8:2	הָמָֽן	haman	`HNp`	of Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 8:3	הָמָ֣ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 8:5	הָמָ֤ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 8:7	הָמָ֜ן	haman	`HNp`	of Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 9:10	הָמָ֧ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 9:12	הָמָ֔ן	haman	`HNp`	of Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 9:13	הָמָ֖ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 9:14	הָמָ֖ן	haman	`HNp`	of Haman	Haman
`H2001-01`	Esther 9:24	הָמָ֨ן	haman	`HNp`	Haman	Haman

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