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זֵתַר

𐤆𐤕𐤓

Zetar

H2242 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain, proper name

Definition

Zêthar is a proper noun designating an individual, specifically one of the seven officials (eunuchs or court attendants) serving King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) of Persia according to the book of Esther (Esth 1:10). The term is used exclusively as a personal name in this context. It does not carry a broader lexical meaning outside of this reference.

Semantic Range

personal name of a Persian royal official, designation of an individual in the Persian court of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I)

Root / Etymology

The etymology is uncertain, but the name is of non-Hebrew (Persian) origin. No Hebrew root can be securely identified; the form appears to be a direct borrowing into Hebrew from Persian or related languages.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Zêthar appears only in Esther 1:10, one of a list of seven chamberlains serving King Ahasuerus. The word does not occur elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible or in later Hebrew literature. It is not a title but a personal name. As with most of the personal names in Esther 1:10, Zêthar reflects Persian court culture and nomenclature rather than Israelite tradition. Standard English translations retain 'Zethar' as a transliterated personal name. In the context of the narrative, Zêthar belongs to Persepolis-era Persian court officials, likely of foreign origin serving an imperial administrative or ceremonial role, but the text does not elaborate further. The presence of such names in Esther reflects the setting in the Achaemenid Persian Empire and is consistent with the period's practice of employing foreign attendants in royal courts. The term 'eunuch' used in many translations translates the Hebrew סָרִיס (saris), not the name זֵתַר itself. The word has no broader lexical or conceptual development in Israelite or Judaean tradition.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Persian origin; Zethar, a eunuch of Xerxes; Zethar. j

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — proper name, uncertain origin

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan
H1150 בִּנְעָא Bin'a
H116 אֱדַיִן and then

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2242-01 זֵתַ֣ר zetar HNp Zethar Zethar 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2242-01 Esther 1:10 זֵתַ֣ר zetar HNp Zethar Zethar
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