טַרְפְּלַי
𐤈𐤓𐤐𐤋𐤉
Ṭarpᵉlay
H2967 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A member or collective group identified as originating from Tarpel, a location associated with northern Assyria, or possibly a distinct province within the Neo-Assyrian or early Persian administrative system. Refers specifically to people named in lists of foreign populations resettled in Samaria.
Semantic Range
person from Tarpel, collectively the people of Tarpel, deported population in Samaria, non-Israelite ethnic group under Assyrian/Persian imperial administration
Root / Etymology
The term is of uncertain etymology. The word טַרְפְּלַי is a gentilic form, apparently denoting origination from a place called Tarpel (טַרְפֶּל, unattested elsewhere in Hebrew Bible), with the gentilic ending -ai (Aramaic -ָי, analogous to -ite in English). The root is not Hebrew or of known Semitic formation, and the name is thought to represent a non-Semitic, likely Iranic or Median, toponym or ethnonym.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name טַרְפְּלַי (Ṭarpᵉlay) appears only in Ezra 4:9, within a list of distinct peoples resettled in Samaria by Assyrian or Babylonian imperial authorities after the exile of the northern Kingdom of Israel. The term is linguistically Aramaic in form, reflecting the administrative language of the Persian period. The precise geographical location or ethnic identity referenced by 'Tarpel' remains unidentified; various proposals link it to regions in Media, Assyria, or other areas under Neo-Assyrian and later Persian rule. The use is strictly collective and geographic, not indicating religion or later Judean/Israelite developments. English translations render 'Tarpelites,' but the scope is limited to this single biblical occurrence and does not correspond to any later Israelite or Judean community. The group is grouped with other deported peoples, suggesting an administrative, rather than specifically ethnic, significance.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) from a name of foreign derivation; a Tarpelite (collectively) or inhabitants of Tarpel, a place in Assyria; Tarpelites. y
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
טרפל (ṭ-r-p-l) — gentilic from Tarpel, people of Tarpel, foreign ethnic group
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2967-01 |
טַרְפְּלָיֵ֣/א | tarepelaye | ANcmpd/Td |
the men of Tarpel | the Tarpelites | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2967-01 |
Ezra 4:9 | טַרְפְּלָיֵ֣/א | tarepelaye | ANcmpd/Td |
the men of Tarpel | the Tarpelites |