מְדָתָא
𐤌𐤃𐤕𐤀
Medata
H4099 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper masculine personal name of Persian origin, used in the Hebrew Bible to refer specifically to the father of Haman, a principal antagonist in the book of Esther. Though the name itself is not translated, it signifies identity and lineage within the narrative, denoting Haman as 'son of Medatha.' The word functions solely as a proper noun without additional lexical meaning in Hebrew.
Semantic Range
proper masculine personal name; designation of the father of Haman
Root / Etymology
Loanword of Persian origin; the Hebrew form מְדָתָא (Medatha) is a transliteration of a non-Semitic personal name, likely stemming from Old Persian. The Hebrew does not derive it from a native root, making the etymological pathway external to the Semitic language family. Root uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name מְדָתָא occurs in the book of Esther as part of the patronymic identifier for Haman ('Haman son of Medatha the Agagite'). The use and spelling reflect its adaptation into Hebrew script and morphology, but the name is not otherwise attested within Israelite onomastics. In the context of the Persian period narrative, names of foreign origin like Medatha indicate the integration and recognition of non-Israelite individuals within the biblical storyworld. Later English translations use 'Hammedatha' and sometimes refer to Haman as 'the son of Hammedatha.' No theological or generic sense is attached to the term; its function is exclusively as a personal name. The precise meaning in its Persian context is uncertain and not clarified by biblical usage. There is no evidence that the name was used more broadly in Israelite or Judean history outside the Esther narrative.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
xlit Mᵉdâthâ corrected to Mᵉdâthâʼ; of Persian origin; Medatha, the father of Haman; Hammedatha (including the article).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (uncertain) — personal name (no Hebrew root meaning)
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4099-01 |
הַמְּדָ֛תָא | hamedata | HNp |
Hammedatha | Medatha | 5 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4099-01 |
Esther 3:1 | הַמְּדָ֛תָא | hamedata | HNp |
Hammedatha | Medatha |
H4099-01 |
Esther 3:10 | הַמְּדָ֛תָא | hamedata | HNp |
of Hammedatha | Medatha |
H4099-01 |
Esther 8:5 | הַמְּדָ֨תָא֙ | hamedata | HNp |
Hammedatha | Medatha |
H4099-01 |
Esther 9:10 | הַמְּדָ֛תָא | hamedata | HNp |
Hammedatha | Medatha |
H4099-01 |
Esther 9:24 | הַמְּדָ֜תָא | hamedata | HNp |
of Hammedatha | Medatha |