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מְמוּכָן

𐤌𐤌𐤅𐤊𐤍

Memukhan

H4462 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain, not from a Hebrew root

Definition

Memucan, a personal name referring to one of the seven chief officials or counselors in the Persian court of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) during the early fifth century BCE, specifically mentioned in the book of Esther. The term does not carry a lexical meaning within Hebrew itself, functioning solely as a proper name applied to this historical personage.

Semantic Range

personal name of a Persian official, one of the king's counselors; proper name without independent meaning in Hebrew

Root / Etymology

Persian origin; not derived from a recognizable Hebrew root. The name appears in Hebrew script as מְמוּכָן (Mᵉmûwkān) or as the variant מוֹמֻכָן (Momûkān), reflecting likely adaptations of a Persian name into Biblical Hebrew orthography and phonology. The Persian original is uncertain, and several proposals link it to Middle or Old Persian terms related to 'appointed' or 'firm/decreed,' but the exact etymology remains unclear.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Used exclusively in the book of Esther (Esther 1:14, 1:16) to identify Memucan as one of the seven high-ranking counselors to King Ahasuerus. The identification of Memucan as a satrap is based on his role as an advisor rather than direct governance of a province. The name is not Israelite and does not bear Hebrew significance beyond its use as a foreign personal name. The two spelling variants in Esther reflect a lack of standardization for non-native names. Later Jewish and Christian translations often simply transliterate the name or, in some traditions, associate Memucan with the figure Haman, though the text itself in Esther does not make this identification. There is no evidence that Memucan was of Israelite or Judahite descent; he is represented purely as a Persian official. The semantic nuance and usage are confined to this historical and narrative context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (transp.) מוֹמֻכָן; (Esther 1:16), of Persian derivation; Memucan or Momucan, a Persian satrap; Memucan.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

— (—) — not derived from a Hebrew root; proper name of Persian origin

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H116 אֱדַיִן then
H133 אַדְמָתָא Admatha
H175 אַהֲרוֹן and in Aharon
H1834 דַּמֶּשֶׂק Damascus
H1867 דָּֽרְיָוֵשׁ Darius

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4462-01 מְמוּכָ֑ן memukhan HNp Memucan Memucan 3
H4462-02 מומכן mvmkhn HNp Memucan Memucan 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4462-01 Esther 1:14 מְמוּכָ֑ן memukhan HNp Memucan Memucan
H4462-02 Esther 1:16 מומכן mvmkhn HNp Memucan Memucan
H4462-01 Esther 1:16 מְמוּכָ֗ן memukhan HNp Memucan Memucan
H4462-01 Esther 1:21 מְמוּכָֽן memukhan HNp Memucan Memucan
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