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מֶרֶס

𐤌𐤓𐤎

Meres

H4825 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (proper name of foreign origin; no discernible Hebrew root)

Definition

A proper noun designating a person named Meres, attested as one of the seven high-ranking advisors or officials in the Persian court of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) as described in the book of Esther. The name itself does not carry a Hebrew lexical meaning, being a foreign loan, likely introduced in accordance with the narrative setting in the Persian period. The word functions strictly as a personal name in the biblical text.

Semantic Range

personal name, specifically one of the seven Persian royal advisors in Esther; no broader usage attested

Root / Etymology

The term is of foreign (Persian) derivation, not native to Hebrew. The form and context suggest it is a direct borrowing from a Persian name or title; the etymology beyond this is uncertain and debated, as there is no established Semitic root. Some have suggested resemblance or connection to Old Persian names or official titles, but no definitive linguistic link has been established.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מֶרֶס appears solely in Esther 1:14, where it names one of the seven principal advisors to the Persian king. Its status as a loanword aligns with other names and terms of Persian origin in Esther, reflecting the court setting and cultural context of the narrative. Standard English translations transliterate the name, sometimes identifying Meres as 'a Persian noble' or 'advisor,' but the Hebrew text provides no further details regarding the person or the possible meaning of the name in Persian. Subsequent Jewish and Christian traditions have adopted the transliteration directly, with no evidence of the term acquiring theological or metaphorical usage. The use of this and related foreign names in Esther highlights linguistic borrowing during the Persian period, in contrast to native Israelite names predominating earlier books.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign derivation; Meres, a Persian; Meres.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — none; proper name of foreign 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
H4825-01 מֶ֥רֶס meres HNp Meres Meres 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4825-01 Esther 1:14 מֶ֥רֶס meres HNp Meres Meres
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