← H634 H636 →

אֶסְתֵּר

𐤀𐤎𐤕𐤓

Eseter

H635 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain; not a native Hebrew root

Definition

Proper name: Esther; the personal name of a central woman of the Persian court, an Israelite who becomes queen in the Achaemenid Empire as recounted in the book of Esther. The name is used for an individual, not for a class or group, and appears only as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

personal name Esther; name of an Israelite woman who becomes queen in the Persian court; associated by tradition with star or the goddess Ishtar, but in the Hebrew Bible functioning strictly as a personal name

Root / Etymology

Likely of Old Persian origin. Commonly associated with the Persian word 'stâra' (star) or possibly related to the goddess Ishtar. The name entered Hebrew via Persian administrative and court circles during the Achaemenid period. The direct Hebrew root is absent; the word is a borrowing rather than a derivation from a native Hebrew root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Esther (אֶסְתֵּר) is the given name of the heroine of the book of Esther, a story set during the Persian Empire. The use of a Persian-derived name reflects the context of the Israelite diaspora in exile and the adoption of local naming customs. In the narrative, Esther is a Judahite by ancestry, but her story is set firmly in the Persian diaspora. English translations often render the name as 'Esther', occasionally using 'Jewess' or 'Jewish heroine'; however, this term imposes later religious identity on an earlier historical period. The Hebrew text uses 'אֶסְתֵּר' simply as a name, without explicit meaning or title. The Greek Septuagint transliterates the name as Ἐσθήρ (Esthēr). Esther's Israelite name, Hadassah, is mentioned separately in the narrative, highlighting her dual identity within the diaspora context. Use of Esther as a representative term for Persian-period Israelite women should be avoided; the name is unique to this individual in the Hebrew Bible.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Persian derivation; Ester, the Jewish heroine; Esther.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain; Persian personal name

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

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H635-01 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter HNp Esther Esther 42
H635-02 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר leeseter HR/Np to Esther to Esther 11
H635-04 וְ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר veeseter HC/Np and Esther and Esther 1
H635-03 מֵֽ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר meeseter HR/Np from Esther from Esther 1

Occurrences in Scripture

55 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H635-01 Esther 2:7 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter HNp Esther Esther
H635-01 Esther 2:8 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter HNp Esther Esther
H635-01 Esther 2:10 אֶסְתֵּ֔ר eseter HNp Esther Esther
H635-01 Esther 2:11 אֶסְתֵּ֔ר eseter HNp Esther Esther
H635-01 Esther 2:15 אֶסְתֵּ֣ר eseter HNp of Esther Esther
H635-01 Esther 2:15 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter-2 HNp Esther Esther
H635-01 Esther 2:16 אֶסְתֵּ֜ר eseter HNp Esther Esther
H635-01 Esther 2:17 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter HNp Esther Esther
H635-01 Esther 2:18 אֶסְתֵּ֑ר eseter HNp Esther Esther
H635-01 Esther 2:20 אֶסְתֵּ֗ר eseter HNp Esther Esther
← H634 Hebrew Lexicon H636 →