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אֶסְתֵּר

𐤀𐤎𐤕𐤓

Eseter

H635 noun

SILEX Entry

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 recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain

Root uncertain uncertain; not a native Hebrew root
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1002 בִּירָה the citadel
H105 אֲגַרְטָל bowls of
H1081 בַּלְאֲדָן Baladan
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H635-01 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter 42
H635-02 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר leeseter HR/Np to Esther to Esther to Eseter 11
H635-03 מֵֽ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר meeseter HR/Np from Esther from Esther from Eseter 1
H635-04 וְ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר veeseter HC/Np and Esther and Esther and Eseter 1

Occurrences in Scripture

55 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H635-01 Esther 2:7 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:8 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:10 אֶסְתֵּ֔ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:11 אֶסְתֵּ֔ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:15 אֶסְתֵּ֣ר eseter HNp of Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:15 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter-2 HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:16 אֶסְתֵּ֜ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:17 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:18 אֶסְתֵּ֑ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:20 אֶסְתֵּ֗ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:20 אֶסְתֵּ֣ר eseter-2 HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-02 Esther 2:22 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר leeseter HR/Np to Esther to Esther to Eseter
H635-01 Esther 2:22 אֶסְתֵּ֛ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 4:4 אֶסְתֵּ֤ר eseter HNp Esther's Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 4:5 אֶסְתֵּ֨ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 4:8 אֶסְתֵּ֖ר eseter HNp to Esther Esther Eseter
H635-02 Esther 4:9 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֔ר leeseter HR/Np to Esther to Esther to Eseter
H635-01 Esther 4:10 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 4:12 אֶסְתֵּֽר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 4:13 אֶסְתֵּ֑ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 4:15 אֶסְתֵּ֖ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 4:17 אֶסְתֵּֽר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 5:1 אֶסְתֵּר֙ eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 5:2 אֶסְתֵּ֣ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-02 Esther 5:2 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֗ר leeseter HR/Np to Esther to Esther to Eseter
H635-01 Esther 5:2 אֶסְתֵּ֔ר eseter-2 HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 5:3 אֶסְתֵּ֣ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 5:4 אֶסְתֵּ֔ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 5:5 אֶסְתֵּ֑ר eseter HNp Esther's Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 5:5 אֶסְתֵּֽר eseter-2 HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-02 Esther 5:6 לְ/אֶסְתֵּר֙ leeseter HR/Np to Esther to Esther to Eseter
H635-01 Esther 5:7 אֶסְתֵּ֖ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 5:12 אֶסְתֵּ֨ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 6:14 אֶסְתֵּֽר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 7:1 אֶסְתֵּ֥ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-02 Esther 7:2 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֜ר leeseter HR/Np to-Esther to Esther to Eseter
H635-01 Esther 7:2 אֶסְתֵּ֥ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 7:3 אֶסְתֵּ֤ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-02 Esther 7:5 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר leeseter HR/Np to Esther to Esther to Eseter
H635-01 Esther 7:6 אֶסְתֵּ֔ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-03 Esther 7:7 מֵֽ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר meeseter HR/Np from Esther from Esther from Eseter
H635-01 Esther 7:8 אֶסְתֵּ֣ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-02 Esther 8:1 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר leeseter HR/Np to Esther to Esther to Eseter
H635-01 Esther 8:1 אֶסְתֵּ֖ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 8:2 אֶסְתֵּ֛ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-01 Esther 8:3 אֶסְתֵּ֗ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-02 Esther 8:4 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֔ר leeseter HR/Np to Esther to Esther to Eseter
H635-01 Esther 8:4 אֶסְתֵּ֔ר eseter HNp Esther Esther Eseter
H635-02 Esther 8:7 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֣ר leeseter HR/Np to Esther to Esther to Eseter
H635-02 Esther 8:7 לְ/אֶסְתֵּ֗ר leeseter-2 HR/Np to Esther to Esther to Eseter
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