אֲפַרְסְכַי
𐤀𐤐𐤓𐤎𐤊𐤉
ʼĂpharçᵉkay
H671 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A designation for a specific ethnic or tribal group, referred to as 'Apharsekite' or 'Apharsathkite,' appearing only in several lists of populations within the Aramaic sections of Ezra. The precise ethnic, geographic, or tribal identification remains uncertain due to a lack of external corroboration. The term is plural and designates a group rather than an individual.
Semantic Range
Apharsekite/Apharsathkite people, a distinctly named ethnic or administrative group in imperial records; designation for members of this transplanted population; name for an unknown tribe or clan within Persian or Assyrian administration
Root / Etymology
Foreign origin; not from a recognized Hebrew root. The spelling variations and foreign phonology suggest it is a transliteration of a non-Hebrew, possibly Akkadian or Assyrian, tribal or geographic name. Etymology uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word occurs only in Ezra 4:9; 5:6; 6:6 within the Aramaic narrative portions, always in the context of Persian imperial administration's records of resettled populations. It is associated with other groups, possibly hailing from Mesopotamia, resettled in the former kingdom of Israel by the Assyrian or Babylonian empires. English translations (KJV, etc.) often transliterate the term, sometimes rendering it as 'Apharsachites' or similar. There is no conclusive evidence identifying this group with any known historical people, though some propose connections to Persian administrative districts or other Assyrian imperial populations. In later tradition, the term is sometimes confused or conflated with other groups of unclear origin.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) or אֲפַרְסַתְכַי; (Aramaic), of foreign origin (only in the plural); an Apharsekite or Apharsathkite, an unknown Assyrian tribe; Apharsachites, Apharasthchites.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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אפרסכ (ʾ-p-r-s-k) — identity, ethnicity, people group (foreign origin)
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H671-01 |
אֲפַ֨רְסְכָיֵ֔/א | afaresekhaye | ANcmpd/Td |
the-Apharsachites | the Apharsekite people | 2 |
H671-02 |
וַ/אֲפַרְסַתְכָיֵ֞/א | vaafaresatekhaye | AC/Ncmpd/Td |
and the Apharsachites | and the Apharsekites | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H671-02 |
Ezra 4:9 | וַ/אֲפַרְסַתְכָיֵ֞/א | vaafaresatekhaye | AC/Ncmpd/Td |
and the Apharsachites | and the Apharsekites |
H671-01 |
Ezra 5:6 | אֲפַ֨רְסְכָיֵ֔/א | afaresekhaye | ANcmpd/Td |
the-Apharsachites | the Apharsekite people |
H671-01 |
Ezra 6:6 | אֲפַרְסְכָיֵ֔/א | afaresekhaye | ANcmpd/Td |
the-Apharsachites | the Apharsekite people |