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שִׁמְשַׁי

𐤔𐤌𐤔𐤉

Shimeshay

H8124 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שמש sun, to shine

Definition

Shimshai, a proper name referring to an official in the Persian administration of Yehud (Judea) during the post-exilic period, specifically mentioned as a scribe opposed to the rebuilding efforts in Jerusalem. While the form suggests an association with the sun (שמש), in context it functions solely as a personal name, with no direct indication of title or ethnic designation in the referenced narratives.

Semantic Range

personal name, derived from 'sun'; no occurrence as common noun or title; only as proper name for Persian-era scribe

Root / Etymology

From the root שמש (shemesh), meaning 'sun', with the suffix -י (-ay), which in proper names often denotes a relationship or derivation. The name is likely constructed after common Northwest Semitic patterns for personal names utilizing natural phenomena or deities, though in this context it is simply a personal name and not a title or epithet for the sun deity. The exact derivational nuance is uncertain and likely idiomatic to naming practices of the Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Shimshai appears only in the book of Ezra (post-exilic, Persian period), identified as a scribe (possibly a high-ranking administrator or legal recorder) in the province administered from Samaria. The name is Aramaic in form, reflecting the linguistic environment of the Achaemenid imperial bureaucracy. There is no evidence that 'Shimshai' should be translated or understood as a common noun; it is exclusively used as a personal name in the biblical text. English translations sometimes identify Shimshai as 'the Samaritan', but this reflects contextual assumptions rather than lexical content. The name illustrates how personal names in late biblical Hebrew and Aramaic often reused older lexemes (e.g., 'sun') in non-literal, onomastic fashion. In modern translations, the use of the English term 'Samaritan' for Shimshai is anachronistic and may obscure the official's actual political or ethnic identity in the Achaemenid period.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) from שֶׁמֶשׁ; sunny; Shimshai, a Samaritan; Shimshai.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שמש (š-m-š) — sun, shine, solar radiance

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1053 בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ sun
H8120 שְׁמַשׁ they will minister to him
H8121 שֶׁמֶשׁ in the sun
H8125 שַׁמְשְׁרַי Sun-like one

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8124-01 וְ/שִׁמְשַׁי֙ veshimeshay AC/Np and Shimshai Shimshai 4

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8124-01 Ezra 4:8 וְ/שִׁמְשַׁי֙ veshimeshay AC/Np Shimshai Shimshai
H8124-01 Ezra 4:9 וְ/שִׁמְשַׁי֙ veshimeshay AC/Np and Shimshai Shimshai
H8124-01 Ezra 4:17 וְ/שִׁמְשַׁ֣י veshimeshay AC/Np and Shimshai Shimshai
H8124-01 Ezra 4:23 וְ/שִׁמְשַׁ֥י veshimeshay AC/Np and Shimshai Shimshai
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