אַשְׁפְּנַז
𐤀𐤔𐤐𐤍𐤆
Ashepenaz
H828 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper name designating a high-ranking official in the Babylonian court during the Neo-Babylonian period, specifically identified as the chief of the court eunuchs or chief official overseeing the Israelite exiles in Daniel. Used only as a personal name and does not have a lexical meaning outside of this context. Its semantic scope is restricted to the narrative role of Ashpenaz in Daniel, reflecting an official Babylonian title or role.
Semantic Range
personal name (chief Babylonian official), title or position of authority in Babylonian administration
Root / Etymology
The word is of foreign (non-Hebrew) origin, likely Akkadian or Old Persian, and not derived from a native Hebrew root. Various proposals suggest it is related to Babylonian or Persian administrative titles, possibly containing elements meaning 'horse' (Persian: aspa) and 'nose' or 'leader' (Old Iranian: naza, 'nose,' figuratively 'leader'), but the precise etymology remains uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ashpenaz appears only in the Book of Daniel (Dan 1:3), identified as the נְגִיד הַסָּרִיסִים — 'chief of the officials/eunuchs.' The name is not Hebrew but reflects the presence of Babylonian personal names and titles in the exilic and post-exilic biblical literature. There is no attestation of the name Ashpenaz outside the Book of Daniel, and no archaeological evidence links the name to a specific historical figure, though the use of foreign officials in exile administration is well documented. English translations render the name directly (Ashpenaz) or, in older sources, conflate 'chief of the eunuchs' as a title. The name should not be confused with later terminology identifying Judean or Israelite officials; it is exclusively Babylonian in context. No significant development in meaning occurs, as its use is limited to a single narrative context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign origin; Ashpenaz, a Babylonian eunuch; Ashpenaz.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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uncertain (foreign proper name) (uncertain) — proper name, foreign official
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H828-01 |
לְ/אַשְׁפְּנַ֖ז | leashepenaz | HR/Np |
to Ashpenaz | to Ashpenaz | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H828-01 |
Daniel 1:3 | לְ/אַשְׁפְּנַ֖ז | leashepenaz | HR/Np |
to Ashpenaz | to Ashpenaz |