תִּרְשָׁתָא
𐤕𐤓𐤔𐤕𐤀
Tirshâthâʼ
H8660 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A Persian administrative title denoting a provincial governor or high official, especially one appointed to oversee territories in the western provinces of the Persian Empire, such as the region of Yehud (Judea). Used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to appointed leaders overseeing the returned exiles, notably Zerubbabel and Nehemiah. The term carries official and political significance as a designation of authority under a non-Israelite imperial administration.
Semantic Range
provincial governor under Persian empire, Persian-appointed leader of the Israelite returnees, administrative official with authority over Yehud/Judea
Root / Etymology
Foreign origin; specific etymology uncertain, but widely agreed to derive from an Old Persian or Median administrative term used in the Achaemenid Empire. The form does not correspond to known native Hebrew roots.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term תִּרְשָׁתָא appears exclusively in Ezra and Nehemiah, referencing the appointed leader or governor overseeing the community of returnees from Babylonian exile under Persian rule. It is consistently used as a title, not as a personal name. In these books, Zerubbabel and Nehemiah are both called 'tirshatha,' indicating their role as official representatives of Persian imperial authority. The word underscores the changed political realities of the postexilic Yehud province, reflecting Persian administrative practice. While some English translations simply transliterate 'tirshatha,' others render it as 'governor,' which reflects its general meaning but loses the specific contextual nuance of a Persian-appointed leader. The term should be distinguished from other Hebrew words for local leaders or administrators, such as פֶּחָה (pechah, 'satrap' or 'local governor'), as תִּרְשָׁתָא appears only in postexilic books and always with the sense of a Persian-appointed leader with broad civil authority over the returned Israelite community. It does not occur in pre-exilic texts and is not used of earlier Israelite/Judahite rulers.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign derivation; Tirshatha, the title of a Persian deputy or governor; Tirshatha.
Bantu Hebrew
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תּרשתא (foreign, uncertain) (t-r-sh-t-ʾ) — govern, administer, provincial authority
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8660-01 |
הַ/תִּרְשָׁ֨תָא֙ | hatireshata | HTd/Ncmsa |
the Tirshatha | the imperial governor | 5 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8660-01 |
Ezra 2:63 | הַ/תִּרְשָׁ֨תָא֙ | hatireshata | HTd/Ncmsa |
the governor | the imperial governor |
H8660-01 |
Nehemiah 7:65 | הַ/תִּרְשָׁ֨תָא֙ | hatireshata | HTd/Ncmsa |
the Tirshatha | the imperial governor |
H8660-01 |
Nehemiah 7:69 | הַ/תִּרְשָׁ֜תָא | hatireshata | HTd/Ncmsa |
the Tirshatha | the imperial governor |
H8660-01 |
Nehemiah 8:9 | הַ/תִּרְשָׁ֡תָא | hatireshata | HTd/Ncmsa |
the governor | the imperial governor |
H8660-01 |
Nehemiah 10:2 | הַ/תִּרְשָׁ֛תָא | hatireshata | HTd/Ncmsa |
the Tirshatha | the imperial governor |