עֲנַשׁ
a mulct
Definition
The Hebrew word עֲנַשׁ (ʻănash) refers to a penalty or punishment, specifically a financial penalty or confiscation of property. In its sole biblical occurrence in Ezra 7:26, it denotes a legal sanction imposed by the Persian king's authority for disobedience to the law of God or the king. The term is closely related to the concept of a 'mulct'—a fine or monetary forfeiture. This Aramaic loanword in the Hebrew text emphasizes the administrative and judicial context of the Persian Empire's rule over the Jewish people.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Ezra 7:26. It appears in the context of a royal decree from King Artaxerxes, granting Ezra authority to establish a judicial system. The usage is specific to a legal penalty for those who violate 'the law of your God or the law of the king,' indicating it was a form of punishment, likely property confiscation, within the Persian imperial administration. There are no other usage patterns, as it is a hapax legomenon (a word occurring only once).
Etymology
The word עֲנַשׁ (ʻănash) is an Aramaic noun that corresponds to the Hebrew root עָנַשׁ (ʻānash, H6066), which means 'to fine' or 'to punish.' It is derived from a common Semitic root conveying the idea of penalty or punishment. In Biblical Hebrew, the related verb עָנַשׁ often implies a punitive fine, while the noun form here, borrowed from Aramaic, specifically denotes the penalty itself within an Aramaic-influenced legal context of the post-exilic period.
Semantic Range
This word highlights the intersection of divine and human authority in the post-exilic community. In Ezra 7:26, punishment (עֲנַשׁ) is authorized for violating both 'the law of your God and the law of the king,' showing how temporal governance was seen as upholding God's law. It underscores the seriousness of covenant obedience under foreign rule and the theological concept that civil penalties can serve to protect religious community and order, as established by God's providence through Persian decrees.
In the cultural context of the Persian Empire, עֲנַשׁ reflects a legal system where fines and property confiscation were common penalties for disobedience. This differs from some earlier Israelite punishments, which could include corporal or capital punishment. The term's Aramaic origin indicates the linguistic and administrative influence of the Persian government on the Jewish community during the Second Temple period, showing how Jewish life was integrated into a larger imperial legal framework that used financial penalties as a deterrent.
עֹנֶשׁ (ʻōnesh, H6066) — The direct Hebrew counterpart, also meaning 'punishment' or 'fine,' used more broadly in the Old Testament (e.g., Proverbs 19:19).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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