אֲרִיסַי
Arisai, a son of Haman
Definition
Arisai is a proper name of Persian origin, referring to one of the ten sons of Haman the Agagite, who was the primary antagonist in the book of Esther. As a son of Haman, Arisai is listed among those who were executed following the failed plot to annihilate the Jewish people in the Persian Empire (Esther 9:9). The name itself carries no specific Hebrew meaning, as it is a foreign import, and its significance lies solely in its narrative role. It appears only in the context of the sons' collective execution, underscoring the complete downfall of Haman's household.
Biblical Usage
The name Arisai is used only once in the Old Testament, in Esther 9:9. It appears in a list of Haman's ten sons who were killed by the Jews in the citadel of Susa on the 13th day of Adar, as permitted by King Xerxes' edict. The usage is purely identificatory within a historical record of judgment, with no further narrative development or individual action attributed to him.
Etymology
The name Arisai (אֲרִיסַי) is of Persian origin, not Hebrew. It is a transliteration of a Persian name into Hebrew characters. As such, it has no discernible Hebrew root or etymology. Its presence in the biblical text reflects the historical and cultural setting of the Persian court during the events of the book of Esther.
Semantic Range
While the name Arisai itself is not theologically loaded, its inclusion is theologically significant. The execution of Haman's sons, including Arisai, represents the complete eradication of an enemy lineage that sought to destroy God's people, fulfilling the principle of divine justice and the reversal of fortunes for the Jews. It underscores the theme of God's providential deliverance and the ultimate triumph of the Jewish community, as celebrated in the feast of Purim.
In the Persian cultural context, the listing of a defeated enemy's sons by name was a common practice to document the totality of their defeat and the end of their lineage. The Persian names of Haman's sons, including Arisai, authenticate the story's historical setting within the Achaemenid Empire. Their execution and public display (Esther 9:13-14) served as a powerful, culturally understood symbol of final judgment and a deterrent to future adversaries.
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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