אֲרִידָתָא
Aridatha, a son of Haman
Definition
Aridatha is a proper name of Persian origin, referring to one of the ten sons of Haman the Agagite, the primary antagonist in the book of Esther. He is listed among those executed in the Jewish victory over their enemies on the 13th of Adar (Esther 9:8-10). The name itself carries no specific Hebrew meaning, as it is a foreign name transliterated into Hebrew. Its significance lies solely in its identification of this individual within the narrative of Esther.
Biblical Usage
The word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Esther 9:8. It appears in a list of the ten sons of Haman who were killed by the Jews in the citadel of Susa. The usage is purely identificatory, providing the name of a specific character within the historical account of the deliverance of the Jewish people.
Etymology
The name is explicitly noted in the biblical text as being of Persian origin. It is a transliteration of an Old Persian name into Hebrew characters. The original Persian meaning is uncertain, though some scholars suggest possible connections to words meaning 'possessor of greatness' or 'given by the holy one.' Its presence reflects the Persian cultural and administrative setting of the book of Esther.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not theologically loaded, its bearer is part of a significant theological narrative. Aridatha, as a son of Haman, represents the continuation of the enemy line opposed to God's people. His defeat symbolizes the complete overthrow of the threat against the Jews, underscoring themes of divine providence, justice, and the preservation of God's covenant people as seen in the book of Esther.
The name reflects the Persian imperial context of the story. The use of foreign names for court officials and their families was common in the Achaemenid Empire. Listing the names of Haman's sons served a legal and historical purpose, documenting the elimination of a hostile lineage. This practice differs from a modern understanding where such a list might be seen as merely narrative detail; in its context, it was a formal record of judgment.
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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