Bible Word Study
פַּרְשַׁנְדָּתָא
Parshandâthâʼ · Parshandatha, a son of Haman
פַּרְשַׁנְדָּתָא
Parshandatha, a son of Haman
Definition
Parshandatha is the name of the first of the ten sons of Haman the Agagite, the primary antagonist in the book of Esther (Esther 9:7). As a proper noun, it refers solely to this individual. The name is of Persian origin, and its inclusion in the biblical text reflects the historical setting of the Persian court. His name appears in the list of Haman's sons who were killed by the Jews in Susa on the 13th of Adar, as recorded in Esther 9:6-10, following the king's edict that allowed the Jews to defend themselves.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Esther 9:7. It appears in a specific literary context: a list naming the ten sons of Haman who were killed. The list serves to document the complete defeat of Haman's lineage and the fulfillment of the reversal of fortunes for the Jewish people. The name is part of a formal, recorded decree of events within the Persian Empire.
Etymology
The name Parshandatha is of Persian origin, not Hebrew. While its exact meaning is uncertain, scholars suggest it may be derived from Old Persian elements, possibly meaning something like 'given by prayer' or 'inquired of by a holy one.' Its presence in the Hebrew text is a direct loanword, reflecting the historical and cultural setting of the book of Esther within the Persian diaspora.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not theologically loaded, its bearer is significant. Parshandatha, as a son of Haman, represents the continuation of the genocidal threat against God's people. His defeat symbolizes the complete overthrow of evil plans against Israel and God's providential protection of His covenant people, even in exile. The listing of all ten sons by name underscores the totality and public record of God's deliverance. The name is distinctly Persian, fitting the court setting of the story. Naming all ten sons in the biblical text may have served a legal or monumental purpose, ensuring a permanent record of their defeat. In Persian culture, such lists were used in official inscriptions. The act of naming them individually gives weight and specificity to the historical account of the Jews' victory.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]