H0091 H0091
Agagite — a gentilicdesignation identifying Haman's ancestry, possibly linking him to the Amalekite king Agag
Agagi is the gentilic adjective applied exclusively to Haman, the antagonist of the book of Esther. All five occurrences (Esth 3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24) serve as an epithet — 'Haman the Agagite' — identifying him by ancestral or ethnic origin. Jewish tradition and Josephus connect this designation to Agag, the Amalekite king spared by Saul (1 Sam 15), making the Esther narrative a continuation of the ancient Israel-Amalek conflict. The multilingual evidence is revealing: Spanish uses 'el agagueo' (with a gentilic suffix), French 'Agaguite,' and German 'der Agagiter,' each forming a recognizable ethnic adjective.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A gentilic adjective meaning 'the Agagite,' used exclusively as an epithet for Haman in the book of Esther (3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24). The designation likely traces his lineage to Agag, the Amalekite king of 1 Samuel 15, casting the Purim conflict as a continuation of the ancient Israelite-Amalekite enmity. Josephus (Ant. xi.6.5) confirms this identification. The article ha- prefixed in some occurrences marks the gentilic as a known designation rather than a novel introduction. 5×
AR["الأَجَاجِيَّ", "الْأَغَاغِيَّ", "الْأَغَاغِيِّ"]·ben["-অগাগীয়", "-আগাগীয়"]·DE["der-Agagiter"]·EN["the-Agagite"]·FR["Agaguite"]·heb["ה-אגגי"]·HI["अगागी", "अगागी-को"]·ID["orang-Agag"]·IT["Agaghita"]·jav["tiyang-Agag"]·KO["그-아갩-사람의", "그-아갩-사람이", "그-아갱-사람에게", "그-아갱-사람을"]·PT["o-agagita", "o-agagueu"]·RU["Агагитянин", "Агагитянина", "агагитянина", "агагитянину"]·ES["el-agagueo"]·SW["Mwagagi", "mpango-wake"]·TR["Agaklı-"]·urd["اگاگی"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אֲגָגִי adj.gent. of Haman (= Amalekite? so Jew. trad. & cf. Jos.Ant. xi, 6, 5 Est 3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24