H0671b H0671b
Apharsathchites, likely an official title rather than ethnic name; Persian administrators (Ezra 4:9)
This term has shifted in scholarly understanding from an ethnic designation to likely meaning 'governors' or 'officials.' The Old Persian derivation suggests a bureaucratic title within the imperial administration. Ancient versions struggled with it, producing varied translations. Its appearance alongside other administrative terms in Ezra's list of opponents suggests these were Persian functionaries supervising the satrapy and protecting imperial interests against unauthorized construction.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Ezra 4:9's opposition list includes 'Apharsathchites' among other groups resisting temple rebuilding. Modern interpretation as 'lesser officials' or 'governors' (rather than an ethnic group) better explains its context among administrative titles. Translation variation (English 'Afarsatkhaye', Spanish 'y-los-oficiales'—'and the officials', French/German preserve Hebrew) reflects evolving scholarly consensus. This illustrates how biblical texts preserve administrative vocabulary from the Persian bureaucracy that governed Yehud. 1×
AR["وَ-الأَفَرْسَتَكَاوِيُّونَ"]·ben["আর-আফর্সতকায়েরা"]·DE["[ואפרסתכיא]"]·EN["and-Afarsatkhaye"]·FR["[ואפרסתכיא]"]·heb["ו-אפרסתכיא"]·HI["और-अपरसतकी"]·ID["dan-orang-orang-Afarsatkhia"]·IT["[ואפרסתכיא]"]·jav["kang-para-Tarpelit"]·KO["그리고-아바르사타가사람들"]·PT["e-os-afarsatqueus"]·RU["и-афарсатхеи"]·ES["y-los-oficiales"]·SW["Wafarisi"]·TR["ve-elciler"]·urd["اور-افرستکائی"]
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
‡ † אֲפָֽרְסַתְּכָיֵא 4:9, n.pr.pl.gent., so most hitherto, and still MeyEnst. J. 38 ff. (Persians), but many moderns think official title (HoffmZA ii. 54 Marquart64 JenThLZ. 1895, 509 Ency. Bib. 190 f.; plausible explanations are: AndrM 53* = Assyrian šuparšaḳ (v. Muss-Arnolt Assyrian Dict. 1098 šāqū 3, general, idAJ Sem. Lang. xx (1904), 186 ff.); Scheft76 = OIran. aparasaraka, lesser ruler; id MGWJ 47 (1903), 315 f. expl. -תְּכָיֵא as OPers. aparaƟrãka, lesser governor).