H2238 H2238
Zeresh; wife of Haman, who first encouraged and then lamented his plot against Mordecai.
The proper name of Haman's wife in the book of Esther. Zeresh first appears advising her husband to build a gallows for Mordecai (Esth 5:10, 14), but after Haman's humiliation in leading Mordecai through the streets, she reverses course and ominously predicts his downfall (Esth 6:13). The name may derive from a Persian word meaning 'golden' or be connected to an Elamite goddess, Kirisha. Translations render it variously—English 'Zeresh,' Spanish 'Zeres,' German 'Seresch'—but all preserve it as a recognizable personal name.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A proper feminine name identifying the wife of Haman the Agagite in the Esther narrative. She appears in two contrasting scenes: first counseling Haman to prepare a gallows for Mordecai (Esth 5:10, 14), then warning him after his public humiliation that his fall before Mordecai is inevitable (Esth 6:13, appearing twice in the same verse). The name's possible Persian etymology ('golden') is noted by lexicographers, with an alternative link to the Elamite goddess Kirisha. The multilingual variation—Spanish 'Zeres,' German 'Seresch,' French preserving the Hebrew form—reflects typical transliteration differences for proper names. 4×
AR["زَرَشَ", "زَرَشُ", "لِ-زَرَشَ", "وَ-زَرَشُ"]·ben["-জেরেশকে", "ও-জেরেশ", "সেরেশ"]·DE["Seresch", "und-Seresch", "zu-Seresch"]·EN["Zeresh", "and-Zeresh", "to-Zeresh"]·FR["[וזרש]", "[זרש]", "[לזרש]"]·heb["ו-זרש", "זרש", "ל-זרש"]·HI["और-ज़ेरेश", "ज़ेरेश"]·ID["Zeresh", "dan-Zeresh", "kepada-Zeresh"]·IT["Zeresh", "e-Zeresh"]·jav["Zérés", "dhateng-Zérés", "lan-Zérés"]·KO["그리고-세레스", "세레스가", "세레스를", "에게-세레스"]·PT["Zeres", "a-Zeres", "e-Zeres"]·RU["Зереш", "и-Зереш"]·ES["Zeres", "a-Zeres", "y-Zeres"]·SW["Zereshi", "kwa-Zereshi", "mke-wake"]·TR["Zereş", "Zereş'e-", "Zereş'i", "ve-Zereş"]·urd["اور-زرش-نے", "زرش", "زرش-نے", "کو-زرش"]
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
† זֶ֫רֶשׁ n.pr.f. wife of Haman Est 5:10, 14; 6:13(×2) (according to Opp Esth. 25 = Pers. zaris, Zend zairis, la dorée, cf. زررِشتَه aurum ductile, Vull ii. 128 b; JenVOJ, 1892, 64 comp. Elamit. goddess Kiriša).