H5407 H5407
letter, written document; official correspondence in Aramaic
This Aramaic noun means 'letter' or written document, probably borrowed from Persian (reflecting the Persian imperial context of Ezra). All three occurrences appear in Ezra's Aramaic correspondence between Jerusalem and the Persian court. Ezra 4:18 mentions 'the letter' sent to King Artaxerxes being read aloud before him. Ezra 4:23 describes action taken 'after the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read.' Ezra 5:5 refers to 'a letter' concerning the temple rebuilding sent to King Darius. These official documents shaped Jerusalem's fate—permission granted or denied, work authorized or halted, all through imperial letters.
Senses
1. sense 1 — All three instances function within Persian bureaucracy governing Judah's restoration. The letters mediate royal power: accusations against the Jews (4:18), royal decrees halting work (4:23), and petitions for archival research (5:5). The emphatic form 'nishtvana' suggests formal, official documentation rather than personal correspondence. Cross-linguistic renderings uniformly use 'letter/carta/lettre' terminology. These Aramaic documents preserved in Scripture show how the exiled community's fortunes depended on persuading foreign kings through written appeals and responses—making letters instruments of providence. 3×
AR["الرِّسَالَةُ", "رِسالَة", "رِسَالَةِ"]·ben["চিঠি", "চিঠির"]·DE["[נשתונא]"]·EN["letter", "letter-of"]·FR["lettre"]·heb["נשתונא"]·HI["पत्र", "पत्र-की", "लिखित-उत्तर"]·ID["Surat", "surat"]·IT["lettera"]·jav["kang-ratu", "kang-serat", "tumrap"]·KO["그-편지"]·PT["A-carta", "a-carta-de", "uma-carta"]·RU["Письмо", "письма", "письмо"]·ES["La-carta", "carta", "carta-de"]·SW["barua", "ya-barua"]·TR["Mektup", "mektubun", "mektup"]·urd["خط", "خط-کی"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [נִשְׁתְּוָן] n.m. Ezr 4:18 letter (prob. Pers.; v. BH);—emph. נִשְׁתְּוָנָא Ezr 4:18, 23; 5:5.