מְהוּמָן
𐤌𐤄𐤅𐤌𐤍
Mehuman
H4104 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Mehuman—a proper noun designating one of the seven officials or chamberlains (eunuchs) serving King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) in the Persian royal court, as referenced uniquely in Esther 1:10. The name identifies a royal attendant of Persian origin involved in administrative and courtly functions.
Semantic Range
name of a Persian official, one of seven chamberlains/eunuchs in the Persian king's service
Root / Etymology
Borrowed from Persian; not a native Hebrew formation. The etymology is uncertain, but the form suggests derivation from an Old Persian or Median personal or occupational name. Hebrew usage preserves the Perso-Iranian original; exact Persian etymon debated among scholars.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Mehuman appears exclusively in the Book of Esther (1:10), set in the Persian period, wherein the Persian royal court is represented with several foreign names. The role described for Mehuman is that of a royal court official, often rendered 'eunuch' (saris), which in the Achaemenid administration could denote both literal eunuchs and high-ranking courtiers. The presence of a Persian name underscores the authentic Persian milieu of the narrative. The term has no attestation outside Esther and is not used as a common noun. English translations generally retain the name as 'Mehuman,' but some late Jewish interpretive traditions associate the word with meanings such as 'faithful' or 'trusted,' though there is no evidence for this in the Hebrew text or Persian parallels. The name does not bear theological significance and reflects the narrative's attention to Persian administrative terminology.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Persian origin; Mehuman, a eunuch of Xerxes; Mehuman.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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uncertain (Persian loanword) (unknown) — proper name of Persian origin; royal official
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4104-01 |
לִ֠/מְהוּמָן | limehuman | HR/Np |
to Mehuman | to Mehuman | to Mehuman | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4104-01 |
Esther 1:10 | לִ֠/מְהוּמָן | limehuman | HR/Np |
to Mehuman | to Mehuman | to Mehuman |