אֲפָרְסַי
𐤀𐤐𐤓𐤎𐤉
Afaresay
H670 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A member of a group referred to as Apharsites, listed among various foreign peoples settled in the province of Samaria by Assyrian or Persian authorities. The term functions as a gentilic, identifying people by their ethnic or regional origin, the precise geographic location or ethnic association being uncertain. Used only in Ezra (in Aramaic sections), designating a non-Israelite population group.
Semantic Range
inhabitant of an unidentified region or group (Apharsite), member of an ethnically unidentified non-Israelite community in Persian Samaria
Root / Etymology
The word is of foreign origin, likely non-Semitic, and is used in the Aramaic portions of Ezra (Hebrew spelling: אֲפָרְסַי). It does not derive from a known Hebrew or Aramaic root. The form is a gentilic plural, constructed with the Aramaic gentilic ending -י (yod).
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears only in Ezra 4:9 and describes peoples settled in Samaria during the Persian period. There is significant uncertainty about the precise origin, ethnic background, or homeland of the Apharsites; ancient sources do not clarify their identity, and modern scholarship has not conclusively identified them. The word is one among several ethnonyms for transplanted populations hostile to post-exilic Israelite/Judahite efforts to rebuild the temple. English translations such as 'Apharsites' merely transliterate the term, as its referent is unknown. The term should not be confused with similar-sounding groups mentioned elsewhere. The use here reflects Persian imperial policy of relocation and population mixture, and as such is less a marker of specific ethnicity and more of administrative origin as perceived by post-exilic Israelite writers.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) of foreign origin (only in the plural); an Apherasite or inhabitant of an unknown region of Assyria; Apharsite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אפרס (ʾ-p-r-s) — foreign ethnonym; unidentified people-group name
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H670-01 |
אֲפָֽרְסָיֵ֗/א | afaresaye | ANgmpd/Td |
the Persians | the Apharsites | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H670-01 |
Ezra 4:9 | אֲפָֽרְסָיֵ֗/א | afaresaye | ANgmpd/Td |
the Persians | the Apharsites |