שַׁעַשְׁגַּז
𐤔𐤏𐤔𐤂𐤆
Shaashegaz
H8190 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating an individual serving as a court official, specifically a eunuch (court attendant or overseer) in the royal household of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). The name is used exclusively as a personal name for this Persian official in the book of Esther. The semantic range is confined to personal naming traditions of the Achaemenid Persian period as reflected in the Hebrew text.
Semantic Range
personal name of a Persian palace official, eunuch (court functionary), used exclusively as a proper noun in the context of the Persian royal court
Root / Etymology
Borrowed from Persian; see root section. Etymology uncertain, but likely of Old Persian origin, perhaps derived from words meaning 'servant of the beautiful' or 'delight-bringer.' No identifiable root in Hebrew.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Shaashgaz appears only in the book of Esther (Esther 2:14), where he is listed as one of the king's eunuchs entrusted with the care of the secondary cohort of royal women. The name reflects the cosmopolitan environment of the Persian court, where foreign officials and names appear in the Hebrew text. English translations simply transliterate the name. The term 'eunuch' (סריס) in Persian usage designates a trusted royal servant or palace official, not exclusively in the physical or castrated sense. There is no evidence that Shaashgaz is an Israelite or has any identity other than that of a royal Persian official. The name has no later biblical or extra-biblical attestation for Israelites, Judahites, or Judeans.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Persian derivation; Shaashgaz, a eunuch of Xerxes; Shaashgaz.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (Persian origin) (unknown) — uncertain; Persian personal name
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2238 | זֶרֶשׁ | to Zeresh |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8190-01 |
שַֽׁעֲשְׁגַ֛ז | shaashegaz | HNp |
Shaashgaz | Shaashgaz | Shaashegaz | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8190-01 |
Esther 2:14 | שַֽׁעֲשְׁגַ֛ז | shaashegaz | HNp |
Shaashgaz | Shaashgaz | Shaashegaz |