Lexical Definition

‎אֲפַרְסְכַי‎ ʼĂpharçᵉkay (af-ar-sek-ah'ee) governors ^N:N--LG
(Aramaic) or אֲפַרְסַתְכַי ʼĂpharçathkay (af-ar-sath-kah'ee); (Aramaic), of foreign origin (only in the plural)

Apharsachites, Apharasthchites.

• an Apharsekite or Apharsathkite, an unknown Assyrian tribe

Apharsachites = "as causers of division (?)" Apharsathchites = "I will divide the deceivers (?)"
1) (CLBL) an unknown office
2) (BDB) perhaps an office or an official
3) (TWOT)
3a) a people
3b) perhaps a title of an official

Extended Information

Aramaic of: אֲפַרְסְכַי

• Aramaic of a.phar.se.khay (‎א‎ֲ‎פ‎ָֽ‎ר‎ְ‎ס‎ְ‎כ‎ָ‎י‎ֵ‎א‎ "governors" אֲפַרְסְכַי)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎אֲפָֽרְסְכָיֵא‎ Ezra 5:6; Ezra 6:6 = (according to most)

‎אֲפָֽרְסַתְּכָיֵא‎ Ezra 4:9, proper name, plural of a people, so most hitherto, and still Mey^{Enst. J. 38 ff.} (Persians), but many moderns think official title (Hoffm^{ZA ii. 54} Marquart⁶⁴ Jen^{ThLZ, 1895, 509 Ency. Bib.:190 f.}; plausible explanations are: Andr^{M 53*} = Assyrian šuparša‡ (see Muss-Arn^{Assyrian Dict. 1098} š¹q¥

3., general, Id^{AJSL xx (1904), 186 ff.}); Scheft⁷⁶ = Old Iranian aparasaraka, lesser ruler; Id^{MGWJ 47 (1903),315f.} explained ‎תְּכָיֵא‎- as Old Persian *aparaθrãka, lesser governor).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References