Lexical Definition

‎מְדָתָא‎ Mᵉdâthâʼ (med-aw-thaw') Hammedatha ^N:N-M-P
of Persian origin

Hammedatha (including the article).

• § Hammedatha = "double"
• Medatha, the father of Haman

1) father of Haman

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.3.1
• father of: Haman (הָמָן)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎הַמְּדָתָא‎ proper name, masculine father of Haman (Persian mâh, moon (mâha, month, Spieg^{APK 236}) + data, given? so (written hamaodata Öttli; ᵐ5 Ἁμαδαθου (always genitive); in Greek perhaps Μαδάτης [Μαδάτας, Μαδέτης], compare Xen^{Cyr, see 3. 41} Diod^xvii,67 Pott^{ZMG 1859, 424}); — ‎הַמְּדָתָא הָֽאֲגָגִי‎ Esth 3:1; Esth 3:10; Esth 8:5; Esth 9:24 without ‎האגגי‎ Esth 9:10.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Esther's opponent • The father of Haman, the enemy of the Jews.

Man living at the time of Exile and Return

Hammedatha was the father of Haman, the Persian official who plotted to destroy the Jews in the book of Esther.

• A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.3.1;
• only referred to as Hammedatha מְדָתָא;
• father of Haman הָמָן.

Hammedatha is mentioned in the book of Esther as the father of Haman, the primary antagonist who plotted to destroy the Jews in the Persian Empire. He is identified as an Agagite (Esther 3:1), which suggests that he may have been a descendant of Agag, the Amalekite king who was defeated by King Saul (1 Samuel 15). Hammedatha's son, Haman, rose to a high position in the court of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) and used his influence to persuade the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of all Jews in the empire (Esther 3:8-15). However, Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai ultimately thwarted Haman's plans, leading to his downfall and execution, along with his ten sons (Esther 7-9). The mention of Hammedatha in the book of Esther serves to provide background information on Haman's lineage and to emphasize the long-standing enmity between the Amalekites and the Israelites.

All entries for Hammedatha: מְדָתָא

Related Profiles:

• Haman (child)