Lexical Definition

‎מׇרְדְּכַי‎ Mordᵉkay (mor-dek-ah'-ee) Mordecai ^N:N-M-P
of foreign derivation

Mordecai.

• § Mordecai = "little man" or "worshipper of Mars"
• Mordecai, an Israelite

1) cousin and adoptive father of queen Esther; son of Jair of the tribe of Benjamin; deliverer under Divine providence of the children of Israel from the destruction plotted by Haman the chief minister of Ahasuerus; institutor of the feast of Purim
2) a Jew who returned from exile with Zerubbabel

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.2

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מָרְּדֳּכַי‎ (van d. H. ‎מָרְדְּכַי‎) proper name, masculine Mordecai (perhaps from n.div. Marduk (‎מְרֹרַךְ‎), Zim^{ZAW xi.161 ff.}; compare further Wild (citing Jensen)^{Comm. Est. 173 f.}); — ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Ezra 2:2; Esth 2:5 +; ‎מָרְדֳּכָ֑י‎ Esth 2:22 +; —

1. companion of Zerubbabel, according to Ezra 2:2 = Neh 7:7. ᵐ5 Μαραθχαιος, Μαρδοχαιος, etc:

2. cousin and adoptive father of Esther Esth 2:5; Esth 2:7; Esth 2:10 + 55 t. Esther. ᵐ5 Μαρδοχαιος.

‎מֻרְדָּף‎ see ‎רדף‎, ‎רדה‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Returned leader • A leader who returned from Babylonian exile.

Man living at the time of Exile and Return

Mordecai was one of the leaders who returned with Zerubbabel from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem.

• A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.2;
• only referred to as Mordecai מׇרְדְּכַי.

Mordecai is mentioned in Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 7:7 as one of the leaders who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity along with Zerubbabel. He is listed among the men who led the first group of exiles back to their homeland after the decree of King Cyrus of Persia, which allowed the Jews to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

Apart from being named as a leader in this context, no additional information is provided about this particular Mordecai's background, family, or role in the community. His presence among the leaders suggests that he held a position of respect and authority among the returning exiles.

The return of Mordecai and the other leaders marked a significant turning point in Jewish history, as the exiles began the process of rebuilding their lives, their city, and their temple in Jerusalem after decades of captivity in Babylon. This event set the stage for the restoration of Jewish religious and cultural identity in their homeland.

All entries for Mordecai: מׇרְדְּכַי