Difference between revisions of "Tirshatha"

<p> The official title of the [[Persian]] governor of [[Judaea]] (&nbsp;Ezra 2:63; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:65; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:70); applied to Nehemiah (&nbsp;Nehemiah 8:9; &nbsp;Nehemiah 10:1); also to [[Zerubbabel]] (&nbsp;Ezra 2:63). From a Persian root, "his severity." Like the German title of consuls of free and imperial cities, gestrenger herr. So "our most dread sovereign." Ρecheh (our pasha ) is the title of Nehemiah in &nbsp;Nehemiah 12:26; &nbsp;Haggai 1:1; &nbsp;Haggai 2:2; &nbsp;Ezra 5:3; implying governor of a province less than a satrapy . </p>

<p> [most Tir'shatha] (Heb. always with the article, hat-Tirshatha', הִתַּרַשָׁתָא; hence the Sept. gives the word Ἀθερσασθά [4.r. Ἀθερσαθά ''].'' &nbsp;Ezra 2:63; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:65, and ''‘ Ἀρταρσασθά,'' &nbsp;Nehemiah 10:1; Vulg. ''Athersatha'' )'','' the title of the governor of Judaea under the Persians, derived by [[Gesenius]] from the Persian root ''Torsh,'' signifying "stern," "severe." He compares the title ''Gestrenger Herr,'' formerly given to the magistrates of the free and imperial cities of [[Germany]] (comp. also our expression, "most dread sovereign"). It is added as a title after the name of Nehemiah (&nbsp;Nehemiah 8:9; &nbsp;Nehemiah 10:1 [Hebrews 2]); and occurs also. in three other places (&nbsp;Ezra 2:63, and the repetition of that account in &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:65-70), where probably it is intended to denote Zerubbabel, who had held the, office before Nehemiah. In the margin of the A. V. (&nbsp;Ezra 2:63; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:65; &nbsp;Nehemiah 10:1) it is rendered "governor;" an explanation justified by &nbsp;Nehemiah 12:26, where "Nehemiah the governor הִפֶּחָה (''Pechah,'' probably from the same root as the word we write pacha, or pasha), occurs instead of the more usual expression" Nehemiah the Tirshatha." This word, פֶּהָה, is twice applied by Nehemiah to himself (&nbsp;Nehemiah 5:14; &nbsp;Nehemiah 5:18), and by the prophet Haggai (&nbsp;Haggai 1:1; &nbsp;Haggai 2:2; &nbsp;Haggai 2:21) to Zerubbabel. According to Gesenius, it denotes the prefect or governor of a province of less extent than a satrapy. The word is used of officers and governors under the [[Assyrian]] (&nbsp;2 Kings 18:24; &nbsp;Isaiah 36:9), [[Babylonian]] (&nbsp;Jeremiah 51:57; &nbsp;Ezekiel 23:6; &nbsp;Ezekiel 23:23; see also &nbsp;Ezra 5:3; &nbsp;Ezra 5:14; &nbsp;Ezra 6:7; &nbsp;Daniel 3:2-3; &nbsp;Daniel 3:27; &nbsp;Daniel 6:7 [Hebrews 8]), [[Median]] (&nbsp;Jeremiah 51:28), and Persian (&nbsp;Esther 8:9; &nbsp;Esther 9:3) monarchies. Under this last we find it applied to the rulers of the provinces bordered by the [[Euphrates]] (&nbsp;Ezra 8:36; &nbsp;Nehemiah 2:7; &nbsp;Nehemiah 2:9; &nbsp;Nehemiah 3:7), and to the governors of Judaea, Zerubbabel and Nehemiah (comp. &nbsp;Malachi 1:8). It is found also at an earlier period in the times of [[Solomon]] (&nbsp;1 Kings 10:15; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 9:14) and [[Benhadad]] king of Syria (&nbsp;1 Kings 20:24), from which last place, compared with others (&nbsp;2 Kings 18:24; &nbsp;Isaiah 36:9),we find that military commands were often held by these governors; the word, indeed, is often rendered by the A. V., either in the text or the margin, "captain." By thus briefly examining the sense of Pechdh, which (though of course a much more general and less distinctive word) ‘ is given as an equivalent to Tirshath'. we have no difficulty in forming an opinion as to the general notion implied in it. We have, however, no sufficient information to enable us to explain in detail in what consisted the special peculiarities in honor or functions that distinguished the Tirshatha from others of the same class, governors, captains, princes, rulers of provinces. (See [[Governor]]). </p>

<p> ''''' tẽr ''''' - ''''' shā´tha ''''' , ''''' tûr´sha ''''' - ''''' tha ''''' ( תּרשׁתא , <i> ''''' tirshāthā' ''''' </i> ; Ἁθερσαθά , <i> ''''' Hathersathá ''''' </i> ): A title which occurs 5 times in Ezra and Nehemiah (&nbsp; Ezra 2:63; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:65 , the American Standard Revised Version and the English Revised Version margin "governor"). In &nbsp;Nehemiah 8:9; &nbsp;Nehemiah 10:1 , Nehemiah is called the <i> '''''tirshāthā'''''' </i> . In &nbsp;Ezra 2:63; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:65 , &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:70 , it is the title of Sheshbazzar, or Zerubbabel. As in &nbsp;Nehemiah 12:26 , Nehemiah is called a <i> '''''peḥāh''''' </i> , or governor, a title which in &nbsp;Ezra 5:14 is given to [[Sheshbazzar]] also, it has been supposed that <i> '''''peḥāh''''' </i> and <i> '''''tirshāthā'''''' </i> were equivalent terms, the former being of Assyrio-Babylonian and the latter of Persian origin. According to Lagarde, it comes from the Bactrian <i> '''''antarekshatra''''' </i> , that is, "he who takes the place of the king." According to Meyer and Scheftelowitz it is a modified form of a hypothetical Old Persian word <i> '''''tarsata''''' </i> . According to Gesenius and Ewald, it is to be compared with the Persian <i> '''''torsh''''' </i> , "severe," "austere," i.e. "stern lord." It seems more probable that it is derived from the Babylonian root <i> '''''rashu''''' </i> , "to take possession of," from which we get the noun <i> '''''rashu''''' </i> , "creditor." In this case it may well have had the sense of a tax-collector. One of the principal duties of the Persian satrap, or governor, was to assess and collect the taxes (see Rawlinson's <i> [[Persia]] </i> , chapter viii). This would readily account for the fact that in &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:70 the <i> '''''tirshāthā'''''' </i> gave to the treasure to be used in the building of the temple a thousand drachms of gold, etc., and that in &nbsp;Ezra 1:8 [[Cyrus]] numbered the vessels of the house of the Lord unto [[Sheshbazzar.]] This derivation would connect it with the [[Aramaic]] <i> '''''rashya''''' </i> , "creditor," and the New Hebrew <i> '''''rāshūth''''' </i> , "highest power," "magistrate." </p>