Shethar-Bozenai; Shethar-Boznai
Shethar-Bozenai; Shethar-Boznai [1]
shē´thar - boz´ḗ - nı́ , shē´thar - boz´nı̄ , - boz´nā́ - ı̄ , ( בּזני שׁתר , shethar bōznay , meaning uncertain): The name of a Persian (?) official mentioned with Tattenai in connection with the correspondence with Darius relative to the rebuilding of the Temple ( Ezra 5:3 , Ezra 5:6; Ezra 6:6 , Ezra 6:12; Codex Vaticanus Σαθαρβουζάν , Satharbouzán ; Codex Alexandrinus Σαθαρβουζαναί , Satharbouzanaı́ , in Ezra 5:3; Ezra 6:13; Σαθαρβουζανής , Satharbouzanḗs , in Ezra 5:6; Σαθαρβουζανέ , Satharbouzané , in Ezra 6:6; Lucian, throughout, Θαρβουζαναῖος , Tharbouzanaı́os ), called in 1 Esdras 6:3, 7, 27; 7:1 "Shathrabuzanes."
Among the conjectures as to the meaning and derivation of the name, the following may be mentioned: (1) Shethar-boznai may be a corruption of מתרבּוזני , metharbōznay = Μιθροβουζάης , Mithrobouzánēs , Old Persian Mithrobauzana - i.e. "Mithra is deliverer." (2) שׁתר , shathar is identical with the Old Persian Cithra ("seed," "brilliance"); names have been found that are confounded with this word. (3) בּוזני שתר , shethar bōwzenay may be a title, but שׂתר , sethar , must then be read for שׁתר , shethar . (4) בּזני שתר , is equivalent to the Old Persian Sêthrabûzana , "empire-delivering"; compare Encyclopedia Biblica , article "Shethar-boznai," and Brown, Driver, and Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament .
