Hebrew word · H107

אִגֶּ֫רֶת

'igeret

letter

Letter, official written communication, decree. A late loanword (compare Akkadian egirtu, Aramaic ʾiggᵉrāʾ), found only in late books: Neh 2:7–9; 6:5, 17, 19; Esth 9:26, 29; 2 Chr 30:1, 6; 32:17. The older Hebrew word is sēper.

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

letter, missive

Aramaic equivalent: ig.g.ra (אִגְּרָא "letter" H0104)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 2 Chronicles 30:6

Range of meaning

Letter, official written communication, decree. A late loanword (compare Akkadian egirtu, Aramaic ʾiggᵉrāʾ), found only in late books: Neh 2:7–9; 6:5, 17, 19; Esth 9:26, 29; 2 Chr 30:1, 6; 32:17. The older Hebrew word is sēper.

Against the English

All major English versions say 'letters', which is accurate. English cannot show that the word itself dates the telling to the Persian period.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Nehemiah the word is used for royal letters of authorization and for letters between officials. In Aramaic documents of the Persian period (Ezra 4–5, the Elephantine papyri) ʾiggᵉrāʾ is the standard word for official correspondence.

From the study of Nehemiah 2:8

Range of meaning

An official letter or written order. It is a late loanword (compare Akkadian egirtu, Aramaic 'igrah) and appears only in late books: Chronicles, Esther, Nehemiah.

Against the English

"Letter" is accurate, but a modern reader thinks of personal correspondence. This is an administrative order carrying the king's authority, closer to a requisition or warrant.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Aramaic letters of Arshama, satrap (provincial governor) of Egypt (late 5th century BCE, on leather), include a travel document ordering officials along a route to issue rations to a steward named Nehtihor. This is a close parallel to the letters of v. 7. Other Arshama letters order estate managers to release goods and materials. The Persepolis Fortification tablets likewise record sealed authorisations for travellers and for issuing supplies.

Where it appears

2 Chronicles · 2

  1. 2 Chronicles 30:1 אִגְּרוֹת֙ letters

    Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh inviting them to come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel.

  2. 2 Chronicles 30:6 בָּֽאִגְּר֜וֹת with <the> letters

    At the command of the king, the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.

    Here: Official written letters. The word is a late borrowing (from Akkadian/Aramaic) found in the books of Persian-period Hebrew, so the scene is told in the language of state correspondence the Chronicler's readers knew.

Nehemiah · 6

  1. Nehemiah 2:7 אִגְּרוֹת֙ letters

    I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.

  2. Nehemiah 2:8 וְאִגֶּ֡רֶת and a letter

    And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.

    Here: An official written document, here a royal order. The word came into Hebrew late, through Aramaic, the working language of the Persian government. It carries on the request of v. 7 ("may letters be given to me"): Nehemiah asks for one more document.

  3. Nehemiah 2:9 אִגְּר֣וֹת [the] letters of

    Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

  4. Nehemiah 6:5 וְאִגֶּ֥רֶת and a letter

    The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter

  5. Nehemiah 6:17 אִגְּרֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם letters their

    Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters kept coming to them.

  6. Nehemiah 6:19 אִגְּר֛וֹת letters

    Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

Esther · 2

  1. Esther 9:26 הָאִגֶּ֣רֶת the letter

    Therefore these days are called Purim, from the word Pur. Because of all the instructions in this letter, and because of all they had seen and experienced,

  2. Esther 9:29 אִגֶּ֧רֶת [the] letter of

    So Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.