Hebrew word · H2047

הֲתָךְ

hatakh

Hathach

A personal name, probably Persian. Proposed etymologies are uncertain, and no firm Old Persian equivalent has been agreed.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.4.5

§ Hatach = "verily"

a eunuch in the court of Ahasuerus

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 Esther 4:6

Range of meaning

A personal name, probably Persian. Proposed etymologies are uncertain, and no firm Old Persian equivalent has been agreed.

Against the English

Some English versions spell it 'Hathach' (BSB, WEB, modern versions) and others 'Hatach' (KJV, YLT). Both represent the same Hebrew spelling.

Used elsewhere in the period

He appears only in Esther 4:5–10. The Greek Septuagint calls Esther's eunuch Achrathaios (Ἀχραθαῖος) in this scene. Rabbinic tradition (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 15a) identifies Hathach with Daniel and explains the name with Hebrew wordplay on חתך, 'to cut': either Daniel was 'cut down' from his former greatness, or matters of state were 'decided' by his word. This is later interpretation, not something the text of Esther says.

Where it appears

Esther · 4

  1. Esther 4:5 לַהֲתָ֜ךְ <to> Hathach

    Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs appointed to her, and she dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what was troubling him and why.

    Here: 'To Hathach': a court official, probably with a Persian name whose meaning is uncertain. From here on he carries every message between Esther and Mordecai (4:5–10).

  2. Esther 4:6 הֲתָ֖ךְ Hathach

    So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king’s gate,

    Here: One of the king's eunuchs whom the king had assigned to wait on Esther (4:5). The name is probably Persian, but its meaning is uncertain. He carries messages back and forth in 4:5–10.

  3. Esther 4:9 הֲתָ֑ךְ Hathach

    So Hathach went back and relayed Mordecai’s response to Esther.

  4. Esther 4:10 לַהֲתָ֔ךְ to Hathach

    Then Esther spoke to Hathach and instructed him to tell Mordecai,

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