Meaning of MORDECAI

(possibly a Persian term, "little man," or Akkadian, from "Marduk," the chief god of Babylon.

(a) Benjamite, son or descendant of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin (Est. 2:5). The relative term "which" in v. 6 may refer to the last name in the genealogy (cf. 2 Chron. 22:9), indicating that Kish the Benjamite was deported along with King Jeconiah to Babylon in 597 BC, unless the relative refers to an earlier name. , like Jair.

In that case, Mordecai would descend from Jair, a Benjamite deported to Babylon at the same time as Jeconiah. He raised Hadasa (Esther), daughter of his uncle. Mordecai adopted her when she was orphaned of her father and mother.

Esther followed her instructions during the events that brought her to the throne of Persia as queen, one of the wives of Ahasuerus (Xerxes; Est. 2:7-20), who reigned from 486 to 464 BC. C. Mordecai informed the king, through Esther, of the imminence of an attack, the two conspirators were executed (Esther 2:21-23).

Esther's adoptive father refused to prostrate himself before Haman (this was a normal sign of deference to a superior). The reason for the rejection of this submission was evidently Haman's Amalekite ancestry (Amalekite, descendant of Agag).

The despised dignitary decided to take revenge on Mordecai and all the Jews. The king gave him permission to do so (Est. 3:5-11). During a sleepless night, the sovereign had the annals of the kingdom read to him, and he learned that Mordecai, who had saved his life during the conspiracy of the two eunuchs, had not been rewarded.

In the morning, the king ordered Haman to take Mordecai, dressed in royal robes and riding the king's horse, on a ride through Susa, and to proclaim before him: "This is what shall be done to the man whose honor he desires." the king".

This order was given to Haman precisely in the audience in which he wanted to ask the king for permission to hang Mordecai from the gallows. The exaltation of Mordecai marked the beginning of the Agagite's fall from grace, who lost his life along with his children. Mordecai later became second in the Empire (Est. 6-10).

(b) Jew who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2; Neh. 7:7).