Bible Encyclopedias
Shimshai

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

shim´shı̄ , shim´shā́ - ı̄ ( שׁמשׁי , shimshay ; Codex Vaticanus Σαμασά , Samasá , Σαμαέ , Samaé , Σαμεαίς , Sameaı́s Σαμεσά , Samesá ; Codex Alexandrinus Σαμσαί , Samsaı́ ; Lucian, Σαμαίας , Samaı́as , throughout; in 1 Esdras 2:17 he is called "Semellius," the Revised Version (British and American) "Samellius"; a number of explanations of this name have been offered, but no one has been generally favored. One conjecture traces it to an Old Iranian caritative שׁשׁמי , conformed to שׁמשׁ ; another prefers the Old Bactrian simēzhi = simaēzhi ; compare BDB , under the word The name looks as though it were derived from שׁמשׁ , shemesh , "the sun"): A state secretary who, with REHUM (which see) and others, wrote to Artaxerxes to persuade him to prohibit the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 4:8 , Ezra 4:9 , Ezra 4:17 , Ezra 4:23 ).