Aridatha אֲרִידָ֑תָא

Male H0743 1 book

Son of Haman, enemy of the Jews

Who is Aridatha in the Bible?

Aridatha was one of the ten sons of Haman, the chief antagonist in the book of Esther who plotted to exterminate the Jewish people throughout the Persian Empire. When Haman's evil scheme was exposed by Queen Esther and thwarted by King Ahasuerus, Haman was executed on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. As a result of the king's decree allowing Jews to defend themselves, Aridatha and his nine brothers were killed in Susa, the capital city, during the Jews' defense against their enemies (Esther 9:8). The deaths of Haman's sons symbolized the complete reversal of his fortune and the failure of his genocidal plot, reinforcing the theme of divine protection for the Jewish people.

Biography

Aridatha is mentioned in the book of Esther as one of the ten sons of Haman, the chief antagonist in the story. Haman, a high-ranking official in the Persian court, plotted to destroy all the Jews in the empire due to his hatred for Mordecai, a Jew who refused to bow down to him. However, Haman's plan was thwarted by Queen Esther, who revealed her Jewish identity to King Ahasuerus and exposed Haman's evil scheme.

As a result, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king issued a decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves against their enemies. On the appointed day, the Jews throughout the empire fought against those who sought to harm them. In Susa, the capital, they killed five hundred men and also killed Haman's ten sons, including Aridatha (Est.9.8).

After this victory, Queen Esther requested that the bodies of Haman's sons be hanged on the gallows, further emphasizing the complete defeat of Haman and his family (Est.9.13-14). The mention of Aridatha and his brothers' deaths serves to underscore the reversal of fortune and the triumph of the Jewish people over their enemies, as well as the downfall of those who sought to destroy them.

Family

In Scripture

1 biblical book ; 1 with study content
Esther 1 verse

Names & Aliases

Form Language Script
Named Hebrew אֲרִידָ֑תָא
Encyclopedia Article

Aridatha

ISBE 1915 (Public Domain)

ntryFree n="ARIEH">

a'-ri-e: "(the) Lion." See ARGOB.

a'-ri-el ('ariy'el or 'ari'el, "lioness of God"): But the word occurs in Eze 43: