Shaashgaz שַׁעַשְׁגַּז
Eunuch in charge of King Ahasuerus' concubines
Who is Shaashgaz in the Bible?
Shaashgaz was a eunuch appointed by King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) of Persia to oversee the concubines in the royal harem, as mentioned in Esther 2:14. After each young woman completed twelve months of beauty treatments and spent a night with the king, she was placed under Shaashgaz's care and custody. His role was significant within the palace administration, as he managed the well-being and living arrangements of the concubines during the king's search for a new queen following Queen Vashti's removal from favor. Though a minor figure in the narrative, Shaashgaz represents the structured hierarchy and procedures of the Persian royal court during the events of the Book of Esther.
Biography
Shaashgaz, mentioned in Est.2.14, was a eunuch in the court of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) of Persia. He was appointed by the king to be in charge of the concubines in the royal harem. After each young woman had completed her twelve months of beauty treatments and had spent the night with the king, she would be placed under the care of Shaashgaz. This procedure was part of the king's search for a new queen after Queen Vashti's dismissal. Shaashgaz's role was to oversee the concubines and ensure their well-being within the harem.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEsther 1 verse
- Esther 2:14
"She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | שַׁעַשְׁגַּז |
Shaashgaz
ld Bactrian word Sasakshant, "one anxious to learn" (Scheft); most commentators suggest no explanation): A chamberlain of Ahasuerus, king of Persia; as keeper of "the second house of women," he had Esther under his charge (2:14).
shab'-e-thi (shabbethay, "one born on the Sabbath"; Codex Vaticanus Sabathai; Codex Alexandrinus Kabbathai = "Sabbateus" of 1 Esdras 9:14): A Levite who opposed (?) Ezra's suggestion that the men who had married fo