🔼The name Biztha: Summary
- Meaning
- Despised
- Etymology
- From the verb בזה (baza), to despise or disdain.
🔼The name Biztha in the Bible
The name Biztha occurs only once in the Bible. Biztha is one of seven officials of king Ahasuerus, who were ordered to parade queen Vashti in front of the king and his honored guests from all over the realm (Esther 1:10). Vashti famously refused and was replaced by Hadassah / Esther who was subsequently able to avert Haman's holocaust.
🔼Etymology of the name Biztha
The name Biztha is probably Persian and, according to the renowned theologian Gesenius, has to do with Biztha having been separated from his privates; he being a eunuch. Transliterated into Hebrew, however, it much rather associates to the verb בזה (baza), meaning to despise or disdain:
בזז
The verb בזז (bazaz) means to make light, that is: to lift in the sense of taking something up and away; to plunder or take as spoil. Nouns בז (baz) and בזה (bizza) mean spoil or booty.
Verb בוז (buz) means to make light in the sense of to despise or hold as insignificant. Nouns בוז (buz) and בוזה (buza) mean contempt.
Likewise, verb בזה (baza) means to make light of, to despise, to disdain. Noun בזיון (bizzayon) means contempt.
🔼Biztha meaning
For a meaning of the name Biztha, Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names and BDB Theological Dictionary quote Gesenius' "beste, ligatus, sc. membro, i.e. spado" and NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Eunuch. To a Hebrew audience, however, the name Biztha would mean Despised, Despiser or Despiteous.