גְּנָזִים (ge.nez)
ge.nez
treasury
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun gēnāzîm refers to a treasury or storehouse, appearing only twice in the Old Testament within the Book of Esther. In these contexts, it denotes the royal stores where valuable goods and resources were kept under the care of the king’s administration. The word captures the physical reality of wealth accumulation in the Persian court, serving as a backdrop for the political maneuvering that defines the narrative.
Its usage highlights the tension between human power and divine providence. When Esther approaches the king, she risks her life to expose Haman’s plot against the Jewish people, a threat that would have resulted in the seizure of their property from these very treasuries (Esther 8:11). The text contrasts the fleeting nature of earthly wealth with the preservation of God’s people. Though the sources note some uncertainty about whether it specifically means "chests" or a general repository, its function remains clear: it is a place of stored value.
Translators often render this term as "treasury" to convey its economic and administrative significance. The word underscores the vulnerability of minority groups under imperial rule, where their safety could be tied to the king’s favor and the contents of his stores. This brief lexical entry reminds readers that the story of Esther is not just about personal courage but also about the protection of a community’s future against systemic threats.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word gēnāzîm points to the royal treasuries of the Persian empire, vast storehouses where kings kept their wealth and power. In the Book of Esther, these vaults represent the ultimate authority of the state, capable of funding the destruction of an entire people or securing their survival through royal decree. The narrative uses this imagery to show how human systems of control can threaten God’s people.
Yet the story reveals a deeper truth: earthly treasures are temporary, while God’s preservation is lasting. When Haman offers silver to the king’s officials, he thinks he is buying safety for his plot. Instead, that same wealth becomes part of the mechanism that saves Esther and her people. This reminds us that no amount of political power or financial influence can override divine providence.
For your faith life, this word invites trust in God’s unseen care. Even when circumstances seem controlled by powerful forces beyond our reach, we can rest in the knowledge that God holds our future more securely than any earthly treasury holds gold.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] treasuries of2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- גִּנְזֵ֥י2×
Key Verses
-
Esther 3:9
If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
This verse shows Haman using the king’s treasuries as a tool for political bribery, highlighting how wealth was weaponized to threaten the Jewish people.
-
Esther 4:7
Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.
Mordecai reports the exact sum promised to the treasuries, emphasizing the concrete reality of the threat and the administrative machinery behind it.