טַרְפְּלָיֵא (tar.pe.lay)
tar.pe.lay
officials
N:N--LGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--LG
Word Overview
The Hebrew term tarpeleya appears only once in the Old Testament, in Ezra 4:9. It identifies a specific group among the foreign settlers brought to Samaria by the Assyrian king. The word functions as a proper noun for these people, likely meaning "officials" or referring to their origin from a place called Tarpel.
Lexical sources suggest the name may derive from a phrase meaning "they of the fallen mountain" or "wondrous mountain," though its exact etymology remains uncertain. This group is listed alongside other distinct colonist communities, highlighting the diverse ethnic makeup of the region during the Persian period. Their inclusion in the letter to King Artaxerxes underscores the political tensions between the returning Jews and their neighbors.
Because this word occurs just once, it offers a narrow but precise window into the historical record of post-exilic Samaria. Translators typically render it as "Tarpeles" or "officials," preserving its status as a proper name rather than a common title. The term serves as a reminder of the complex social landscape that the Jewish community had to navigate upon their return from Babylon.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Tarpeleya appears in Ezra 4:9 within a list of foreign settlers who opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. These were not Israelites but officials from distant lands, placed in Samaria by Assyrian kings to secure their borders. Their presence highlights how the returning exiles faced external pressure and political suspicion as they tried to restore their community.
For your faith, this detail reminds us that God’s people have always navigated complex social landscapes. Even when surrounded by those who oppose our work, God remains sovereign over history. The struggles of Ezra’s time show that spiritual restoration often meets resistance, yet God uses these moments to refine His people and fulfill His promises.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Tarpelites/ the1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- טַרְפְּלָיֵ֣/א1×
Key Verses
-
Ezra 4:9
Then Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
This verse lists the Tarpeleya among other colonist groups writing to Artaxerxes, showing their role as political opponents in the post-exilic period.