Original Word: דַּלְפוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Dalphown
Pronunciation: dal-FON
Phonetic Spelling: (dal-fone')
KJV: Dalphon
NASB: Dalphon
Word Origin: [from H1811 (דָּלַף - weeps)]

1. dripping
2. Dalphon, a son of Haman

Dalphon

From dalaph; dripping; Dalphon, a son of Haman -- Dalphon.

see HEBREW dalaph

Word Origin
from dalaph
Definition
a son of Haman
NASB Translation
Dalphon (1).

דַּלְפוֺן proper name, masculine a son of Haman, Esther 9:7.

Biblical Occurrence

Dalphon appears once in the Old Testament, within the list of Haman’s ten sons slain by the Jews in the citadel of Susa (Esther 9:7).

Historical Setting

The events of Esther unfold during the reign of King Xerxes I (Ahasuerus) of Persia, when the exiled Jewish community faced state-sponsored extermination. After Queen Esther’s courageous intercession, Haman was executed and the decree permitting Jewish self-defense was issued (Esther 8:11). The subsequent conflict on the thirteenth day of Adar resulted in the death of Haman’s ten sons, among whom Dalphon is named (Esther 9:7-10). Their bodies were publicly displayed, underscoring both the thorough reversal of Haman’s plot and the vindication of God’s covenant people.

Role within the Purim Narrative

1. Evidence of Complete Deliverance. By recording every son, the text testifies that the enemy’s lineage—his future threat—was entirely cut off.
2. Public Validation. Xerxes’ decree had legitimized Jewish self-defense; Dalphon’s death illustrates that the Jews acted lawfully rather than rebelliously.
3. Precedent for Celebration. The downfall of Haman’s household, including Dalphon, became a central reason for the annual Feast of Purim (Esther 9:28), a perpetual reminder of divine preservation.

Theological Implications

• Divine Retribution. The fate of Dalphon confirms the biblical principle that those who set themselves against God’s people ultimately reap judgment (Psalm 37:12-13).
• Covenant Faithfulness. Even while dispersed and politically vulnerable, Israel experienced the same covenant care God showed in earlier deliverances such as the Exodus (Exodus 14:13-14).
• Typological Anticipation. The decisive overthrow of an enemy of God’s people foreshadows the ultimate defeat of evil accomplished through the cross and to be consummated at Christ’s return (Revelation 19:11-21).

Lessons for Ministry Today

• Intercessory Leadership. Esther’s plea models the necessity of prayerful engagement in times of corporate peril; ministers are called to “stand in the gap” (Ezekiel 22:30).
• Corporate Solidarity. The Jews acted “as one” (Esther 9:2); congregations today are to “strive together with one accord” (Philippians 1:27) against spiritual adversaries.
• Memorializing God’s Acts. Purim teaches the value of commemorating divine intervention. Churches strengthen faith by recounting testimonies of God’s faithfulness, reinforcing hope amid present trials.

Connections to the Wider Canon

• Contrast with Legacy Preservation. While godly figures sought offspring to continue righteous testimony (Genesis 15:5), Dalphon’s line ends abruptly, illustrating Proverbs 10:7: “The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.”
• Echoes in Psalmic Lament. The eradication of Haman’s house answers prayers such as Psalm 94:23: “He will bring back on them their iniquity and destroy them in their evil.”
• Inspiration for Apostolic Confidence. The certainty of God’s deliverance seen in Esther undergirds Paul’s assurance that “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Dalphon, though mentioned only in passing, contributes to the rich tapestry of Scripture’s testimony that the Lord zealously safeguards His people and ultimately nullifies every scheme raised against His redemptive purposes.

דַּֽלְפ֖וֹן דלפון dal·p̄ō·wn dalFon dalp̄ōwnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts