Lexical Summary Sivan: Sivan Original Word: סִיוָן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Sivan Probably of Persian origin; Sivan, the third Heb. Month -- Sivan. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition third month of the Jewish year NASB Translation Sivan (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs סִיוָן proper name of 3rd month, Siwan = May-June (loan-word from Assyrian -Babylonian Simânu, compare SchrCOT Nehemiah 1:1 Muss-ArnJRL xi (1892), 82 ff.; Palmyrene סיון Lzb328 Cook84); — ׳בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישֹׁי הוּאתֹֿדֶשׁ ס Esther 8:9. Topical Lexicon Calendar Setting and Agricultural Context Sivan is the third month of the biblical (redemptive) calendar that begins with Abib/Nisan (Exodus 12:2) and the sixth month of the civil year that commences in Tishri. It aligns with late May through mid-June on the Gregorian calendar. In the land of Israel this is the season of the late spring rains tapering into early summer heat, a time that concludes the grain harvest as wheat is gathered and the first figs begin to ripen (Exodus 34:22; 1 Samuel 12:17). Sole Old Testament Reference Esther 8:9: “So on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan, the royal scribes were summoned….”. This verse records the moment when Mordecai, now elevated in the Persian court, dictates a counter-edict permitting the Jews to defend themselves against Haman’s genocidal plot (Esther 3:12-13; 8:11-13). Sivan thus becomes fixed in Scripture as the temporal setting for God’s providential reversal: from impending annihilation to authorized self-defense leading to victory and eventual celebration at Purim (Esther 9:1, 20-22). Historical Background in the Persian Period The Persian empire employed a multicultural administrative system that recognized various ethnic calendars while utilizing its own royal dating conventions. By assigning a Hebrew designation (“the month of Sivan”) within an imperial document, the narrative highlights divine preservation of covenant identity under foreign rule. The Jewish minority remains distinct yet is divinely protected, echoing earlier exilic assurances (Jeremiah 29:11-14; Daniel 2:44). Festival Associations 1. Feast of Weeks (Shavuot): Leviticus 23:15-21 counts fifty days from the offering of the sheaf during Unleavened Bread, bringing the assembly to Sivan 6 in traditional reckoning. Shavuot celebrates the conclusion of the grain harvest with two leavened loaves presented in the Temple and commemorates the giving of the Law at Sinai (Exodus 19:1, traditionally dated to this month). Theological Themes Providence and Reversal: Sivan highlights God’s unseen governance. The date stamps in Esther underscore that what appears to be chance timing is, in fact, ordered steps (Proverbs 16:9). Covenant Continuity: The month links Sinai, Shavuot, Esther’s preservation, and Pentecost—key moments of covenant reinforcement. Mission and Witness: The decree of Esther 8 empowered the Jews “in every province” to stand for their lives. Pentecost empowered the church to bear witness “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Sivan marks both defensive and offensive aspects of Gospel advance: defending the faith and proclaiming salvation. Ministry Application • Intercessory Leadership: Mordecai’s and Esther’s actions encourage believers to engage civic structures for righteous outcomes (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Summary Though cited once by name, Sivan weaves through Scripture as a month of harvest, covenant renewal, divine reversal, and Spirit empowerment, encouraging believers to rest in God’s timing and to labor faithfully in His unfolding redemptive mission. Forms and Transliterations סִיוָ֗ן סיון sî·wān siVan sîwānLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Esther 8:9 HEB: הוּא־ חֹ֣דֶשׁ סִיוָ֗ן בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֣ה וְעֶשְׂרִים֮ NAS: (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third KJV: that [is], the month Sivan, on the three INT: he that the month Sivan the three and twentieth |
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