Original Word: פָרָשָׁה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: parashah
Pronunciation: pah-rah-SHAH
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-raw-shaw')
KJV: declaration, sum
NASB: exact amount, full account
Word Origin: [from H6567 (פָּרָשׁ - To declare)]

1. exposition

declaration, sum

From parash; exposition -- declaration, sum.

see HEBREW parash

Word Origin
from parash
Definition
exact statement
NASB Translation
exact amount (1), full account (1).

[מָּרָשָׁה] noun feminine exact statement; — construct מָּרָשַׁת הַכֶּסֶף Esther 4:7, גְּדֻלַּת מָרְדֳּכַי ׳פ Esther 10:2.

Biblical Context

The noun פָרָשָׁה (parashah) occurs twice in the Hebrew Scriptures, both in the Book of Esther. In Esther 4:7 it denotes the written “copy” of the royal edict engineered by Haman to annihilate the Jews, which Mordecai passes to Esther via Hathach. In Esther 10:2 it describes the “account” recorded among the chronicles of Media and Persia concerning the authority and achievements of King Ahasuerus and the elevation of Mordecai. In each setting, parashah points to an official, authoritative written record that preserves events for legal and historical memory.

Historical Background

The Persian Empire relied on an expansive bureaucratic system in which laws and reports were drafted, copied, sealed, translated, and archived across its 127 provinces (Esther 1:1). The palace complex at Susa contained scriptoria and record rooms where royal secretaries preserved such documents. Parashah reflects this milieu: a discrete written section meant for dissemination or archival.
• Esther 4:7 lies near the intersection of the Persian postal network and Judean exile. Mordecai’s act of transmitting a copy of the genocidal decree demonstrates how provincial Jews interacted with imperial paperwork.
• Esther 10:2 reminds the reader that Persian annals provided ongoing historiographical documentation. Kings were eager to immortalize their accomplishments; inspired Scripture affirms that the same records unknowingly bore testimony to God’s providence on behalf of His covenant people.

Theological Significance

1. Providence and Preservation. The presence of parashah in Esther highlights God’s providence working through secular documents. A written edict intended for evil becomes the catalyst for intercession, fasting, and eventual deliverance (Esther 4:14–17).
2. Authority of the Written Word. Parashah echoes a consistent biblical pattern: God’s dealings are not left to oral tradition alone; they are codified. From the tablets given to Moses (Exodus 31:18) to the letters of Paul (2 Peter 3:15–16), written communication secures theological continuity.
3. Accountability before God. The chronicles that register Mordecai’s greatness anticipate the final books in which every deed is recorded (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 20:12). Temporal archives prefigure the divine ledger.

Ministry Application

• Value of Documentation. Churches, missions, and ministries should keep accurate minutes, policies, and testimonies. Written clarity restrains error and enables future generations to trace God’s faithfulness.
• Engagement with Civil Decrees. Believers must stay informed on laws affecting worship and moral conscience, responding biblically as Mordecai did—neither passive nor rebellious, but prayerfully proactive.
• Storytelling through Records. Just as Esther 10:2 preserved Mordecai’s deeds, modern saints can chronicle answered prayers and gospel advances, stirring faith in those who follow.

Related Concepts and References

– “Book of the Chronicles of the Kings” (Esther 2:23; 6:1) – the broader archival context for parashah.

– “Scroll of remembrance” (Malachi 3:16) – divine record paralleling human chronicles.

– “Therefore go and make disciples… teaching them to observe” (Matthew 28:19–20) – the New Testament mandate rests on carefully transmitted apostolic teaching, of which parashah is an Old Testament shadow.

Christological Foreshadowing

The copy of the death-dealing decree delivered to Esther recalls the “written code” that stood against humanity (Colossians 2:14). Just as Mordecai’s intervention led to the Jews’ survival, Christ has taken the hostile decree “out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Esther’s narrative, punctuated by parashah, therefore prefigures the gospel reversal in which condemnation is replaced by salvation.

Practical Reflection

Believers today inhabit a culture saturated with documents—digital and physical. The brief yet potent appearances of parashah urge Christians to steward written words wisely: reading laws with discernment, recording testimonies with gratitude, and trusting that every decree, whether malicious or benevolent, ultimately serves the sovereign purposes of God who faithfully writes His account through history.

וּפָרָשַׁת֙ ופרשת פָּרָשַׁ֣ת פרשת pā·rā·šaṯ pārāšaṯ paraShat ū·p̄ā·rā·šaṯ ufaraShat ūp̄ārāšaṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts