Original Word: אֲפַרְסְכַי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Apharckay
Pronunciation: ah-far-KAI
Phonetic Spelling: (af-ar-sek-ah'ee)
KJV: Apharsachites, Apharasthchites
Word Origin: [of foreign origin (only in the plural)]

1. an Apharsekite or Apharsathkite, an unknown Assyrian tribe

Apharsachites, Apharasthchites

(Aramaic) or fapharcathkay (Aramaic) {af-ar-sath-kah'ee}; of foreign origin (only in the plural); an Apharsekite or Apharsathkite, an unknown Assyrian tribe -- Apharsachites, Apharasthchites.

אֲפָֽרְסְכָיֵא Ezra 5:6; Ezra 6:6 #NAME?

אֲפָֽרְסַתְּכָיֵא Ezra 4:9, proper name, plural of a people, so most hitherto, and still Mey^{Enst. J. 38 ff.} (Persians), but many moderns think official title (Hoffm^{ZA ii. 54} Marquart⁶⁴ Jen^{ThLZ, 1895, 509 Ency. Bib.:190 f.}; plausible explanations are: Andr^{M 53*} = Assyrian šuparša‡ (see Muss-Arn^{Assyrian Dict. 1098} š¹q¥ 3, general, Id^{AJSL xx (1904), 186 ff.}); Scheft⁷⁶ = Old Iranian aparasaraka, lesser ruler; Id^{MGWJ 47 (1903),315f.} explained תְּכָיֵא- as Old Persian *aparaθrãka, lesser governor).

Name and Identification

The term אֲפַרְסְכַי (Apharsechai, “Apharsachites” in several English versions) designates one of the transplanted Gentile peoples living in the province “Beyond the River” during the Persian period. These settlers were part of the Assyrian-Babylonian policy of population redistribution, later governed by Persia, and they appear only in the book of Ezra.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Ezra 4:9 places the Apharsachites among a coalition that opposed the rebuilding of the temple.
2. Ezra 5:6 mentions them in the official designation of Tattenai’s entourage, the regional authorities who investigated the Jewish work.
3. Ezra 6:6 again lists them when Darius responds, underscoring their continued presence in the imperial administration.

Because the word always occurs in lists, Scripture never isolates their individual actions; instead, it depicts them as part of a broader imperial population that challenged or monitored post-exilic Judah.

Historical Background

Assyrian kings such as Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II moved conquered groups into Samaria after 722 BC. Later Neo-Babylonian and Persian rulers inherited these mixed communities. The Apharsachites were likely of Persian extraction (the phonetic resemblance to “Persian” in Aramaic is noted by many scholars) or closely aligned with Persian colonists. Stationed in strategic urban centers, they served the empire’s interest by diluting nationalistic resistance and providing loyal bureaucrats.

Role in the Restoration Narrative

Ezra records two distinct phases of interaction with Persian authorities:

• Resistance (Ezra 4): local officials, including the Apharsachites, urge Artaxerxes to halt construction. By aligning themselves with imperial concerns about rebellion, they temporarily succeed in stopping the work.
• Investigation (Ezra 5–6): the same administrative bloc, again naming the Apharsachites, reports to Darius. This time, however, the king affirms Israel’s right to build, overturning earlier opposition.

Thus, the Apharsachites illustrate how God can use even unsympathetic officials to advance His redemptive plan. Their attempts to interfere become the occasion for a royal decree that both protects and finances the temple project.

Theological Significance

1. Sovereign Over Nations: The presence of the Apharsachites testifies that empires rise and fall under God’s hand. While they try to hinder divine purposes, the Lord turns their bureaucratic petitions into a legal safeguard for His people (Ezra 6:6–12).
2. Purity of Worship: The settlers represent the syncretistic environment surrounding post-exilic Judah. Israel’s leaders must rebuild not merely physical walls but also distinct covenant identity amidst cultural pressure.
3. Written Decrees and Divine Word: The narrative contrasts imperial letters with prophetic Scripture. The former can only delay; the latter guarantees completion (Haggai 2:4–9; Zechariah 4:6–10).

Practical Ministry Insights

• Opposition often takes the form of formal, legal, or institutional resistance rather than overt persecution. Faith communities today may likewise face regulatory challenges that test perseverance and faith in God’s overruling authority.
• Spiritual leadership should respect civil structures (Romans 13:1) while appealing to lawful protections, as Zerubbabel and Jeshua did through their correspondence.
• God may use the very systems designed to suppress His work to supply its resources (“the full cost is to be paid to these men from the royal treasury,” Ezra 6:8).

Related Topics for Study

• Assyrian and Persian resettlement policies
• Post-exilic opposition in Ezra and Nehemiah
• The motif of imperial edicts in biblical history (compare Esther 8:8)
• God’s sovereignty over pagan nations (Isaiah 45:1-7)

אֲפַ֨רְסְכָיֵ֔א אֲפַרְסְכָיֵ֔א אפרסכיא וַאֲפַרְסַתְכָיֵ֞א ואפרסתכיא ’ă·p̄ar·sə·ḵā·yê ’ăp̄arsəḵāyê aFarsechaYe vaafarsatchaYe wa’ăp̄arsaṯḵāyê wa·’ă·p̄ar·saṯ·ḵā·yêInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts