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Mithredath
breaking the law
מִתְרְדָת mit.re.dat
Mithredath (Hebrew: מִתְרְדָת, mit.re.dat) means “breaking the law”, by traditional interpretation. Two men in scripture bear the name; the best attested is a king. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Artaxerxes in Ezra 4.
Which Mithredath?
Two men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Mithredath
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Mithredath
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 2 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 2 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Return
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Ezra 1:8 |
| Last appears | Ezra 4:7 |
| Cross-references | 26 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Bishlam co-occurrence Appears with Bishlam in Ezra 4.
- Tabeel co-occurrence Appears with Tabeel in Ezra 4.
- Artaxerxes co-occurrence Appears with Artaxerxes in Ezra 4.
- Dinaites co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Dinaites.
- Osnappar co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Osnappar.
- Cyrus co-occurrence Appears with Cyrus in Ezra 1.
- Zerubbabel co-occurrence Appears with Zerubbabel in Ezra 1.
- Esarhaddon co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Esarhaddon.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.1.8
§ Mithredath = "given by Mithra"
1) treasurer of king Cyrus of Persia
2) a Persian officer stationed at Samaria in the time of Artaxerxes
Mithredath, the treasurer of King Cyrus of Persia, was responsible for overseeing the return of the temple articles to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
The biblical story
Mithredath is mentioned in Ezr.1.8 as the treasurer of King Cyrus of Persia. He played a significant role in the return of the Jewish exiles to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple.
According to the text, King Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. As part of this decree, Cyrus ordered Mithredath, his treasurer, to oversee the return of the gold and silver articles that had been taken from the Temple by the Babylonians when they destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the Jews.
Mithredath carried out the king's command and carefully counted the Temple articles before handing them over to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, who was responsible for leading the first group of exiles back to Jerusalem. This act of returning the Temple articles demonstrated Cyrus' support for the Jewish people and their religious practices, as well as his respect for their God.
As the treasurer, Mithredath held a position of great trust and responsibility in the Persian court. His involvement in the return of the Temple articles highlights the administrative role played by Persian officials in facilitating the restoration of Jewish life and worship in their homeland.
Although no further details are provided about Mithredath's life or career, his brief mention in the book of Ezra serves to underscore the significant political and logistical support provided by the Persian Empire in the early stages of the Jewish return from exile.
Key verses
Mithredath appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
Ezra 1:8
Show all 1 reference
Ezra (1)
- Ezra 1:8