ἐπιστολή = אִגֶּרֶת, plur. אִגְּרוֹת, see Neh 2:7, 8, 9 among many
others (Hermann L. Strack and Paul Billerbeck, A Commentary on the New
Testament from the Talmud and Midrash, ed. Jacob N. Cerone, 4 vols. [trans.
Andrew Bowden and Joseph Longarino; Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2021], 3:732)
Examples of אִגֶּרֶת
in the Old Testament (note: always translated as επιστολη [“epistle”] in the LXX):
And Hezekiah sent
to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters (אִגֶּרֶת/επιστολη) also to Ephraim
and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep
the Passover unto the Lord God of Israel. . . . So the posts went with the
letters (אִגֶּרֶת/επιστολη) from the king and his princes throughout all Israel
and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of
Israel, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will
return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of
Assyria. (2 Chron 30:1, 6)
Moreover I said
unto the king, if it please the king, let letters (אִגֶּרֶת/επιστολη) be given
me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come
into Judah. And a letter (אִגֶּרֶת/επιστολη) unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s
forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace
which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house
that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of
my God upon me. Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them
the king’s letters (אִגֶּרֶת/επιστολη). Now the king had sent captains of the
army and horsemen with me. (Neh 2:7-9)
Then sent
Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter
(אִגֶּרֶת/επιστολη) in his hand; . . . Moreover in those days the nobles of
Judah sent many letters (אִגֶּרֶת/επιστολη) unto Tobiah, and the letters of
Tobiah came unto them. . . . Also they reported his good deeds before me, and
uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters (אִגֶּרֶת/επιστολη) to put me
in fear. (Neh 6:5, 19, 19)
Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur.
Therefore for al l the words of this letter(אִגֶּרֶת/επιστολη), and of that
which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, . . .
Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, the Mordecai the Jew,
wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter (אִגֶּרֶת/επιστολη) of
Purim. (Esth 9:26, 29)
Lexicons:
אִגֶּ֫רֶת 10 n.f. letter—cstr. אִגֶּ֫רֶת; pl. אִגְּרוֹת; cstr. אִגְּרוֹת;
sf. אִגְּרֹתֵיהֶם—alw. of an official nature, <subj> הלך go from nobles Ne 6:17 (+ עַל to Tobiah), בוא come from Tobiah 6:17 (+ אֶל to nobles), פתח
pass. be opened 6:5 (+ בְּיָדוֹ in his hand). <obj> נתן give Ne 2:7 (+ עַל to/for governors) 2:8 (+ אֶל to/for Asaph) 2:9, כתב write 2 C 30:1 (+ שׁלח עַל send [command] to), שׁלח send Ne 6:19, קום
pi. confirm Est 9:29 (or em. לְקַיֵם תֹּקֶף אִגֶּרֶת to confirm the force of the
letter of), רבה hi. multiply
Ne 6:17.
<cstr> אִגֶּרֶת הַפּוּרִים the letter of, i.e. concerning, Purim Est 9:29, אִגְּרוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ letters of, i.e. from, the king Ne 2:9; דִּבְרֵי הָאִגֶּרֶת words of the letter Est 9:26. <adj> הַזֹּאת this letter Est 9:26 (+ סֵפֶר letter 9:20, 25) 9:29, שֵׁנִית second 9:29 (unless del. הַשֵּׁנִית).
<prep> הלך
בְּ
go with (of
couriers) 2 C 30:6 (+ מִיַּד from the hand of), כתב בְּ
pass. be written in Ne 6:5. (David
J. A. Clines, The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, 8 vols. [Sheffield:
Sheffield Academic Press, 1993], 1:118)
אִגֶּ֫רֶת: MHb.; Aram. → BArm.; NAss. and NBab. egertu letter, special kind of tablet (CAD 4:45f; Landsberger MAOG
4:315f), lw. < MPers. (h)angērt
(Andreas, Köbert Orient. 14:278f) :: vSoden Orient. 35:8, AHw. 190a: Arm. lw.
3a: pl. abs. cs. אִגְּרֹ(וֹ)ת,
אִגְּרוֹתֵיהֶם: (official, administrative) letter Est 9:26 Neh 2:7-9 6:17, 19 2C
30:1, 6; נָתַן
א׳ write out (a letter) for
Neh 2:7, קַיֵּם confirm Est 9:29 (א׳ פּוּרִים); א׳ פְּתוּחָה Neh 6:5.† (HALOT)
115 אִגֶּרֶת (ʾig·gě·rěṯ): n.fem.;
≡ Str 107; TWOT 23b—LN 33.35–33.68 letter,
i.e., a written document usually sent to another, often with a focus on the
content of the letter (2Ch 30:1, 6; Ne 2:7, 8, 9; 6:5, 17, 19; Est 9:26, 29+)
(James Swanson, Dictionary
of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) [Oak
Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997], Logos Bible Software edition)
אִגֶּרֶת (ʾiggeret), document, letter (#115) (New
International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, ed. Willem VanGemeren, 5 vols. [Grand Rapids, Mich.:
Zondervan Publishing House, 1997], 1:256)
Further
Reading:
