Meaning of the Name Mordecai
Mordecai is generally thought to be related to the name of the Babylonian god Marduk. For that reason the name is often explained within the naming patterns of the exile setting. While some details of the analysis are debated, the connection is widely accepted.
Origin
The name Mordecai is of Probably Babylonian/Akkadian origin.
Who is Mordecai in the Bible?
Mordecai is the figure in Esther who plays a key role in protecting the Jewish people and serves as Esther's relative and guardian. His exposure of Haman's plot and his rise in the Persian court stand at the center of the narrative.
The story of Mordecai in the Bible
Mordecai is introduced in the book of Esther as a Benjaminite Jew living in the citadel of Susa, from a family carried into exile from Jerusalem. He adopted and raised his uncle's daughter Hadassah, that is Esther, after her parents died, and kept guiding her after she became queen. At the king's gate he uncovered a plot against the king's life and reported it through Esther; the deed was recorded. When Haman rose to power and demanded that everyone bow before him, Mordecai refused, and the enraged Haman obtained a decree to destroy all the Jews. Mordecai put on sackcloth and sent word to Esther that the palace would not save her, and that perhaps she had come to royal position for just such a time. After Esther's brave intervention and Haman's fall, the king exalted Mordecai, who had already been honored on the king's horse for his earlier service. The book closes with him as second to the king, seeking the good of his people and putting the celebration of Purim into writing.
Is Mordecai mentioned in the Quran?
The name Mordecai does not appear in the Quran; in the Old Testament book of Esther he plays a key role in the deliverance of the Jewish people.
Verses where Mordecai appears
- Esther 2:5 —
There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
- Esther 4:13 —
Then Mordecai asked them return answer to Esther, “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.
- Esther 10:3 —
For Mordecai the Jew was next to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted by the multitude of his brothers, seeking the good of his people, and speaking peace to all his descendants.