The term “tirshatha” appears several times in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Old Testament. It is a Persian term that refers to a governor or high official under the king of Persia. Here is an overview of what the Bible says about the tirshatha:
Usage in Ezra
The word tirshatha first appears in the book of Ezra in reference to Zerubbabel, who was the governor of Judah under the Persian King Cyrus:
“Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites from twenty years and older to oversee the work of the house of the Lord.” (Ezra 3:8)
Here Zerubbabel is called the “tirshatha”, indicating he was the appointed governor over Judah.
The term appears again in Ezra 2:63, when Zerubbabel had to decide how to handle a situation regarding some priests who could not prove their genealogy:
“The governor told them that they could not eat the most holy food until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.” (Ezra 2:63)
So again, Zerubbabel is called the “governor” or tirshatha over the people.
Usage in Nehemiah
The book of Nehemiah focuses on Nehemiah coming to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. In this book, Nehemiah himself takes on the title of tirshatha as the appointed governor:
“So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.” (Nehemiah 2:9)
“After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was trustworthy and feared God more than most.” (Nehemiah 7:1-2)
Nehemiah was the tirshatha, or appointed governor, who then delegated authority to trusted men like Hanani his brother.
The word appears multiple other times in Nehemiah referencing Nehemiah’s role as governor (Neh 8:9, 10:1, 12:26).
The Role of the Tirshatha
From these verses, we can summarize the role and purpose of the tirshatha:
– He was a governor or high official appointed by the Persian king to have authority over Judah/Jerusalem.
– He was responsible for administrative and organizational leadership – like rebuilding walls, appointing priests and officials, and making decisions for the community.
– The tirshatha served as a representative of the Persian king and was accountable to him.
– Two men who served as tirshatha were Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, both men known for their leadership in restoration of the people and the city of Jerusalem.
So in summary, the “tirshatha” was the Persian-appointed governor who provided oversight and leadership for the Jewish people as they re-established themselves in Judah and Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. The position provided an important organizational structure for the rebuilding process led by men like Zerubbabel and Nehemiah.
Symbolic Meaning
In addition to the literal role as a governor, the tirshatha took on symbolic meaning for the Jewish people:
– The tirshatha represented the end of the exile and the beginning of restored favor with foreign rulers.
– It showed that God was again blessing and providing for His people in their homeland after the judgment of exile.
– The leadership of the tirshatha gave stability and unity of purpose to the people in their mission of restoration.
– In the case of Nehemiah, the tirshatha was used by God to fulfill His purposes, even though Nehemiah worked for a foreign king.
So the role of tirshatha, though a political position under Persia, took on spiritual significance for the exiled Jews. It represented God’s faithfulness to the promises of national return and restoration after judgment.
Relevance for Today
For Christians today, we can gain these key truths about leadership and restoration from the Biblical concept of the tirshatha:
– God sovereignly works through both secular and spiritual authority for the fulfillment of His purposes. We should pray for and honor our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-3).
– God is able to use the favor of foreign powers to bless and restore His people, even though His ultimate kingdom is not of this world.
– God blesses unity of purpose and organization to accomplish His work. The tirshatha brought needed leadership.
– Even though we live in a fallen world, God works through imperfect political systems to eventually bring about His plans.
– When judgment comes, God promises eventual restoration and return of favor when His people repent. His mercy triumphs over judgment.
The tirshatha provides us an Old Testament template for how God weaves together His eternal purposes through the tapestry of human history, even using secular authority and foreign powers along the way. As in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, we should pray for and honor our current leaders, while longing ultimately for the perfect rule and reign of Christ.