{
  "id": "dict_003568",
  "term": "Mehuman",
  "slug": "mehuman",
  "letter": "M",
  "entry_type": "biblical_person",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Mehuman is one of the seven royal eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus in the book of Esther.",
  "simple_one_line": "A Persian court official named in Esther 1:10.",
  "tooltip_text": "A minor biblical figure listed among King Ahasuerus’s eunuchs in Esther 1:10.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Ahasuerus",
    "Esther",
    "Vashti",
    "eunuch"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Royal court of Persia",
    "Esther, Book of",
    "Persian Empire"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Mehuman is a minor biblical person named among the seven eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus in Esther 1:10.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A royal eunuch and court official mentioned once in Esther.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Named in Esther 1:10 among Ahasuerus’s seven eunuchs.",
    "His role is to help situate the Persian court setting of the Esther narrative.",
    "Scripture gives no further biographical detail about him."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Mehuman is one of the seven royal eunuchs listed in Esther as serving King Ahasuerus. He appears only in Esther 1:10 and is named as part of the court setting surrounding Queen Vashti’s refusal.",
  "description_academic_full": "Mehuman is a minor figure in the book of Esther, named among the seven eunuchs who attended King Ahasuerus and were sent to summon Queen Vashti to the royal banquet (Esther 1:10). Scripture gives no further information about him beyond this role in the Persian court narrative. The entry belongs under biblical persons rather than theological terms, and its value is mainly historical and literary, helping to locate the story within the royal setting of Esther.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In Esther 1:10, Mehuman is listed among the royal eunuchs who carried out the king’s command. The verse helps establish the court structure and the official environment in which the conflict with Vashti begins.",
  "background_historical_context": "Esther reflects life in the Persian royal court, where eunuchs commonly served in trusted administrative and palace roles. Mehuman’s inclusion adds historical realism to the narrative, though the text does not identify his rank beyond this list of officials.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Ancient Near Eastern and Persian courts often employed eunuchs as dependable attendants and administrators because they were closely tied to palace service. Mehuman is one of several named officials in Esther 1:10, but his personal background is not explained.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Esther 1:10"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Esther 1:12"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The name is preserved in Hebrew as מְהוּמָן (Mehûmān) in Esther 1:10. Its exact etymology is uncertain.",
  "theological_significance": "Mehuman has no direct doctrinal significance, but his presence contributes to the historical and narrative credibility of Esther. Minor named figures like this remind readers that biblical history is presented in concrete settings with real persons and officials.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a proper name in a historical narrative, Mehuman is not a concept to define abstractly. The entry functions by identifying a real person in the text and locating him within the story world of Esther.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not speculate about Mehuman’s ethnic identity, rank, or later life beyond what Scripture states. His significance should not be exaggerated; he is mentioned only as part of the royal entourage in Esther 1:10.",
  "major_views_note": "There is no major interpretive dispute about Mehuman. He is generally understood simply as one of the seven eunuchs serving Ahasuerus in Esther.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Avoid assigning theological meaning to Mehuman beyond his narrative role. Do not infer doctrines or historical details that the text does not provide.",
  "practical_significance": "Mehuman’s mention encourages careful reading of biblical narrative, where even brief lists of names contribute to the fullness and realism of the account.",
  "meta_description": "Mehuman was one of the seven royal eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus in Esther 1:10.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/mehuman/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/mehuman.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}