Verse Ezra 8:36. The king's lieutenants] אחשדרפני achashdarpeney: this is generally understood to mean lieutenant or deputy, and is probably of Persian origin, though here greatly corrupted. The Vulgate renders it regis satrapis, to the satraps of the king, which is the Persian [Persian] satrab. A viceroy in Persian is [Persian] soubah-dar; viceroys, [Persian] soubahdaran. [Persian] darafreen signifies a person in whom one has confidence; and [Persian] achi is an epithet of a vizir. These two words conjoined will make nearly that of the text. But I do not give any of these etymologies with confidence. Other words might be proposed as candidates, but where there is so little certainty, conjecture is useless. Were it necessary a dissertation might be written on the Persian words, and Persian forms of speech, in this and the two following books; but probably after my toil few of my readers would thank me for my pains.

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