Lexical Summary
Shushan: Susa
Original Word:שׁוּשַׁן
Part of Speech:Proper Name Location
Transliteration:Shuwshan
Pronunciation:shoo-SHAN
Phonetic Spelling:(shoo-shan')
KJV: Shushan
NASB:Susa
Word Origin:[the same asH7799 (שׁוּשַׁן שׁוֹשָׁן שׁוֹשָׁן שׁוֹשַׁנָּה - lily)]
1. Shushan, a place in Persia
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Shushan
The same asshuwshan; Shushan, a place in Persia -- Shushan.
see HEBREWshuwshan
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
shushanDefinitionresidence of Pers. kings
NASB TranslationSusa (21).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. , winter residence of Persian kings; , (cuneiform
Šûšan Dl
Pa 326 COT
Nehemiah 1:1 Billerbeck
Susa Say
Hast. DB SHUSHAN); —
Nehemiah 1:1 (9th month, ),
Daniel 8:2 (in Elam),
Esther 1:2,5;
Esther 2:3,5,8;
Esther 3:15; a
Esther 8:14;
Esther 9:6;
Esther 9:11;
Esther 9:12 (12th month, ,
Esther 9:1); omitted,
Esther 4:8,16 and (month )
Esther 9:13,14,15 (twice in verse);
Esther 9:18;
Esther 3:15b;
Esther 8:15.
Topical Lexicon
Biblical OccurrencesShushan (Susa) appears twenty-one times in the Old Testament:Nehemiah 1:1;Esther 1:2, 1:5; 2:3, 2:5, 2:8; 3:15 (twice); 4:8, 4:16; 8:14, 8:15; 9:6, 9:11, 9:12, 9:13, 9:14; 9:15 (twice), 9:18;Daniel 8:2. With the exception of Daniel’s visionary setting, every reference describes the royal citadel of Persia during the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) and the period immediately following.
Geographic and Archaeological Background
Shushan stood in the fertile plain east of the Tigris and roughly 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf. The site was strategically selected along trade routes linking Mesopotamia, Elam, and the Iranian plateau. Excavations have uncovered an imposing acropolis, a fortified “citadel” (Hebrew הבִּירָה, habbirah,Esther 1:2), and an audience hall whose column bases still dominate the mound of modern Shush. Reliefs and inscriptions confirm the opulence described in Scripture, notably the famed Palace of Xerxes. The city’s winter climate made it a favored royal residence, complementing Ecbatana (summer) and Persepolis (ceremonial).
Historical Context in the Persian Period
After Babylon fell to Cyrus in 539 B.C., Shushan rose as an administrative capital of the Achaemenid Empire. By the time of Xerxes I (486–465 B.C.), it functioned as both political hub and storehouse of imperial wealth. The edicts sent from Shushan (Esther 3:15; 8:14) relied on an efficient postal system that reached from India to Cush (Esther 8:9). Jewish exiles, though permitted to return to Judah, also remained dispersed throughout Persian provinces; their presence in Shushan itself sets the stage for the book of Esther.
Shushan in the Book of Esther
1. Royal Banquets: “In those days King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa” (Esther 1:2). The ensuing feast, lasting 180 days, demonstrates imperial power yet foreshadows the vulnerability of the Jews under capricious rule.
2. Rise of Esther and Mordecai: Jewish life at court (Esther 2:5–8) highlights God’s hidden providence within secular structures.
3. Haman’s Decree and Reversal: Edicts were proclaimed and rescinded in Shushan’s square (Esther 3:15; 8:14-15). Public fasting (4:16) and subsequent rejoicing (8:15) reveal spiritual battle waged in the very heart of Gentile authority.
4. Defense and Deliverance: Violent confrontation within the city (Esther 9:6-15) underscores divine protection. “For the Jews in Susa assembled on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men” (Esther 9:15). Purim’s origin is inseparable from Shushan’s streets.
Shushan in Nehemiah’s Memoirs
Nehemiah served Artaxerxes I “in the citadel of Susa” (Nehemiah 1:1). His grief over Jerusalem’s desolation, expressed before the king, illustrates how God can mobilize resources from a pagan palace to rebuild His holy city. Shushan thus becomes the unlikely launching point for the second-temple community’s restoration.
Shushan in the Vision of Daniel
“In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision… in the citadel of Susa” (Daniel 8:1-2). Long before Persia ascended, the prophet finds himself transported to Shushan, where he sees the ram and the goat—symbols of Medo-Persia and Greece. The location anticipates Persia’s supremacy and validates predictive prophecy.
Theological Themes
1. Sovereignty over Empires: God’s purposes advance even in foreign capitals (Proverbs 21:1).
2. Preservation of the Covenant People: Shushan’s narrative proves the inviolability of the Abrahamic promise (Genesis 12:3).
3. Hidden Providence: The divine name is absent in Esther, yet every detail in Shushan manifests providential orchestration (Romans 8:28).
4. Eschatological Foreshadowing: Daniel’s Shushan vision forecasts successive kingdoms, pointing to the ultimate reign of Messiah (Daniel 7:14).
Ministry Applications
• Marketplace Ministry: Like Esther and Nehemiah, believers placed in secular institutions may influence policy and culture without compromising faith.
• Intercessory Prayer and Fasting: Corporate fasting in Shushan (Esther 4:16) models congregational response to existential threats.
• Courageous Advocacy: Mordecai’s steadfastness encourages engagement with authorities for justice (Proverbs 31:8-9).
• Celebration of Deliverance: Purim illustrates the importance of commemorating God’s interventions, strengthening communal identity.
Christological Foreshadowing
Shushan’s palace drama prefigures Christ’s mediatorial role. Esther’s willingness to “perish” (Esther 4:16) parallels the greater Intercessor who entered the throne room not merely risking but laying down His life (Hebrews 9:24-26). The great reversal—from a sentence of death to jubilant life—anticipates the victory accomplished at the cross and affirmed in the empty tomb.
Related Scriptures and Cross-References
•Proverbs 16:9; 21:1 – divine direction of rulers’ hearts.
•Psalm 124 – corporate thanksgiving for deliverance.
•Romans 13:1-7 – God’s sovereignty over governing authorities.
•1 Peter 2:9-12 – testimony among the nations.
Summary
Shushan stands as more than an archaeological relic; it is a testament to God’s unthwarted purposes amid the courts of men. From Daniel’s vision to Esther’s intercession and Nehemiah’s commissioning, the citadel of Susa showcases divine orchestration, covenant faithfulness, and the call for God’s people to serve boldly in every arena of life until the consummation of the kingdom.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּשׁוּשַׁ֣ן בְּשׁוּשַׁ֥ן בְּשׁוּשַׁ֨ן בְּשׁוּשָׁ֑ן בְּשׁוּשָׁ֔ן בְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ן בְּשׁוּשָׁ֤ן בְשׁוּשָׁ֔ן בשושן וּבְשׁוּשַׁ֣ן ובשושן שׁוּשַׁ֤ן שׁוּשַׁ֥ן שׁוּשָׁ֔ן שׁוּשָׁ֖ן שושן bə·šū·šan bə·šū·šān ḇə·šū·šān beshuShan bəšūšan bəšūšān ḇəšūšān shuShan šū·šan šū·šān šūšan šūšān ū·ḇə·šū·šan ūḇəšūšan uveshuShan veshuShan
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