Biztha — A Name in the Bible

Biztha is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.

Who This Was

Biztha was one of the seven eunuchs, or chamberlains, who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, the Persian ruler commonly identified with Xerxes. These men held a trusted place in the royal court, attending the king personally and carrying out his commands. Biztha is named among them in the opening chapter of the Book of Esther, where the writer lists the officials who ministered before the king.

The setting is a great royal feast in the third year of Ahasuerus’s reign, held in the citadel of Susa for his nobles and officials. On the seventh day of the banquet, when the king’s heart was merry with wine, he commanded the seven chamberlains to bring Queen Vashti before him so that the assembled guests might see her beauty. Biztha is named in that command, standing among the others ordered to fetch the queen.

Scripture tells us nothing further about Biztha—no word, no deed, no outcome is recorded for him individually. He appears once, in Esther 1:10, as part of a group summoned to do the king’s bidding. Yet his brief mention places him at a pivotal moment in the story: Vashti’s refusal of that command set in motion the events that would eventually bring Esther to the throne and, through her, deliverance for God’s people.

The Name

The name Biztha is a Persian name preserved in the Hebrew text of Esther, not a Hebrew name with a recoverable root meaning in the ordinary sense. Its precise meaning is not clearly established, and suggestions that have been offered remain uncertain. What can be said honestly is that the name is foreign to Hebrew, reflecting the Persian setting of the book, and that no reliable meaning should be assigned to it.

A Closing Thought

Biztha is a reminder that most of us will be remembered not for great deeds but for the small, unseen moments in which we simply stand where we are called to stand. He appears once, obeys a king’s command, and vanishes from the record—yet he stood within the unfolding of a story far larger than himself. Faithfulness in obscurity is still faithfulness. God often works through names we barely notice, weaving ordinary service into purposes we could never have foreseen.

At a Glance

  • Gender: Male
  • Testament: Old
  • Mentions in the KJV: 1

Where It Appears in Scripture

  • Esther 1:10 — On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

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