<strong>SHIMSHAI</strong> (shĭm’shī, Heb. <em>shimshay, sunny</em>). A scribe among the enemies of the Jews who had been hindering the attempts to rebuild the temple (<bibleref ref="Ezra.4.8">Ezra.4.8</bibleref>).<br /><br />

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<strong>SHIMSHAI</strong> <strong>shĭm’ shī</strong> (<span class="hebrew">שִׁמְשַׁי</span>). A Pers. governmental official whose territory of rule included Pal., and who with another official, Rehum, wrote a letter to Artaxerxes to persuade him to prohibit the rebuilding of the Temple by the Jews (<bibleref ref="Ezra.4.8-Ezra.4.16">Ezra 4:8-16</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Esd.2.16-1Esd.2.24">1 Esd 2:16-24</bibleref>), KJV SEMELLIUS, ASV SAMELLIUS. They succeeded in their purpose; work on the Temple was halted (<bibleref ref="Ezra.4.17-Ezra.4.24">Ezra 4:17-24</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Esd.2.25-1Esd.2.30">1 Esd 2:25-30</bibleref>).<br /><br />

<h2>International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)</h2>

shim’-shi, shim’-sha-i (shimshay; Codex Vaticanus Samasa, Samae, Sameais Samesa; Codex Alexandrinus Samsai; Lucian, Samaias, throughout; in 1 Esdras 2:17 he is called "Semellius," the <span class="auto-link">[[Revised Version]]</span> (British and American) "Samellius"; a number of explanations of this name have been offered, but no one has been generally favored. One conjecture traces it to an Old Iranian caritative sh-sh-m-y conformed to shamash; another prefers the Old Bactrian simezhi = simaezhi; compare BDB, under the word The name looks as though it were derived from shemesh, "the sun"): A state secretary who, with REHUM (which see) and others, wrote to Artaxerxes to persuade him to prohibit the rebuilding of the temple (<bibleref ref="Ezra.4.8">Ezr 4:8</bibleref>,<bibleref ref="Ezra.4.9">9</bibleref>,<bibleref ref="Ezra.4.17">17</bibleref>,<bibleref ref="Ezra.4.23">23</bibleref>).<br /><br />

Horace J. Wolf<br /><br />

Shimshai