Aramaic WORD of the DAY: 31 May 2025

Andre Moubarak
May 31
2 min read

ܟܘܪܣܝܐ (kūrsayyā) — “Throne”

Linguistic Breakdown

Root: ܟ–ܪ–ܣ (k-r-s)

The word ܟܘܪܣܝܐ (kūrsayyā) is a masculine noun in emphatic state, used frequently in Biblical Aramaic, Syriac, and Targumic literature.
It is a loanword, likely of Persian or Akkadian origin, that entered Aramaic by the 6th–5th centuries BCE during Achaemenid imperial administration and earlier Assyro-Babylonian usage.

Morphology:

Emphatic masculine singular: ܟܘܪܣܝܐ
Construct form: ܟܘܪܣܝ
Plural: ܟܘܪ̈ܣܘܢ (kursawōn) — less common

Etymology and Comparative Semitics

Akkadian: kussû — “throne”
Persian: kursi — “seat”
Arabic: كرسي (kursī) — retains both the political and cosmic meanings
Hebrew: כִּסֵּא (kissēʾ) — “throne,” possibly cognate by metathesis or common Semitic borrowing

🔍 In all these languages, the term implies sovereignty, authority, and divine kingship — not merely a chair, but a seat of power, typically linked to heavenly rule in theological usage.

Biblical & Liturgical Usage

a) Daniel 7:9 (Aramaic section of Tanakh)

"ܚܙܝܬ ܥܕ ܕܟܘܪܣܘܢ ܐܬܪܡܘ"

“I watched till thrones were placed...”

The context is Daniel’s apocalyptic vision where the Ancient of Days is seated on His throne — a clear allusion to divine judgment and sovereignty. The use of kūrsayyā here reflects imperial court imagery, common in both Babylonian and Persian cultures, appropriated into a monotheistic cosmic vision.

b) Peshitta NT – Revelation 4:2

"... and behold, a throne (ܟܘܪܣܝܐ) stood in heaven, and on the throne sat One..."

Here again, kūrsayyā is the centerpiece of heavenly order, signifying the unchallenged rule of God and the eschatological vision of Christ enthroned.

Theological Significance

In Second Temple Judaism, the term came to symbolize not just literal rule, but the divine chariot-throne (merkavah) from Ezekiel’s vision (cf. 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra).
In Syriac Christianity, kūrsayyā is used in hymns and liturgy to describe:
- The Throne of Glory — ܟܘܪܣܝܐ ܕܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ
- Mary as the Throne of the Son — "ܟܘܪܣܝܐ ܕܡܠܟܐ"
- The heart as God’s throne — mystic image in Ephrem the Syrian’s poetry.

Cultural Reflection

Understanding kūrsayyā in its imperial, heavenly, and mystical dimensions reveals the depth of Aramaic theological imagination. It’s not just about kingship, but about ordered presence, governance, and dwelling — where the divine “sits” is where truth, justice, and holiness are established.