גְּדָבָר
𐤂𐤃𐤁𐤓
gᵉdâbâr
H1411 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Official responsible for managing or overseeing financial resources, particularly in temple or royal administrative contexts; denotes a treasurer or chief financial officer within an administrative structure. The word specifically refers to a functionary tasked with guarding, collecting, and disbursing treasure or funds in an institutional setting.
Semantic Range
treasurer, chief financial officer, one in charge of collecting or disbursing funds, keeper of the treasury, administrator of financial resources
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root גזב, meaning 'to collect' or 'to store up (wealth, treasure),' with the base noun גִּזְבָּר (gizbār) in Hebrew. גְּדָבָר (gᵉdâbâr) is the Aramaic form, appearing in the later biblical books influenced by Aramaic administrative language. The Aramaic form corresponds closely to the Hebrew term and was likely borrowed into administrative vocabulary from imperial Persian or Babylonian usage.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term גְּדָבָר occurs in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the post-exilic period (notably Ezra and Nehemiah), reflecting administrative titles in use under Persian imperial rule. As an official, the גְּדָבָר was distinguished from priestly or ritual roles, indicating the separation of financial and religious administration in the Second Temple period. While standard English translations render it as 'treasurer,' this may obscure its specific bureaucratic and institutional connotations, which align with the function of a chief financial officer or controller in ancient Persian and Babylonian contexts. The word is closely related to but not identical with גִּזְבָּר (gizbār), the older Hebrew form, reflecting both linguistic and administrative development during the transition from the pre-exilic to post-exilic periods.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to גִּזְבָּר; a treasurer; treasurer.
Bantu Hebrew
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גזב (g-z-b) — to collect, to store up, to be in charge of treasure
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1411-01 |
גְדָ֨בְרַיָּ֤/א | gedaveraya | ANcmpd/Td |
the treasurers | the treasury-overseers | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1411-01 |
Daniel 3:2 | גְדָ֨בְרַיָּ֤/א | gedaveraya | ANcmpd/Td |
the treasurers | the treasury-overseers |
H1411-01 |
Daniel 3:3 | גְדָבְרַיָּ/א֩ | gedaveraya | ANcmpd/Td |
treasurers | the treasury-overseers |