גִּזְבָּר
𐤂𐤆𐤁𐤓
gizbâr
H1490 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An official charged with responsibility for treasury management, specifically a treasurer or steward overseeing temple or state finances. In biblical Aramaic contexts, this refers to a person appointed to supervise and disburse funds, especially for religious or governmental purposes.
Semantic Range
treasurer, steward of finances, official in charge of temple or civic treasury, administrator of valuables
Root / Etymology
Uncertain; likely a loanword of Persian origin. The form is Aramaic, matching the Hebrew גִּזְבָּר (gizbār), and is attested primarily in post-exilic Aramaic sections, reflecting administrative vocabulary introduced from Persian bureaucratic culture.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term גִּזְבָּר occurs in Aramaic passages (e.g., Ezra 1:8) in reference to treasury officials within the Persian provincial system governing Yehud/Judea. The sense is not limited to a religious 'treasurer' but broadly to any official entrusted with safeguarding and distribution of valuables and resources, particularly those pertaining to the Jerusalem temple under Persian rule. Its use is characteristic of the exilic and post-exilic periods, during which Persian and Aramaic administrative terminology permeated the Judean bureaucracy. While some English translations render the term as 'treasurer' or 'official in charge of the treasury,' the administrative nuances, including Persian influence, are lost in such glosses. The term does not occur in pre-exilic Hebrew texts and is distinct from other terms for financial overseers. Notably, the English term 'Jew' sometimes appears in translations of contemporary associated contexts, but the officials themselves should be understood in their historical setting as temple or provincial administrators in Persian Yehud.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to גִּזְבָּר; {treasurer}; treasurer.
Bantu Hebrew
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גזבר (uncertain origin) (g-z-b-r (loanword, uncertain)) — treasury oversight, financial stewardship, administration of valuables
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1490-01 |
גִּזַּֽבְרַיָּ֔/א | gizaveraya | ANcmpd/Td |
treasurers | the treasury-stewards | the treasurers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1490-01 |
Ezra 7:21 | גִּזַּֽבְרַיָּ֔/א | gizaveraya | ANcmpd/Td |
treasurers | the treasury-stewards | the treasurers |