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אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפַּן

𐤀𐤇𐤔𐤃𐤓𐤐𐤍

ʼăchashdarpan

H324 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A high-ranking provincial administrator under the rule of the Persian Empire, typically translated as 'satrap,' denoting a governor with authority over a major province. The term is used for Persian officials entrusted with significant political, military, and financial control within a specific region of the empire. In some contexts, it may refer more generally to a prominent or principal official.

Semantic Range

provincial governor, satrap, high-ranking official, principal administrator

Root / Etymology

Borrowed from Old Persian (xšathrapāvan, 'protector of the realm' or 'protector of the kingdom'). The Hebrew/Aramaic form reflects linguistic adaptation from the Persian term, itself deriving from xšathra ('realm' or 'province') and pāvan ('protector' or 'guardian'). Root is of foreign (Iranian) origin and not native Semitic; etymology as a compound for 'protector of the empire/province.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Used primarily in later biblical texts composed during or referencing the post-exilic Persian period (notably Daniel, Ezra, Esther) to describe elite administrative officials in the Achaemenid bureaucracy. The term highlights the borrowing of Persian administrative titles into Hebrew/Aramaic as the Israelites/Judahites encountered new forms of imperial governance. While KJV and similar translations sometimes use 'prince' or 'governor,' the original term is much more specific, corresponding to the historical office of satrap known from Persian sources. The role of a satrap involved broad administrative, military, and fiscal authority, making them key intermediaries between the central imperial power and subject territories. This is distinct from other words for 'prince' (such as nasi) or 'ruler' (such as sar), which may denote hereditary or tribal leaders rather than appointed imperial officials. During the Persian period, the presence and importance of satraps marked a new phase of external governance for the Judean province and neighboring regions.

Translation Consistency

primary "satrap" 7 occurrences

The Hebrew term specifically denotes the Persian provincial governor; the SILEX gloss and the majority of existing renderings use 'satrap.' Choosing 'satrap' preserves the historical-political role and consistent specificity across occurrences while remaining the most direct single-word equivalent (it can be used naturally in singular and plural forms).

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"satrap-governors" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפַּן; {a satrap or governorof amain province (of Persia)}; prince.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

אחשדרפן (ʾ-ḥ-š-d-r-p-n) — to protect, to govern, provincial oversight

Root uncertain (loanword from Old Persian) to protect, to govern (by extension from Persian root)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H323 אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפַּן provincial governors of

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H324-03 וַ/אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֑/א vaachashedarepenaya AC/Ncmsd/Td and the satraps the satrap and the satraps 4
H324-01 אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֡/א achashedarepenaya ANcmpd/Td the satraps the provincial governors the satraps 3
H324-02 לַֽ/אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֡/א laachashedarepenaya ATo/Ncmpd/Td to the satraps to the satrap-governors to the satrap-governors 2

Occurrences in Scripture

9 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H324-02 Daniel 3:2 לַֽ/אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֡/א laachashedarepenaya ATo/Ncmpd/Td the satraps to the satrap-governors to the satrap-governors
H324-01 Daniel 3:3 אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֡/א achashedarepenaya ANcmpd/Td satraps the provincial governors the satraps
H324-01 Daniel 3:27 אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֞/א achashedarepenaya ANcmpd/Td the satraps the provincial governors the satraps
H324-02 Daniel 6:2 לַ/אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֖/א laachashedarepenaya ATo/Ncmpd/Td to the satraps to the satrap-governors to the satrap-governors
H324-01 Daniel 6:3 אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֣/א achashedarepenaya ANcmpd/Td the satraps the provincial governors the satraps
H324-03 Daniel 6:4 וַ/אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֑/א vaachashedarepenaya AC/Ncmsd/Td and the satraps the satrap and the satraps
H324-03 Daniel 6:5 וַ/אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֗/א vaachashedarepenaya AC/Ncmpd/Td and overseers the satrap and the satraps
H324-03 Daniel 6:7 וַ/אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ/א֙ vaachashedarepenaya AC/Ncmpd/Td and the satraps the satrap and the satraps
H324-03 Daniel 6:8 וַֽ/אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ/א֙ vaachashedarepenaya AC/Ncmpd/Td and satraps the satrap the satraps
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