סָגָן
𐤎𐤂𐤍
çâgân
H5461 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A high-ranking official or dignitary, particularly an administrative or civil governor of a province or region within an imperial structure. The term designates someone entrusted with oversight, authority, or delegated rule, especially in the context of imperial government.
Semantic Range
provincial governor, civil administrator, high official, prefect, dignitary (esp. under imperial rule); term of administrative rank; one of a governing council
Root / Etymology
Root/Etymology: The root is uncertain; Strong's suggests derivation from an unused root meaning 'to superintend,' but there is no direct evidence for a Hebrew root סגן with this meaning. The word appears to be a loanword, possibly from Akkadian or Old Persian ('šaknu,' an administrator, governor, or agent), reflecting administrative terminology of the Neo-Babylonian, Persian, and later periods.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Historical & Contextual Notes: The term סָגָן is absent from earlier Israelite sources and is attested primarily in exilic and post-exilic biblical texts, particularly in Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, and Esther, books concerned with life under foreign (Babylonian and Persian) administration. The סָגָן is not equivalent to earlier Israelite tribal or family leaders but corresponds more closely to appointed regional officials within an imperial governance hierarchy. English translations such as 'prince' or 'ruler' can be misleading, as they may imply independent authority or hereditary rank. The term is better understood as a civil or administrative governor, often one of several within a satrapy or province, responsible for implementing imperial policy, maintaining order, and sometimes managing taxation or public works. In later periods, the term's meaning and administrative status continued to shift as Judean society interacted with successive empires. Related terms include פֶּחָה (pechah, 'governor' more generally) and אֵפַרְכְיָה (medinah, 'province').
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to superintend; a prefect of a province; prince, ruler.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1002 | בִּירָה | the citadel |
| H105 | אֲגַרְטָל | bowls of |
| H1081 | בַּלְאֲדָן | Baladan |
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5461-01 |
הַ/סְּגָנִים֙ | haseganim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the officials | the provincial governors | the provincial governors | 6 |
H5461-05 |
וּ/סְגָנִ֔ים | useganim | HC/Ncmpa |
and commanders | and provincial governors | and commanders | 4 |
H5461-06 |
וְ/הַ/סְּגָנִ֗ים | vehaseganim | HC/Td/Ncmpa |
and-the-officials | and the provincial governors | and the provincial governors | 3 |
H5461-02 |
סְגָנֶ֑י/הָ | seganeyha | HNcmpc/Sp3fs |
deputies of her | her provincial governors | her deputies | 1 |
H5461-03 |
סְגָנִים֙ | seganim | HNcmpa |
rulers | provincial governors | provincial governors | 1 |
H5461-04 |
וּ/סְגָנֶ֨י/הָ֙ | useganeyha | HC/Ncmpc/Sp3fs |
and-deputies-of-her | and her provincial governors | and her deputies | 1 |
H5461-07 |
וְ/לַ/סְּגָנִ֗ים | velaseganim | HC/Rd/Ncmpa |
and-to-the-officials | and to the provincial governors | and to the provincial governors | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
17 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5461-03 |
Isaiah 41:25 | סְגָנִים֙ | seganim | HNcmpa |
rulers | provincial governors | provincial governors |
H5461-05 |
Jeremiah 51:23 | וּ/סְגָנִֽים | useganim | HC/Ncmpa |
and-officials | and provincial governors | and officials |
H5461-02 |
Jeremiah 51:28 | סְגָנֶ֑י/הָ | seganeyha | HNcmpc/Sp3fs |
deputies of her | her provincial governors | her deputies |
H5461-04 |
Jeremiah 51:57 | וּ/סְגָנֶ֨י/הָ֙ | useganeyha | HC/Ncmpc/Sp3fs |
and-deputies-of-her | and her provincial governors | and her deputies |
H5461-05 |
Ezekiel 23:6 | וּ/סְגָנִ֔ים | useganim | HC/Ncmpa |
and rulers | and provincial governors | and dignitaries |
H5461-05 |
Ezekiel 23:12 | וּ/סְגָנִ֤ים | useganim | HC/Ncmpa |
and commanders | and provincial governors | and commanders |
H5461-05 |
Ezekiel 23:23 | וּ/סְגָנִים֙ | useganim | HC/Ncmpa |
and-commanders | and provincial governors | and provincial governors |
H5461-06 |
Ezra 9:2 | וְ/הַ/סְּגָנִ֗ים | vehaseganim | HC/Td/Ncmpa |
and-the-rulers | and the provincial governors | and the provincial governors |
H5461-06 |
Nehemiah 2:16 | וְ/הַ/סְּגָנִ֗ים | vehaseganim | HC/Td/Ncmpa |
and-the-officials | and the provincial governors | and the provincial governors |
H5461-07 |
Nehemiah 2:16 | וְ/לַ/סְּגָנִ֗ים | velaseganim | HC/Rd/Ncmpa |
and-to-the-officials | and to the provincial governors | and to the provincial governors |
H5461-01 |
Nehemiah 4:8 | הַ/סְּגָנִים֙ | haseganim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the-deputies | the provincial governors | the provincial governors |
H5461-01 |
Nehemiah 4:13 | הַ/סְּגָנִים֙ | haseganim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the-rulers | the provincial governors | the provincial governors |
H5461-01 |
Nehemiah 5:7 | הַ/סְּגָנִ֔ים | haseganim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the officials | the provincial governors | the officials |
H5461-06 |
Nehemiah 5:17 | וְ/הַ/סְּגָנִ֜ים | vehaseganim | HC/Td/Ncmpa |
and-the-officials | and the provincial governors | and the provincial governors |
H5461-01 |
Nehemiah 7:5 | הַ/סְּגָנִ֛ים | haseganim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the rulers | the provincial governors | the provincial governors |
H5461-01 |
Nehemiah 12:40 | הַ/סְּגָנִ֖ים | haseganim | HTd/Ncmpa |
of the officials | the provincial governors | the officials |
H5461-01 |
Nehemiah 13:11 | הַ/סְּגָנִ֔ים | haseganim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the officials | the provincial governors | the provincial governors |