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שֹׁטֵר

𐤔𐤈𐤓

shôṭêr

H7860 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שטר to record, administer, oversee (post-biblical: to write)

Definition

An official or officer entrusted with administrative, supervisory, or enforcement responsibilities within Israelite community structures, particularly in judicial, military, and local civic contexts. In the Hebrew Bible, שֹׁטֵר (shôṭêr) most frequently designates a person charged with maintaining order, implementing decisions of elders or judges, organizing communal activities (such as census-taking or military mustering), or enforcing communal laws and decrees. While occasionally translated as 'scribe' or 'magistrate,' its most consistent role involves practical administration and enforcement rather than literary or judicial tasks per se.

Semantic Range

official, administrative officer, communal enforcer, overseer of labor or assembly, magistrate, scribe (rare or post-biblical)

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain; traditional connection is with an otherwise unattested root שטר meaning 'to write' (cf. post-biblical usage: document), but no direct evidence exists for this in the biblical period. The noun שֹׁטֵר (shôṭêr) thus appears as a denominative formation, its semantic development possibly reflecting the administrative role rather than literally 'writer.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שֹׁטֵר appears frequently in administrative and military settings (e.g., Exodus 5:6-19; Deuteronomy 16:18; Joshua 1:10; 1 Chronicles 23:4). In Egypt, Israelite שֹׁטְרִים served as intermediaries between Egyptian overseers and the people (Exodus 5), responsible for enforcing labor quotas. Under the Israelite tribal and later monarchic structures, שֹׁטֵר, usually functioning alongside elders and judges, acted as local officials ensuring execution of communal decisions. Their authority spanned from census organization (Numbers 11:16; Deuteronomy 20:5–9) to maintaining order during festivals or legal assemblies (Deuteronomy 16:18). The term's function evolves in post-biblical and Second Temple literature, where it aligns more closely with roles like 'scribe' or (in Rabbinic contexts) an administrative officer associated with written records, but in the biblical context, their duties are fundamentally practical and organizational. English translations often use 'officer,' but this can obscure the specific communal and non-military scope of their authority in many passages. The term is distinct from כֹּהֵן (priest), שַׁפָּט (judge), and סֹפֵר (scribe), emphasizing executive and supervisory authority rather than ritual, adjudicatory, or literary tasks.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

active participle of an otherwise unused root probably meaning to write; properly, a scribe, i.e. (by analogy or implication) an official superintendent or magistrate; officer, overseer, ruler.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שטר (š-ṭ-r) — record, administer, oversee

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7859 שְׁטַר side-division
H7861 שִׁטְרַי My Officer

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7860-11 וְ/שֹׁטְרִ֖ים veshoterim HC/Vqrmpa and officers and overseeing officials 6
H7860-06 שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ shoterey HVqrmpc the foremen of overseeing officers of 4
H7860-02 הַ/שֹּֽׁטְרִים֮ hashoterim HTd/Vqrmpa the officers the overseeing officers 4
H7860-08 וְ/שֹׁ֣טְרָ֔י/ו veshoterayv HC/Vqrmpc/Sp3ms and his officers and his administrative officers 2
H7860-07 וּ/לְ/שֹֽׁטְרָ֑י/ו uleshoterayv HC/R/Vqrmpc/Sp3ms and for his officers and to his overseeing-officials 2
H7860-10 וְ/שֹׁ֣טְרֵי/כֶ֔ם veshotereykhem HC/Vqrmpc/Sp2mp and officers of and your administrative officers 2
H7860-09 וְ/שֹׁטְרֵי/הֶם֩ veshotereyhem HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp and their officers and their administrative officers 1
H7860-05 שֹׁטְרָ֖י/ו shoterayv HVqrmpc/Sp3ms their foremen his administrative-overseers 1
H7860-04 שֹׁטֵ֥ר shoter HVqrmsa overseer overseeing officer 1
H7860-01 הַ/שּׁוֹטֵ֑ר hashoter HTd/Vqrmsa the officer the overseeing official 1

Occurrences in Scripture

25 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7860-05 Exodus 5:6 שֹׁטְרָ֖י/ו shoterayv HVqrmpc/Sp3ms their foremen his administrative-overseers
H7860-08 Exodus 5:10 וְ/שֹׁ֣טְרָ֔י/ו veshoterayv HC/Vqrmpc/Sp3ms and their foremen and his administrative officers
H7860-06 Exodus 5:14 שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ shoterey HVqrmpc the foremen of overseeing officers of
H7860-06 Exodus 5:15 שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ shoterey HVqrmpc the foremen of overseeing officers of
H7860-06 Exodus 5:19 שֹֽׁטְרֵ֧י shoterey HVqrmpc the foremen of overseeing officers of
H7860-08 Numbers 11:16 וְ/שֹׁטְרָ֑י/ו veshoterayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and his officers and his administrative officers
H7860-11 Deuteronomy 1:15 וְ/שֹׁטְרִ֖ים veshoterim HC/Vqrmpa and-officers and overseeing officials
H7860-11 Deuteronomy 16:18 וְ/שֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים veshoterim HC/Vqrmpa and-officers and overseeing officials
H7860-02 Deuteronomy 20:5 הַ/שֹּֽׁטְרִים֮ hashoterim HTd/Vqrmpa the officers the overseeing officers
H7860-02 Deuteronomy 20:8 הַ/שֹּׁטְרִים֮ hashoterim HTd/Vqrmpa the officers the overseeing officers
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