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נֵרְגַּל שַׁרְאֶצֶר

𐤍𐤓𐤂𐤋 𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤑𐤓

Neregal Shareetser

H5371 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (personal name; root is foreign, not Hebrew)

Definition

Nergal-Sharetser: a personal name of Babylonian origin, referring to two individuals mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, specifically high-ranking officials or princes in the Neo-Babylonian empire. The name is composed of two elements: 'Nergal', the name of a Mesopotamian deity associated with the underworld, war, and plague, and 'Sharetser', likely meaning 'protect(s) the king' or 'prince.' Thus, the full name means 'O Nergal, protect the king' or 'Nergal, (the) prince/guardian.'

Semantic Range

proper name for a Babylonian prince or official, individual name in historical narrative; title-like nuance referring to an office-holder in the Neo-Babylonian court

Root / Etymology

A compound of נֵרְגַּל (Nergal), from the Akkadian 'Nergal', a deity in Mesopotamian religion, and שַׁרְאֶצֶר (Sharetser), likely from Akkadian 'šarru' (king) + 'uṣur' (protect): meaning 'protect the king.' The elements combine as a theophoric Babylonian personal name. Root: uncertain in Hebrew; borrowed from Akkadian.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Nergal-Sharetser is attested as the name of high Babylonian officials during and after the fall of Jerusalem (late 7th–early 6th century BCE), notably a 'Rab-Mag' (chief official or magus) who played a role in the conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 39:3,13). The name is distinctly foreign—Babylonian rather than Hebrew—and its use reflects the common ancient Near Eastern practice of theophoric naming (incorporating the name of a deity). Standard English Bible translations typically render the name as 'Nergal-sharezer,' but this does not convey the full connotations of allegiance to the deity Nergal or the semantic content inherent in the name. The same name appears in extra-biblical Babylonian sources, confirming its historicity and high status among Babylonian nobility. This name demonstrates the integration of non-Hebrew personal names in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the narrative of the Babylonian conquest of Judah.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נֵרְגַּל and שַׁרְאֶצֶר; Nergal-Sharetser, the name of two Babylonians; Nergal-sharezer.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נֵרְגַל שַׁרְאֶצֶר (Nergal-šar-uṣur) — foreign theophoric name; Nergal, protect the king

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5371-03 שַׂר sar HNp Sar ruling-official 3
H5371-01 אֶ֠צֶר etser HNp ezer Nergal-protect-the-king 3
H5371-02 נֵרְגַ֣ל neregal HNp Nergal Nergal 2
H5371-04 וְ/נֵרְגַ֥ל veneregal HC/Np and Nergal and Nergal-Sharetser 1

Occurrences in Scripture

9 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5371-02 Jeremiah 39:3 נֵרְגַ֣ל neregal HNp Nergal Nergal
H5371-03 Jeremiah 39:3 שַׂר sar HNp Sar ruling-official
H5371-01 Jeremiah 39:3 אֶ֠צֶר etser HNp ezer Nergal-protect-the-king
H5371-02 Jeremiah 39:3 נֵרְגַ֤ל neregal-2 HNp Nergal Nergal
H5371-03 Jeremiah 39:3 שַׂר sar-3 HNp Sar ruling-official
H5371-01 Jeremiah 39:3 אֶ֨צֶר֙ etser-2 HNp ezer Nergal-protect-the-king
H5371-04 Jeremiah 39:13 וְ/נֵרְגַ֥ל veneregal HC/Np and Nergal and Nergal-Sharetser
H5371-03 Jeremiah 39:13 שַׂר sar HNp sharezer ruling-official
H5371-01 Jeremiah 39:13 אֶ֖צֶר etser HNp Nergal-protect-the-king
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