סָרֵךְ
𐤎𐤓𐤊
çârêk
H5632 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A governmental or administrative official, often of high rank, such as a chief, overseer, or administrator; in Aramaic contexts, particularly within the Persian imperial bureaucracy, the term designates a high-ranking officer or president entrusted with responsibility or oversight over others within the administrative structure.
Semantic Range
Persian imperial administrator, chief officer, president, senior official, overseer
Root / Etymology
Borrowed into Aramaic, possibly from Old Persian or another Iranian source; the precise etymology is uncertain but likely reflects a term for a chief or leader in Persian imperial administration. Not derived from a Semitic (Hebrew) root, and does not have a Hebrew cognate. The form reflects a title used in Persian Aramaic administrative language.
Historical & Contextual Notes
סָרֵךְ occurs exclusively in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (Daniel 6). It does not appear in earlier Hebrew or Aramaic literature outside the biblical corpus, emphasizing its connection to later Persian-period administrative terminology. The term reflects political realities of the late exile and post-exilic Persian administration over the former Babylonian territories, including Yehud (Judea). In Daniel 6, 'sarek' is used for the presidents or chief administrators whom King Darius appoints over satraps (provincial governors). This role is distinct from the 'satrap' (אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנִין, 'achashdarpanin'), another Persian loanword designating a provincial governor. English translations often render 'sarek' as 'president,' but this may obscure the bureaucratic and non-democratic context of the role, which was appointed rather than elected. The term is not used of Israelite or Judahite positions of leadership prior to the Persian domination, and does not have the religious connotations of terms like כהן (kohen, 'priest') or נָגִיד (nagid, 'leader, prince'). 'Sarek' passed out of common use after the Persian period; later Judean administrative titles differ, reflecting Hellenistic and later governmental arrangements.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) of foreign origin; an emir; president.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סרך (loanword; non-Semitic) (s-r-k) — rule, administer, oversee
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5632-01 |
סָרְכַיָּ֖/א | sarekhaya | ANcmpd/Td |
satraps | the senior administrators | 3 |
H5632-02 |
סָרְכֵ֣י | sarekhey | ANcmpc |
presidents | chief administrators of | 1 |
H5632-03 |
סָרְכִ֣ין | sarekhin | ANcmpa |
the administrators | senior administrators | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5632-03 |
Daniel 6:3 | סָרְכִ֣ין | sarekhin | ANcmpa |
the administrators | senior administrators |
H5632-01 |
Daniel 6:4 | סָרְכַיָּ֖/א | sarekhaya | ANcmpd/Td |
the commissioners | the senior administrators |
H5632-01 |
Daniel 6:5 | סָֽרְכַיָּ֜/א | sarekhaya | ANcmpd/Td |
satraps | the senior administrators |
H5632-01 |
Daniel 6:7 | סָרְכַיָּ֤/א | sarekhaya | ANcmpd/Td |
the administrators | the senior administrators |
H5632-02 |
Daniel 6:8 | סָרְכֵ֣י | sarekhey | ANcmpc |
presidents | chief administrators of |