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שִׁלְטוֹן

𐤔𐤋𐤈𐤅𐤍

shilṭôwn

H7983 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שלט to rule, to have dominion, to exercise authority

Definition

Realm, dominion, or authority—refers to the sphere or scope in which power is exercised; often used to designate governance or ruling authority, especially that of a sovereign. In some contexts, denotes sovereignty, or the status and structures of governmental control.

Semantic Range

dominion, sovereignty, authority, realm of rule, governance, political authority, scope of sovereignty

Root / Etymology

From the root שָׁלַט (sh-l-ṭ), meaning 'to exercise dominion, have power, rule.' The nominal form שִׁלְטוֹן (shilṭôn) is derived via the addition of the Aramaic nominal ending, creating a masculine noun signifying the state or quality of ruling or the domain of rule. This form is specifically Aramaic in the biblical texts.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שִׁלְטוֹן appears in Biblical Aramaic, notably in Daniel, where it designates the dominion or rulership of human kings as well as supernatural entities. The term is used to refer concretely to a kingdom's governing authority or an individual ruler’s actual sphere of power—functionally similar to the Hebrew מַלְכוּת (malkhut, 'kingdom, sovereignty'), but with greater emphasis on authority and dominion as exercised power rather than merely status. During the Persian and subsequent periods, such terms increasingly reflected imperial administrative realities. While sometimes translated 'dominion' or 'sovereignty,' English translations occasionally use 'power,' but these may obscure the sense of structured or institutional authority. The word does not indicate divine sovereignty per se, nor primarily refer to abstract force or ability, but rather the sphere or structure in which ruling power operates. It is not attested in earlier (pre-exilic) periods, reflecting its Aramaic and late biblical use.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) from שָׁלַט; {power.}; power.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שלט (š-l-ṭ) — to rule, to exercise dominion, to wield authority

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7980 שָׁלַט to rule
H7981 שְׁלֵט they ruled
H7982 שֶׁלֶט the dominion-shields
H7984 שִׁלְטוֹן ruling authorities of
H7985 שׇׁלְטָן sovereign dominion of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7983-01 שִׁלְט֑וֹן shileton HNcmsa dominion 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7983-01 Ecclesiastes 8:4 שִׁלְט֑וֹן shileton HNcmsa dominion
H7983-01 Ecclesiastes 8:8 שִׁלְטוֹן֙ shileton HNcmsa dominion
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