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שִׁלְטוֹן

𐤔𐤋𐤈𐤅𐤍

shilṭôwn

H7984 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שלט to have power, to rule, to wield authority, to control

Definition

Official authority, dominion, or the power to rule; specifically, the position or capacity of a ruler or governor, denoting both the sphere of control and the person wielding such authority. Semantic range includes personal agency in governance, the scope or reach of one’s jurisdiction, and sometimes the abstract quality of sovereignty or mastery.

Semantic Range

dominion, sovereignty, authority, capacity to rule, office of ruler, governing power, high official or potentate

Root / Etymology

Root: שלט (Š-L-Ṭ). The root שלט carries the core idea of exercising authority, wielding control, or having sway. שִׁלְטוֹן derives as a noun form meaning authority, rulership, or dominion, focusing more on the quality, possession, or display of power, rather than a specific act of ruling.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שִׁלְטוֹן is attested primarily in the later biblical books written in Aramaic, especially Daniel (e.g., Daniel 3:2, 3:3, 3:27), where it refers to rulers or high-ranking officials within the context of imperial administration. Compared to related terms such as מֶלֶךְ (melek, 'king') or שַׂר (sar, 'prince, official'), שִׁלְטוֹן emphasizes the capacity or abstract office of rule, not hereditary kingship or a military official. In later Jewish Aramaic, the term extends to the abstract concept of dominion or governmental power in general. Standard English translations often use 'rule', 'authority', or 'dominion', which reflect part but not all of the semantic breadth, tending to underemphasize the nuance of formal or administrative office. The term does not convey the specific theological or ethnic connotations of kingship in Israelite tradition but is a more technical, administrative term in imperial contexts, reflective of the bureaucratic structures of the Persian and later Near Eastern empires.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) or שִׁלְטֹןlemma שִׁלְטן missing vowel, corrected to שִׁלְטֹן; corresponding to שִׁלְטוֹן; {a potentate}; ruler.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7980 שָׁלַט to rule
H7981 שְׁלֵט they ruled
H7982 שֶׁלֶט the dominion-shields
H7983 שִׁלְטוֹן dominion
H7985 שׇׁלְטָן sovereign dominion of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7984-01 שִׁלְטֹנֵ֣י shiletoney ANcmpc the authorities ruling authorities of 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7984-01 Daniel 3:2 שִׁלְטֹנֵ֣י shiletoney ANcmpc the rulers ruling authorities of
H7984-01 Daniel 3:3 שִׁלְטֹנֵ֣י shiletoney ANcmpc the authorities ruling authorities of
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