1 chieftain, leader:

a. plural of Israel Numbers 21:18 (poem in J E; "" נְדִיֹב הָעָם), of Issachar Judges 5:15 (poem); שָׂרֵי גִלְעָד Judges 10:18 is dubious (we should expect ׳וְשׂ, and compare ׳זִקְנֵי ג, instead, Judges 11:5-11); of Midian Judges 7:25; Judges 8:3; Philistines 1 Samuel 29:3 (twice in verse); 1 Samuel 29:4 (twice in verse); 1 Samuel 29:9; (apparently = סְרָנִים 1 Samuel 29:2; 1 Samuel 29:6; 1 Samuel 29:7 [We], yet distinguished by HPS and [with reserve] Bu; ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Th Bu strike out in 1 Samuel 29:4 b), compare 1 Samuel 18:30; in poetry, of כְּמוֺשׁ (i.e. the leading Moabites) Jeremiah 48:7, of מָלכם (q. v.; i.e. the leading Ammonites) Amos 1:15 = Jeremiah 49:3.

b. singular David as leader of freebooters 1 Samuel 22:2; compare גְּדוּד ׳שׂ 1 Kings 11:24, plural 2 Samuel 4:2.

2 vassal, noble, official, under king (acting, on occasion, as counselor, commander, etc.):

a. plural, in Egypt Genesis 12:15 (J) + 3 t. Is + Genesis 30:4 Di Du Skinner (>of foreign embassy [compare "" מַלְאָכָיו] Che and others reading [Che^Heb.Hpt. Marti] שָׁשׂרִים), Psalm 105:22; Moab Numbers 22:8 8t. 22, 23 (JE), Amos 2:3; Edom Isaiah 34:12 ("" הֹרִים); Assyrian Isaiah 10:8; Isaiah 31:9; Babylonian Isaiah 21:5 7t. Jeremiah + 2Chronicles 32:31 (but here perhaps vaguely = authorities); other nations Jeremiah 49:38 17t. Ezra, Esther; in General Isaiah 49:7; officials, official class, under kings of Israel: David (only Chronicles) 1 Chronicles 22:17 5t. 1Chronicles; Ezra 8:20; Solomon 1 Kings 4:2; Jehoiachin 2 Kings 24:12,14; Zedak. Jeremiah 34:21; 2Chronicles 36:18; other kings 19 t. 2 Chronicles; in General Ecclesiastes 10:16,17; see also (Judah) Jeremiah 1:18 31t. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 17:25 a strike out ׳שׂ Gf Che Gie Du), 4 t. Lamentations; Ezekiel 17:12; Zephaniah 1:8 (where distinguished from בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, who are never called ׳שׂ); so, in General, Nehemiah 9:32,34; Daniel 9:6,8; and (Northern Israel) Hosea 3:4 6t. Hosea.

b. as having powers of magistrate (‡adi) Exodus 2:14 (E + שֹׁפֵט); under Moses (over groups of 1000, 100, 50, 10) Exodus 18:21 7t. 18 (E), Deuteronomy 1:15 (4 t. in verse); later in Judah Hosea 5:10 (Now reads ׳שָׂרֵי תִשׁ), Isaiah 1:23, compare Isaiah 3:4,14; Isaiah 32:1; Micah 7:3 (singular; "" שֹׁפֵט), Zephaniah 3:3 ("" id.), Ezekiel 22:27, compare Proverbs 8:16 ("" נְדִיבִים); Proverbs 28:2 read perhaps צָרֶיהָ, see Toy.

c. as ruler or magistrate of a district (מְרִינָה), 1 Kings 20:14,15,17,19; (compare Esther 1:3; Esther 8:9; Esther 9:3, שָׂרֵי עַם וָעָם Esther 3:12).

d. as commandant of city, הָעִיר ׳שׂ Judges 9:30, compare 1 Kings 22:26 2Chronicles 18:25; 2 Kings 23:8; 2Chronicles 34:8; of citadel, הַבִּירָה ׳שׂ Nehemiah 7:2; plural of city officials סֻכּוֺת ׳שׂ Judges 8:6,14 (distinguished from זְקֵנִים), compare 2 Kings 10:1; 2Chronicles 29:20.

3 specifically military, = captain, General:

a. שַׂרֿ(ה)צבא Genesis 21:22,32 (E), Genesis 26:26 (J), 1 Samuel 12:9 23t., + ׳יֿ׳צֿ׳שׂ Joshua 5:14,15 (J E; צָבָא

1b), angel-captain in vision; see also 8, 9; ׳שָׂרֵי הַצּ 1 Kings 1:25 3t. Chronicles, ׳שָׂרִים בַּצּ 1 Chronicles 12:22 (Gi Baer; van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:21); שָׂרֵי צְבָאוֺת Deuteronomy 20:9; 1 Kings 2:5; 1 Chronicles 27:3; שַׂרהַֿחַ֫יִל 2 Samuel 24:2 (but read וְאֶלשָֿׂרֵי as ᵐ5^L and "" 1 Chronicles 21:2 Th We Dr HPS Bu), ׳שָׂרֵי (הַ)ח 1 Chronicles 21:4; 1 Chronicles 21:4; 2 Kings 9:5; 2Chronicles 33:14; Nehemiah 2:9, שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים 1 Kings 15:20 2Chronicles 16:4; 2 Kings 25:23,26; Jeremiah 40:7,13 7t. Jeremiah; שָׂרֵי מִלְחָמוֺת2Chronicles 32:6; so (ה)שׂר alone 2 Samuel 18:5; 2 Samuel 19:7; 1 Kings 9:22 2Chronicles 8:9 ᵐ5.:B Be Kit (שָׁרָיו וְשָׁלִישָׁיו, for ᵑ0 ׳שָׂרֵי שׁ), 2 Kings 9:5 (twice in verse); 1 Chronicles 11:6,21 9t., + Job 39:25; Daniel 11:5; וְגָדוֺל ׳שׂ 2 Samuel 3:38 (of Abner); possibly military figurative also in שַׂר שָׁלוֺם Isaiah 9:5 (Messianic name).

b. leading companies of 50 2 Kings 1:9-14 Isaiah 3:3, of 100 1 Samuel 22:7 16t. + 1 Samuel 8:12 (reading מֵאוֺת for חֲמִשִּׁים ᵐ5 HPS, compare We; Bu insert שָׂרֵי מֵאוֺת), of 1000 1 Samuel 17:18 11t., + שָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים וְהַמֵּאוֺת 1 Chronicles 13:1; 1 Chronicles 26:26 (distinguished from שָׂרֵי הַצָּבָא), 1 Chronicles 27:1; 1 Chronicles 29:6; 2Chronicles 1:2; also הָרֶכֶב ׳שׂ captain of the chariotry 1 Kings 22:31,32,33 2Chron 18:30; 18:31; 18:32 3t. + שָׂרֵי וּפָרָשָׁיו ׳ר 1 Kings 9:22 2Chronicles 8:9.

4. a. chief, head, of other official classes: שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים, Egypt, Genesis 37:36 5t.; שָׂרֵי הָרָצִים 1 Kings 14:27 2Chronicles 12:10; שָׂרֵי הַנִּצָּבִים 1 Kings 5:30; 1 Kings 9:23 2Chronicles 8:10; even domestic positions (court of Pharaoh), שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים Genesis 40:2 5t., שַׂר הָאוֺפוֺת Genesis 40:2 4t. (all E); שָׂרֵי הַמּחְלְקוֺת 1 Chronicles 28:1, i.e. of the successive courses of royal military officials; compare הַשַּׂר 1 Chronicles 27:28; שַׂר הַסָּרִיסִים Daniel 1:7,8,9,10,11,18; שַׂר מְנוּחָה Jeremiah 51:59.

b. = overseer: שַׂר בֵּית הַסֹּהַר Genesis 39:21,23, שָׂרֵי מִקְנֶה Genesis 47:6 (all J; compare אַבִּיר הָרֹעִים 1 Samuel 21:8), שָׂרֵי מִסִּים Exodus 1:11 (J); compare 1 Chronicles 15:27; 1 Chronicles 29:6; 1 Chronicles 27:31; 1 Chronicles 28:1. — In 1 Chronicles 15:22 read probably סַר הַמַּשָּׂא (= שַׂר) overseer of the carrying (for ᵑ0 בְּמַשָּׂא יָסֹר בַּמַּשָּׂא), so ᵐ5 Benz Kit, Be יָסֹר = יָשׂר; see another view יָסַר

Qal. 5. of religious office: שָׂרֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים Ezra 8:24,29; Ezra 10:5; 2Chronicles 36:14; הַלְוִיִּם ׳שׂ 1 Chronicles 15:16,22; 2Chronicles 35:9, compare 1 Chronicles 15:5,6,7,8,10 (twice in verse); heads of classes or courses of priests, called שָׂרֵי קֹרֶשׁ 1 Chronicles 24:5, אֱלֹהִים ׳שׂ 1 Chronicles 24:5; — ׳שָׂרֵי ק Isaiah 43:28 (usually consecrated princes, whether priests, or kings, or both) is probably corrupt, read perhaps שַׁעֲרֵי (Du) or וַיְחַלְּלוּ שָׂרֶיךָ קָרְשִׁי ᵐ5 Houb Klo Che^Hpt Gr (substantially).

6 late, of representative leaders of people, tribal heads, ׳שׂ ׳שִׁבְטֵי יִשׂ 1 Chronicles 27:22; 1 Chronicles 29:6, compare 1 Chronicles 28:1; apparently = elders, הָעָם ׳שׂ Ezekiel 11:1; 2Chronicles 24:23; ׳שׂ alone, Psalm 68:28 (3 t. in verse); in post-exilic Jerusalem Ezra 9:1,2; Nehemiah 4:10; Nehemiah 10:1; Nehemiah 11:1 (שָׂרֵי הָעָם), + elders Ezra 10:8,14; called שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה Nehemiah 12:31,32; of district-rulers Nehemiah 3:9,12,14,15,16,17,18,19; of heads of families, שָׂרֵי הָאָבוֺת Ezra 8:29; 1 Chronicles 29:6 (= רָאשֵׁי ׳הָא 1 Chronicles 24:31; 1 Chronicles 27:1; Nehemiah 7:70).

7 late, as term of rank and dignity, Isaiah 23:8 (compare 'merchant- princes'), Job 3:15; Job 29:9 ("" נְגִירִים), Job 34:19; Psalm 45:17; Psalm 82:7; Psalm 148:11, opposed to עבד(יםׅ Proverbs 19:10; Ecclesiastes 10:7; formidable foes Psalm 119:23; Psalm 119:161.

8 = patron-angel, only Daniel: שַׂר (מַלְכוּת) מָּרַס Daniel 10:13,20, יָוָן ׳שׂ Daniel 10:20; specifically of מִיכָאֵל Daniel 10:13,21; Daniel 12:1

9 שַׂרהַֿצָּבָא Daniel 8:11 = God (probably, compare צָרָא 1c; yet see also ׳צ 1b), so שַׂר שְׂרִים Daniel 8:25.