1. lord, ruler (Philistine title) — A masculine plural noun (seren) designating the lords or rulers of the five Philistine city-states (Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gath), used exclusively in the context of Philistine political leadership (Josh 13:3; Judg 3:3; 16:5-30; 1 Sam 5:8-11; 6:4-18; 7:7; 29:2-7; 1 Chr 12:19). All 21 occurrences share identical semantics; the two clusters differ only in grammatical framing (construct state, with article, with preposition lamed and 2mp suffix). Multilingual evidence: eng 'lords of / your lords', spa 'príncipes de / vuestros gobernantes', arb 'أُمَرَاءُ / أَقْطَابِكُم', kor '추장들이 / 너희의 방백들에게', swa 'wakuu / wakuu wenu'. 21×
AR["أَقْطَابُ-","أَقْطَابِ","أَقْطَابِ-","أُمَراءِ","أُمَرَاءُ","أُمَرَاءِ","الأُمَراءِ","الـ-أَقْطَابِ","الْأُمَرَاءِ-الـ","رُؤَساءِ","لِ-أُمَرَاءِ","وَ-أَقْطَابُ","وَ-أُمَرَاءُ","وَ-لِـ-أَقْطَابِكُم","وَأُمَراءُ"]·ben["অধিপতিদের","এবং-অধিপতিরা","এবং-তোমাদের-সর্দারদের-জন্য","এবং-শাসকরা","এবং-সর্দারেরা","শাসকদের","শাসকরা","শাসকেরা","শাসনকর্তা","সর্দার-","সর্দারদের","সর্দারের","সর্দারেরা-"]·DE["-der-herren-von","Herren-von","der-herren","der-lords","lords-von","lords-von-","und-Herren-von","und-lords-von","und-zu-dein-lords","zu-Herren-von"]·EN["-the-lords-of","and-lords-of","and-to-your-lords","lords-of","lords-of-","the-lords","to-lords-of"]·FR["-le-lords-de","et-lords-de","et-à-ton-lords","le-lords","lords-de","lords-de-","à-lords-de"]·heb["ה-סרנים","ו-ל-סרניכם","ו-סרני","ל-סרני","סרני"]·HI["और-सरदअर","और-सरदार","और-सरदारों-तुम्हारे-के-लिए","और-सरदारोंने","सरदअरोन-कि","सरदार","सरदारों","सरदारों-के","सरदारों-को","सरदारोंने"]·ID["Dan-para-penguasa","Dan-raja-raja","dan-atas-raja-rajamu","dan-raja-raja","para-penguasa","raja","raja-raja","raja-raja-"]·IT["-il-lords-di","a-lords-di","e-a-tuo-signori","e-lords-di","e-signori-di","il-lords","il-signori","lords-di","signori-di","signori-di-"]·jav["Lan-para-pangageng","dhateng-para-pangageng","lan-kangge-para-pangageng-panjenengan","lan-para-pangageng","pangageng","para-pangageng","para-pangageng-","para-pangeran"]·KO["그-대장들의","그-방백들의","그-추장들","그리고-너희의-방백들에게","그리고-대장들이","그리고-방백들이","그리고-추장들이","대장들의","방백들","방백들을","방백들의","방백들이","에게-추장들","의-통치자들","추장들이","추장들이었다"]·PT["E-líderes-de","E-príncipes-de","aos-líderes-de","e-aos-príncipes-vossos","e-príncipes-de","líderes-de","os-líderes","os-príncipes","príncipes-de","príncipes-de-","senhores-de"]·RU["И-князья","владык","властителей","властителей-","и-властители","и-князья","и-на-властителей-ваших","князей","князья","князья-"]·ES["Y-los-príncipes-de","a-los-príncipes-de","gobernantes","gobernantes-de","los-príncipes","los-príncipes-de","príncipes-de","señores-de","y-gobernantes-de","y-para-vuestros-gobernantes"]·SW["Na-wakuu","na-kwa-wakuu-wenu","na-wakuu","na-wakuu-wa","wa-wakuu","wakuu","wakuu-wa","wakuu-wa-","watawala-wa"]·TR["-beylerin","-e-beyleri","Ve-beyleri","beyleri","beyleri-","beylerin","beylerini","beylerinin","ve-beyleri","ve-beylerinize"]·urd["اور-تمہارے-سرداروں-پر","اور-سردار","سردار","سرداروں","سرداروں-نے","سرداروں-کو","سرداروں-کے"]
Josh 13:3, Judg 3:3, Judg 16:5, Judg 16:8, Judg 16:18, Judg 16:18, Judg 16:23, Judg 16:27, Judg 16:30, 1 Sam 5:8, 1 Sam 5:11, 1 Sam 6:4 (+9 more)
Senses
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. [סֶ֫רֶן21] n.m. tyrant, lord (Philist. loan-word);—pl. abs. הַסְּרָנִים Ju 16:30 + 2 times; cstr. סַרְנֵי Ju 3:3 + 16 times; sf. סַרְנֵיכֶם 1 S 6:4;—only of tyrants, lords of the Philistines, five in no. Ju 3:3 Jos 13:3 (D), 1 S 6:16, 18 cf. v 4, i.e. appar., one ruling each of the five cities (named 1 S 6:17); without the numeral Ju 16:5 + 6 times Ju 16, 1 S 5:8 + 7 times 1 S, + 1 Ch 12:20 (Baer Ginsb; v 19 van d. H.).