H7980 H7980
To rule, have dominion, exercise authority over; in Hifil, to empower or grant authority to another
A late Hebrew verb meaning to exercise ruling power or mastery over others. In Esther 9:1 it carries dramatic irony — the very day enemies expected to dominate the Jews, the Jews instead became masters over those who hated them. Ecclesiastes uses it repeatedly to explore the bitter irony of human authority: one person rules over another to their hurt (8:9), and a person who labors wisely may see their wealth ruled by a fool (2:19). The Hifil causative adds the dimension of God granting or withholding the power to enjoy what one has (Eccl 5:19; 6:2).
Senses
1. to rule, have dominion (Qal) — The Qal stem sense of exercising dominion, ruling, or lording it over others. Nehemiah 5:15 rebukes former governors who 'lorded it over' the people; Esther 9:1 uses it twice for the dramatic reversal where the Jews gained mastery over their enemies. Ecclesiastes probes the futility of such rule — one person dominates another to their own harm (8:9). The Arabic cognate saluta ('overcome, prevail') and Aramaic shlat preserve the same semantic core of authoritative control. 6×
AR["أَنْ‒يَتَسَلَّطُوا", "تَسَلَّطوا", "تَسَلَّطَ", "وَيَتَسَلَّطُ", "يَتَسَلَّطْ-"]·ben["-শাসন-করতে", "এবং-শাসন-করবে", "কর্তৃত্ব-করেছিল", "তুমি-শাসন-করিও-", "শাসন-করবে", "শাসন-করে"]·DE["[וישלט]", "[ישלטו]", "[לשלוט]", "[שלט]", "[שלטו]", "lass-herrschen"]·EN["and-he-will-rule", "let-rule", "ruled", "rules", "to-rule", "would-rule"]·FR["[ישלטו]", "[לשלוט]", "[שלטו]", "dominer", "et-dominer"]·heb["ו-ישלוט", "ישלטו", "ל-שלוט", "שלט", "שלטו", "תשלט"]·HI["और-वह-अधिकारी-होगा", "काबू-करने", "काबू-किया", "राज-करते-थे", "शासन-करता-है"]·ID["berkuasa", "biarkan-menguasai", "dan-dia-menguasai", "menguasai", "untuk-menguasai"]·IT["[ישלטו]", "[לשלוט]", "[שלטו]", "[תשלט]", "e-e-egli-will-rule", "rules"]·jav["kanggé-nguwaosi", "lan-badhé-nguwaosi", "mrentah-", "nguwaosi", "ngwasani"]·KO["그리고-다스릴-것이다", "다스렸다", "다스리도록", "지배하지-말게-하소서-나-를", "지배했다"]·PT["dominaram", "dominariam", "e-governará", "governou", "para-dominar", "se-assenhoreia"]·RU["И-будет-властвовать", "властвовали", "властвует", "господствовали", "господствовать", "дай-господствовать-"]·ES["domina", "dominar", "dominaron", "se-enseñoreaban", "se-enseñoree", "y-dominará"]·SW["anatawala", "kutawala", "na-atatawala", "usikubali-kutawala", "walitawala", "waliwatawala"]·TR["egemen-kılma-", "egemen-olacaklardı", "egemen-olmak-için-", "hakim-olur", "ve-sahip-olacak", "zorbalık-ettiler"]·urd["اور-حکمرانی-کرے-گا", "حکومت-کرتا-ہے", "حکومت-کرنا", "حکومت-کریں", "حکومت-کی", "غالب-ہو"]
2. to empower, give authority (Hifil) — The Hifil (causative) stem sense: to cause someone to rule, that is, to empower or grant authority. Both occurrences appear in Ecclesiastes' theological reflection on divine sovereignty — God gives wealth but may not empower the person to enjoy it (Eccl 6:2), or alternatively does empower enjoyment as a gift (5:19). Spanish 'le da poder' and Hindi 'adhikar dena' capture the causative nuance of bestowing ruling power upon another. 2×
AR["يُسَلِّطُهُ", "يُشْغِلُهُ"]·ben["এবং-সমর্থ-করেছেন-তাকে", "সমর্থ-করেন-তাকে"]·DE["[והשליטו]", "[ישליטנו]"]·EN["and-empowered-him", "empowers-him"]·FR["dominer", "et-dominer-lui"]·heb["ו-השליטו", "ישליטנו"]·HI["अधिकार-देता-है-उसे", "और-उसे-अधिकार-दिया-है"]·ID["Allah-memberi-kuasa-kepadanya", "dan-membuat-dia-mampu"]·IT["e-e-empowered-lui-suo", "empowers-lui"]·jav["Gusti-Allah-nguwaosi-piyambakipun", "lan-panjenenganipun-nguwaosi-piyambakipun"]·KO["그리고-다스리게-하셨다-그를", "다스리게-한다-그를"]·PT["e-o-capacitou", "o-capacita"]·RU["даёт-власть-ему", "и-дал-власть-ему"]·ES["le-da-poder", "y-le-dio-poder"]·SW["kumwezesha", "na-amemwezesha"]·TR["ve-yetkilendirdi-onu", "yetkili-kildi-onu"]·urd["اور-اختیار-دیا-ہے-اسے", "دیتا-ہے-اُسے-اختیار"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. שָׁלַט vb. domineer, be master of (late) (NH id.; Assyrian šalâṭu, have power; Arabic سَلُطَ overcome, prevail; سَلِيطٌ strong, hard, سُلْطَانٌ dominion, also ruler, sultan; Ethiopic ሠለጠ: Aramaic שְׁלַט, ܫܠܰܛ (especially der. spec.), Nab. שלט, שלטון);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. שׁ׳ Ec 8:9, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִשְׁלַט Ec 2:19, etc.; Inf. cstr. שְׁלוֹט Est 9:1;—domineer, lord it over, עַל pers., Ne 5:15; ב…