H7983 H7983
Rule, dominion, mastery; authority exercised over something or someone
A noun meaning rule, dominion, or mastery, appearing twice in Ecclesiastes. In 8:4, it describes the king's authoritative word, which carries 'rule' or 'power.' In 8:8, the word appears in the famous declaration that no one has 'mastery over the spirit' to retain it, nor power over the day of death. The multilingual evidence consistently points to rule, dominion, or power, and the contexts link it to ultimate authority—whether royal or divine. Qoheleth uses this term to explore the limits of human control: kings wield dominion in their sphere, but death mocks all earthly mastery.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both uses in Ecclesiastes concern the boundaries of authority. The king's word has dominion in the political realm, but even kings lack mastery over life and death. The Spanish 'dominio' and 'poder,' along with English 'rule,' capture the term's focus on effective control and authority. Qoheleth's point is sharp: human dominion is real but radically limited. The word choice underscores the paradox of power—vast in one sphere, impotent in another. 2×
AR["سُلْطَانٌ", "وَلَيْسَ"]·ben["কর্তৃত্ব"]·DE["[שלטון]"]·EN["rule"]·FR["domination"]·heb["שלטון"]·HI["अधिकार"]·ID["berkuasa", "kuasa"]·IT["rule"]·jav["panguwasa", "peprentahan"]·KO["권세", "통치"]·PT["domínio", "é-autoridade"]·RU["власти", "власть;"]·ES["dominio", "poder"]·SW["lina-mamlaka", "mamlaka"]·TR["yetki", "yetkidir"]·urd["اختیار"]
Related Senses
G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)H8198 1. maidservant, female slave (63×)G2962 2. master, lord (human authority) (61×)H0034 1. needy, poor, destitute (61×)H0519 1. female servant, maidservant (56×)H6041 1. poor, needy person (55×)H0113 2. master, owner of servants (49×)H4910 1. Qal: to have dominion, exercise power over (44×)H1800 1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) (38×)H3515 1. heavy, severe, grievous (36×)G4434 1. (34×)G5092 1. honor, esteem, respect (33×)H6485a 4. Qal: visit, attend to, care for (32×)H3513 1. honor / show respect (Piel) (30×)H4910 2. Qal: to rule, govern (administrative authority) (27×)H4513 1. withhold, restrain, hold back (25×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שִׁלְטוֹן n.[m.] mastery (LagBN 199);—Ec 8:4, 8 (c. בְּ).