שַׂר420 H8269
Chief, ruler, prince, official, captain; a person of authority or rank in civil, military, or royal administration.
Sar is the Hebrew Bible's workhorse noun for anyone wielding delegated authority. It can refer to a tribal chieftain leading Israel through the wilderness (Num 21:18), to Pharaoh's courtiers (Gen 12:15), to a military captain commanding thousands or hundreds (Exod 18:21), or to a governor ruling a province. The word's flexibility is visible across languages: Spanish toggles between principe, jefe, and capitan depending on context, while Korean shifts from 방백 (governor) to 지휘관 (military commander) to 신하 (court official). In its most exalted uses, sar reaches toward angelic authority — Daniel's 'Michael, your prince' (Dan 10:21) — showing how the same root that describes a baker's supervisor in Genesis can denote a cosmic guardian in apocalyptic vision.
Senses
1. prince, noble, official — The broad default sense covering persons of high rank, authority, or social standing in political or royal contexts: princes, nobles, court officials, tribal chiefs, and foreign dignitaries. At 297 occurrences this is overwhelmingly the dominant usage, appearing from the princes of Moab who report to Balak (Num 22:8-21) to the officials of Judah condemned by the prophets (Isa 1:23; Jer 34:10). Spanish principe and German Furst capture the aristocratic register, while Arabic amir parallels the Semitic semantic range of delegated rulership almost exactly. 297×
AR["رُؤَساءُ", "رُؤَساءِ", "رُؤَسَاءَ", "رُؤَسَاءَ-", "رُؤَسَاءُ", "رُؤَسَاءِ"]·ben["অধ্যক্ষরা", "সরদারদের", "সরদাররা", "সর্দারদের", "সর্দাররা", "সর্দারেরা", "সেনাপতিদের", "সেনাপতিদের-", "সেনাপতিরা"]·DE["Fuersten-von"]·EN["captains-of", "commanders-of", "princes-of", "princes-of-", "the-commanders-of", "the-heads-of"]·FR["chef"]·heb["שר"]·HI["-प्रधानों", "-प्रधानों-को", "उन्हें", "किया", "प्रधान-", "सरदार", "सरदारों", "सरदारों-के", "सरदारों-ने", "सरदारोंके-"]·ID["-para-pemimpin", "-pemimpin-pemimpin", "panglima-panglima", "para-pemimpin", "pembesar-pembesar", "pembesar-pembesar-", "pemimpin-pemimpin", "pengawal-"]·IT["capo"]·jav["pangageng-pangageng", "pangageng-pangageng-", "para-pangageng", "para-pangageng-", "sénapati-"]·KO["장관들", "장관들-의", "장관들-이", "장관들이", "지도자들", "지휘관들-의"]·PT["chefes-de", "comandantes-de", "príncipes-de", "príncipes-de-"]·RU["князей", "князья", "князьями-", "начальникам", "начальниками", "начальники", "начальники-", "начальников"]·ES["jefes-de", "príncipes-de"]·SW["wakuu-wa"]·TR["komutanları", "komutanlarına", "komutanlarını", "komutanlarının", "önderleri", "önderleri-", "önderlerine", "önderlerini"]·urd["سردار", "سرداروں", "سرداروں-نے", "سرداروں-کو"]
2. chief of a specific office — Head or chief of a specific office or household department, used characteristically in the construct chain sar ha-X. The classic examples are Joseph-cycle titles: sar ha-tabbachim ('chief of the guard,' Gen 37:36), sar ha-mashqim ('chief cupbearer,' Gen 40:2), sar ha-ofim ('chief baker,' Gen 40:2). This construct-state pattern — appearing 85 times — creates functional title compounds that behave like English 'chief-of-X.' Korean renders these with the suffix -장 (jang, 'head of'), and Spanish uses jefe de, both confirming a lexicalized title-forming pattern distinct from the general 'prince/noble' sense. 85×
AR["رَئيسَ-", "رَئيسُ", "رَئيسُ-", "رَئِيسَ-", "رَئِيسُ", "رَئِيسِ", "رَئِيسِ-"]·ben["সর্দার", "সর্দার-", "সেনাপতি", "সেনাপতি-"]·DE["-der-Befehlshaber-von", "Befehlshaber-von", "Befehlshaber-von-", "der-Oberste-"]·EN["-the-commander-of", "commander-of", "commander-of-", "the-commander-of"]·FR["-le-commander-de", "commandant-de", "commandant-de-", "commander-de", "le-commander-de"]·heb["שר", "שר-"]·HI["प्रधान", "सरदअर", "सरदअर-", "सरदार", "सेनापति", "सेनापति-", "सेनापति-ने"]·ID["panglima", "panglima-", "pemimpin"]·IT["-il-commander-di", "comandante-di", "comandante-di-", "commander-di", "il-commander-di"]·jav["pangageng", "pangageng-", "panglima", "panglima-", "senapati-", "sénapati-"]·KO["장", "장-", "장관", "장관-", "장관-의", "장관-인", "장관의", "장관이", "장관이다"]·PT["chefe-de", "chefe-de-", "comandante-de", "comandante-de-", "príncipe-de"]·RU["князя", "начальник", "начальник-", "начальника", "начальника-", "начальником-", "начальнику", "начальнику-", "тысячником-"]·ES["jefe-de", "jefe-de-", "príncipe-de"]·SW["jemadari-wa-", "jeshi", "mkuu-wa", "mkuu-wa-", "mtawala", "mwana-wa"]·TR["komutan", "komutan-", "komutanı", "komutanı-", "komutanına", "komutanını-"]·urd["سردار", "سردار-"]
3. military captain, commander — A military leader or army officer: captain, commander — specifically one exercising authority over troops or military operations. Found 35 times, especially in the Mosaic organization of Israel (Exod 18:21-25 'commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens') and in the conquest-era battle narratives. Arabic qaid ('military commander'), Hindi senapati ('army chief'), and Swahili jemadari ('military officer') all select dedicated martial vocabulary here rather than generic 'ruler' words, confirming a distinct semantic profile from the courtier sense. 35×
AR["رَئِيسَ", "رَئِيسَ-", "رَئِيسُ-", "رَئِيسِ", "وَ-رُؤَساءَ", "وَ-رُؤَسَاءَ", "وَ-رُؤَسَاءُ", "وَرُؤَسَاءُ", "وَرُؤَسَاءِ"]·ben["এবং-অধ্যক্ষদের", "এবং-নায়কদের", "এবং-নেতাদের", "এবং-নেতারা", "এবং-সরদার", "এবং-সর্দার", "এবং-সর্দারেরা", "এবং-সেনাপতি", "এবং-সেনাপতিরা", "সেনাপতি", "সেনাপতির"]·DE["Befehlshaber-von", "Hauptmann-von", "und-Befehlshaber-von", "und-captains-von", "und-commanders-von", "und-rulers-von"]·EN["and-captains-of", "and-commanders-of", "and-rulers-of", "captain-of", "commander-of"]·FR["capitaine-de", "commandant-de", "et-captains-de", "et-chefs-de", "et-commandants-de"]·heb["ו-שרי", "וְ-שָׂרֵי", "שר"]·HI["और-प्रधान", "और-सर", "और-सरदअर", "और-सरदार", "और-सरदारों-के", "प्रधान", "सर"]·ID["dan-kepala-kepala", "dan-panglima-panglima", "dan-para-panglima", "dan-pemimpin", "dan-pemimpin-pemimpin", "kepala-pasukan", "panglima"]·IT["capitano-di", "comandante-di", "e-capitani-di", "e-comandanti-di", "e-rulers-di"]·jav["lan-komandhan-", "lan-pangageng", "lan-pangageng-", "lan-pangageng-pangageng", "lan-pangarsaning", "lan-para-pangageng", "lan-para-sénapati", "pangarsaning", "sénapati"]·KO["그리고-장관들", "그리고-장관들-이", "그리고-장관들로", "그리고-장관들을", "그리고-장관들이", "그리고-장들", "그리고-장들로", "그리고-지휘관들-로", "장관"]·PT["chefe-de", "e-chefes-de"]·RU["-начальнику", "и-начальниками", "и-начальники", "и-начальников", "начальник-", "начальника", "начальника-"]·ES["capitán-de", "el-capitán-de", "jefe-de", "y-jefes-de", "y-jefes-de-"]·SW["mkubwa", "mkuu-wa", "mkuu-wa-", "na-viongozi-wa", "na-wakuu", "na-wakuu-wa", "na-wakuu-wa-"]·TR["komutan", "komutan-", "komutanı", "ve-komutanlar", "ve-komutanları", "ve-komutanlarına", "ve-komutanlarını", "ve-reisler", "ve-önderleri-"]·urd["اور-سردار", "اور-سرداروں", "سردار"]
Exod 18:21, Exod 18:25, Num 31:14, Num 31:48, Deut 1:15, Deut 1:15, Deut 1:15, Judg 4:2, 1 Sam 8:12, 1 Sam 17:18, 1 Sam 22:2, 1 Sam 22:7 (+23 more)
4. ruler, governor — A territorial or political ruler exercising governing authority over a region, city, or people — governor, overlord, regent. Only 4 clear occurrences, but contextually distinct: Moses is challenged 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?' (Exod 2:14); the 'rulers' of Samaria are addressed as political governors (2 Kgs 10:1); Daniel's 'prince of Persia' (Dan 10:13) is a cosmic territorial overlord. Korean renders these with 통치자 (ruler/governor) and Hindi with hakim (governor), both using executive-governance vocabulary rather than military or courtly terms. 4×
AR["رَئِيسًا", "رُؤَساؤُها", "رُؤَسَاءِ", "وَ-رَئِيسُ"]·ben["এবং-অধ্যক্ষ", "তার-শাসক", "সর্দার", "সেনাপতিদের"]·DE["Fuerst", "Herrscher", "Herrscher-von", "und-Fuerst"]·EN["and-prince-of", "its-rulers", "ruler", "rulers-of"]·FR["chef", "chefs-de", "et-prince", "sa-prince-elle"]·heb["ו-שר", "שר", "שרי", "שריה"]·HI["उसके-हाकिम", "और-सरदार", "सरदार", "सारे"]·ID["-pembesar-pembesar", "Dan-penghulu", "pemimpin", "pemimpinnya"]·IT["e-principe", "governanti-di", "governatore", "principe-sua"]·jav["lan-pangageng-ipun", "pangageng", "pangagengipun", "para-pangageng"]·KO["그-통치자들이", "그리고-장관이", "에게-남자로", "통치자들"]·PT["E-o-príncipe-do", "chefe", "príncipes-de", "príncipes-seus"]·RU["И-князь", "властителей-её", "начальникам", "начальником"]·ES["Y-príncipe-de", "jefes-de", "príncipe", "sus-príncipes"]·SW["mkuu", "na-mkuu-wa", "viongozi-wake", "wakuu-wa"]·TR["başkan", "ve-prensi", "yöneticileri", "önderlerine"]·urd["اور-سردار", "سردار", "سردار-اُس-کے", "سرداروں-کے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
שַׂר420 n.m. chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince (NH especially of angels; Assyrian šarru, king);—abs. שַׂר 2 S 3:38 +, הַשַּׂר Mi 7:3 +, שָׂ֑ר Ho 3:4 +; cstr. שַׂר Ju 4:2 +; sf. שַׂרְכֶם Dn 10:21; pl. שָׂרִים 1 K 4:2 +; cstr. שָׂרֵי Gn 12:15 +; sf. שָׂרַי Ju 5:15; Is 10:8, שָׂרֵיכֶם Je 44:21, שָׂרֵיהֶם Is 3:4 +;— 1. chieftain, leader: a. pl. of Isr. Nu 21:18 (poem in JE; ‖ נְדִיב…