---
title: סָגָן — prefect · The Tanakh dictionary
description: סָגָן (5461), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 17 times: prefect. BDB 1906: n.m. prefect, ruler. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/5461.html)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/) / [ס](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1505.md)‎ / סָגָן‎

<!-- .hw dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
# סָגָן

<!-- .meta -->
«סָגָן» in the Tanakh dictionary: **prefect** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Used:** 17 times · **Key:** 5461 · **BDB:** סָגָן

### Glosses

officials (16); the.officials (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

prefect [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1505/5461/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. prefect, ruler [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1505/5461/#m2)

<!-- fold -->
**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. prefect, ruler (loan-word from Assyrian šaknu, prefect of conquered city or province (√ šakânu, set, appoint) DlHWB 659, cf. SchrCOT Is 41:25; appar. = NH סָגָן, סֶגֶן, Aramaic סִגְנָא a superior (not high) priest; Mand. אשגאנדא WBrandtMand. Schriften 169 a candidate for priesthood; cf. Jen in Brandtib.; hence perhaps Gk. ζωγάνης, cf. LewyFremdw. 129);—only pl. סְגָנִים Ez 23:6 + 14 times; sf. סְגָנֶיהָ Je 51:57 + v 58 (where read prob. סְגָנָיו 𝔊 Gie);— prefects of Assyr. and Bab. Ez 23:6, 12, 23 Je 51:23, 57 (all + פַּחוֹת), Is 41:25, of king of Medes Je 51:28 (+ פַּחוֹת). petty rulers, officials of Judah (only Ne Ezr in sources): disting. from חֹרִים nobles Ne 2:16; 4:8, 13; 5:7, 7:5; alone, 2:16; 12:40; 13:11; + יְהוּדִים 5:17 (v. also 2:16); + שָׂרִים Ezr 9:2. Cf. Biblical Aramaic סְגַן.

<!-- .note -->
Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 16 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «סָגָן» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1505/5461/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

<!-- div verse -->

<!-- .ref -->
[Ezekiel 23:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/EZK.23.6/)

<!-- .vt dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
לְבֻשֵׁ֤י תְכֵ֙לֶת֙ פַּח֣וֹת וּסְגָנִ֔ים בַּח֥וּרֵי חֶ֖מֶד כֻּלָּ֑ם פָּרָשִׁ֕ים רֹכְבֵ֖י סוּסִֽים׃

*Word for word:* clothed of.blue governors and officials young.men of.desire of.them all horsemen \[who\].rode of.horses

*JPS 1917:* clothed with blue, governors and rulers, handsome young men all of them, horsemen riding upon horses.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- div verse -->

<!-- .ref -->
[Nehemiah 12:40](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/NEH.12.40/)

<!-- .vt dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֛דְנָה שְׁתֵּ֥י הַתּוֹדֹ֖ת בְּבֵ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַאֲנִ֕י וַחֲצִ֥י הַסְּגָנִ֖ים עִמִּֽי׃

*Word for word:* and they.took.their.stand the.two the.thanksgiving choirs in the.house of.(the) God and I and.(the) half of the.officials with me

*JPS 1917:* So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me;

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [סְגֻלָּה](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/5459.md)
- next →: [סָגַר](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/5462.md)
- ↑ back to [ס](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1505.md)