Aramaic word · H7985

שׇׁלְטָן

shaltan

dominion

Rule, authority, the power to command and govern. It can also mean the sphere ruled, and in the plural the rulers or powers themselves (7:27, 'all dominions'). It is related to Arabic sulṭān ('sultan') and to the late Hebrew šilṭôn ('authority', Ecclesiastes 8:4, 8).

A Biblical Aramaic word, from the parts of the Old Testament written in Aramaic. Why Aramaic?

Appears 14 times in 9 verses of the Aramaic of the Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) dominion, sovereignty

1a) dominion, sovereignty

1b) realm

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Daniel 7:14

Range of meaning

Rule, authority, the power to command and govern. It can also mean the sphere ruled, and in the plural the rulers or powers themselves (7:27, 'all dominions'). It is related to Arabic sulṭān ('sultan') and to the late Hebrew šilṭôn ('authority', Ecclesiastes 8:4, 8).

Against the English

'Dominion' (KJV, BSB, ESV, WEB) is accurate but old-fashioned. NIV's 'authority' captures the legal, granted nature of the power. No major version distorts it.

Used elsewhere in the period

Common in Imperial Aramaic and in Daniel (3:33; 4:31; 6:27; 7:6, 12, 14, 26, 27). The Old Greek renders it exousia ('authority'), the word Jesus uses in Matthew 28:18: 'all authority has been given to me'. Theodotion's Greek uses archē ('rule').

From the study of Daniel 4:3

Range of meaning

Dominion, sovereignty, authority to rule; by extension the realm under that authority. It comes from the root š-l-ṭ, "to have power over, to rule."

Against the English

"Dominion" (most versions) is accurate. NLT's "rule" is plainer and also accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

Found in Dan 3:33; 4:31 (Eng 4:34); 6:27; 7:6, 12, 14, 26, 27. The later Arabic word sulṭān ("sultan") comes from the same Semitic root.

From the study of Daniel 4:34

Range of meaning

Dominion, authority, the power to rule. Also the realm or jurisdiction where that power is exercised. Related to the verb shelet, 'to have power, rule', and the adjective shallit, 'ruler, ruling'. The Arabic title sultan comes from the same Semitic root.

Against the English

'Dominion' is used across the versions and is accurate, if somewhat formal. It means real governing power, not just honor.

Used elsewhere in the period

'The Most High rules (shallit) over the kingdom of men' (4:17, 25, 32). 'His dominion is an everlasting dominion' (3:33/4:3; 7:14). In 6:26 Darius issues a decree throughout 'all the dominion of my kingdom'.

Where it appears

Daniel · 14

  1. Daniel 4:3 וְשָׁלְטָנֵ֖הּ and dominion his

    How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.

    Here: "And his dominion": the authority and power to rule. It is a parallel to "kingship," adding the idea of actually exercising control. The word comes from the same root as the later title "sultan."

  2. Daniel 4:22 וְשָׁלְטָנָ֖ךְ and dominion your

    you, O king, are that tree! For you have become great and strong; your greatness has grown to reach the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.

  3. Daniel 4:34 שָׁלְטָנֵהּ֙ שָׁלְטָ֣ן dominion his, [is] a dominion of

    But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

    Here: 'His dominion', his actual power to rule. It picks up 'the Most High rules (shallit)' from 4:17, 25, 32.

  4. Daniel 6:26 שָׁלְטָ֣ן וְשָׁלְטָנֵ֖הּ [the] dominion of, and dominion his

    I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion will never end.

    Here: "The dominion of my kingdom": every land where Darius actually rules. The same word comes back at the end of the verse for God's dominion, which sets the two side by side.

  5. Daniel 7:6 וְשָׁלְטָ֖ן and dominion

    Next, as I watched, suddenly another beast appeared. It was like a leopard, and on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

  6. Daniel 7:12 שָׁלְטָנְה֑וֹן dominion their

    As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was removed, but they were granted an extension of life for a season and a time.

  7. Daniel 7:14 שָׁלְטָן֙ שָׁלְטָנֵ֞הּ שָׁלְטָ֤ן dominion, dominion his, [was] a dominion of

    And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

    Here: The authority to command and govern. This is the key word of Daniel 7. It is given to the beasts, taken from them, and now given permanently to this figure.

  8. Daniel 7:26 וְשָׁלְטָנֵ֣הּ and dominion his

    But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away and completely destroyed forever.

    Here: "And his dominion": the ruling power of the arrogant king, the little horn of 7:8, 20–21, 24–25. It is the key word of the chapter, the thing passed from beast to beast and in the end given to the one like a son of man and to the holy ones.

  9. Daniel 7:27 וְשָׁלְטָנָ֜א שָׁלְטָ֣נַיָּ֔א and dominion the, empires the

    Then the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him.’

    Here: Ruling authority, the power to command. The same word that was taken from the little horn one verse earlier (7:26) and given to the 'one like a son of man' in 7:14.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.