Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the term "prefect" refers to a high-ranking official or governor appointed to oversee a specific region or administrative division. The role of a prefect is primarily associated with governance, administration, and the enforcement of laws and decrees. While the term "prefect" itself is not directly used in most English translations of the Bible, the concept is evident in various passages, particularly in the context of the Babylonian and Persian empires.
Old Testament ContextThe role of prefects is most prominently seen in the Book of Daniel, where they are mentioned as part of the administrative structure of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires. In
Daniel 3:2-3 , King Nebuchadnezzar summons various officials, including prefects, to the dedication of the golden statue he had set up: "Then King Nebuchadnezzar summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it."
In this passage, prefects are listed among the high-ranking officials, indicating their significant role in the governance of the empire. They were responsible for maintaining order and ensuring the king's decrees were implemented across the provinces.
Role and ResponsibilitiesPrefects were tasked with various administrative duties, including the collection of taxes, oversight of local governance, and the maintenance of law and order. They acted as intermediaries between the central authority of the king and the local populations, ensuring that the king's policies and laws were enforced throughout the empire.
In
Daniel 6:1-2 , during the reign of Darius the Mede, the administrative structure is further elaborated: "Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, and over them three administrators, including Daniel, to whom these satraps were accountable so that the king would not suffer loss." While the term "prefect" is not used here, the structure of governance, with layers of officials overseeing different regions, reflects the role prefects would have played in maintaining the king's interests.
Significance in Biblical NarrativeThe presence of prefects in the biblical narrative highlights the complex administrative systems of ancient empires and the challenges faced by God's people living under foreign rule. The account of Daniel and his companions, who served in the courts of Babylon and Persia, illustrates the tension between remaining faithful to God and fulfilling the duties required by their positions within these administrative structures.
Daniel's rise to a position of influence, despite the presence of other high-ranking officials such as prefects, demonstrates God's providence and the possibility of maintaining faithfulness in a foreign land. His account serves as an example of integrity and devotion to God, even when faced with the pressures of serving in a pagan government.
ConclusionThe concept of prefects in the Bible provides insight into the governance and administrative practices of ancient empires. While the term itself may not be frequently used, the role and function of prefects are evident in the biblical narrative, particularly in the context of the Babylonian and Persian empires. Through the accounts of figures like Daniel, the Bible illustrates the challenges and opportunities faced by God's people living under foreign rule, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness and integrity in all circumstances.
Strong's Hebrew
5460. segan -- a prefect... 5459, 5460. segan. 5461 . a prefect. Transliteration: segan Phonetic
Spelling: (seg-an') Short Definition:
prefects. Word Origin
...5461. sagan -- a prefect, ruler
... Word Origin of foreign origin Definition a prefect, ruler NASB Word Usage
officials (11),prefects (3), rulers (3). prince, ruler....
Library
Letter cxliv. To thePrefects' Officer.
... TOU AGIOU BAChILEIOU PERI TOU PNEUMATOCh BIBLION. Letter CXLIV. To theprefects'
officer. You know the bearer from meeting him in the town....
Letter cxlii. To thePrefects' Accountant.
... TOU AGIOU BAChILEIOU PERI TOU PNEUMATOCh BIBLION. Letter CXLII. To theprefects'
accountant. I assembled all my brethren the chorepiscopi...
"For, if it is Worthy of Admiration that the Flames did not Touch...
... that, although he often, while absent, cured those who were filled with unclean
spirits, and issued his commands not only to courtiers orprefects, but also to...
The Body of Paul, Bishop of Constantinople, is Honorably...
... Footnotes: [712] Constantine made an advance on his predecessors by dividing the
management of the empire among fourprefects of the pr??torium, which they had...
His Second Suggestion.
... For as there is one C??sar, and he has under him many judges,"for example,prefects,
consuls, tribunes, and other officers,"in like manner we think, that...
Copy of an Imperial Epistle in which Money is Granted to the...
... of shameful corruption, [2962] do thou know that I gave command to Anulinus, the
proconsul, and also to Patricius, [2963] vicar of theprefects, [2964] when...
The History of Solomon
... Solomon had forty thousand racks for the horses of his carts, chariots and cars,
and twelve thousand for horses to ride on, by whichprefects brought necessary...
Basil: Letters and Select Works
... Letter CXLI. To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata. Letter CXLII. To theprefects' accountant.
Letter CXLIII.... Letter CXLIV. To theprefects' officer. Letter CXLV....
Here Next Followeth the History of Moses
... Therefore he commanded the same day to theprefects and masters of their works saying:
In no wise give no more chaff to the people for to make loam and clay...
Very Lately it Happened Thus: While the Bounty of Our Most...
... boasting thyself in God. Then the case was considered and voted on; the matter was
remitted to a higher tribunal; the offender was conducted to theprefects....
Thesaurus
Prefects (18 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Prefects (18 Occurrences). Nehemiah 2:16 And
the
prefects have not known whither I have gone, and what
...Freemen (17 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 2:16 And theprefects have not known whither I have gone, and what I am
doing; and to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the freemen, and to the...
Justices (2 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:2 And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the
prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the...
Magistrates (18 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:2 and Nebuchadnezzar the king hath sent to gather the satraps, theprefects,
and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors...
Provincial (7 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:2 and Nebuchadnezzar the king hath sent to gather the satraps, theprefects,
and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors...
Roman (26 Occurrences)
... The praetorianprefects (praefecti praetorii), of whom there were usually two, were
commanders of the entire garrison of the capital, and stood at the highest...
Hitherto (34 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 2:16 And theprefects have not known whither I have gone, and what I am
doing; and to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the freemen, and to the...
Nebuchadnez'zar (55 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:2 and Nebuchadnezzar the king hath sent to gather the satraps, theprefects,
and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors...
Strive (64 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 5:7 and my heart reigneth over me, and I strive with the freemen, and with
theprefects, and say to them, 'Usury one upon another ye are exacting...
Prefer (10 Occurrences)
Resources
Who were the satraps in the book of Daniel? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Herod Agrippa I? | GotQuestions.orgWhere was Daniel when his three friends were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar's statue? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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