From sarar; a head person (of any rank or class) -- captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord, ((-task-))master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward.
see HEBREW sarar
H8269. sar
שַׂר420 noun masculine chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince (Late Hebrew especially of angels; Assyrian šarru, king); — absolute שַׂר 2 Samuel 3:38 +, הַשַּׂר Micah 7:3 +, שָׂ֑ר Hosea 3:4 +; construct שַׂר Judges 4:2 +; suffix שַׂרְכֶם Daniel 10:21; plural שָׂרִים 1 Kings 4:2 +; construct שָׂרֵי Genesis 12:15 +; suffix שָׂרַי Judges 5:15; Isaiah 10:8, שָׂרֵיכֶם Jeremiah 44:21, שָׂרֵיהֶם Isaiah 3:4 +; —
1 chieftain, leader:
a. plural of Israel Numbers 21:18 (poem in J E; "" הָעָם נְדִיֹב), of Issachar Judges 5:15 (poem); גִלְעָד שָׂרֵי 10:18 is dubious (we should expect ׳וְשׂ, and compare ג ׳זִקְנֵי, instead, 11:5-11); of Midian 7:25; 8:3; Philistines 1 Samuel 29:3 (twice in verse); 29:4 (twice in verse); 29:9; (apparently = סְרָנִים 29:2; 29:6; 29:7 [We], yet distinguished by HPS and [with reserve] Bu; ᵑ9 ᵑ6 ᵐ5 Th Bu strike out in 29:4 b), compare 18:30; in poetry, of כְּמוֺשׁ (i.e. the leading Moabites) Jeremiah 48:7, of מָלכם (q. v.; i.e. the leading Ammonites) Amos 1:15 = Jeremiah 49:3.
b. singular David as leader of freebooters 1 Samuel 22:2; compare ׳שׂ גְּדוּד 1 Kings 11:24, plural 2 Samuel 4:2.
2 vassal, noble, official, under king (acting, on occasion, as counselor, commander, etc.):
a. plural, in Egypt Genesis 12:15 (J) + 3 t. Is + 30:4 Di Du Skinner (>of foreign embassy [compare "" מַלְאָכָיו] Che and others reading [CheHeb.Hpt. Marti] שָׁשׂרִים), Psalm 105:22; Moab Numbers 22:8 8t. 22, 23 (JE), Amos 2:3; Edom Isaiah 34:12 ("" הֹרִים); Assyrian 10:8; 31:9; Babylonian 21:5 7t. Jeremiah + 2 Chronicles 32:31 (but here perhaps vaguely = authorities); other nations Jeremiah 49:38 17t. Ezra, Esther; in General Isaiah 49:7; officials, official class, under kings of Israel: David (only Chronicles) 1 Chronicles 22:17 5t. 1Chronicles; Ezra 8:20; Solomon 1 Kings 4:2; Jehoiachin 2 Kings 24:12, 14; Zedak. Jeremiah 34:21; 2 Chronicles 36:18; other kings 19 t. 2 Chronicles; in General Ecclesiastes 10:16-17, see also (Judah) Jeremiah 1:18 31t. Jeremiah (17:25 a strike out ׳שׂ Gf Che Gie Du), 4 t. Lamentations; Ezekiel 17:12; Zephaniah 1:8 (where distinguished from הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּנֵי, who are never called ׳שׂ); so, in General, Nehemiah 9:32, 34; Daniel 9:6, 8; and (Northern Israel) Hosea 3:4 6t. Hosea.
b. as having powers of magistrate (‡adi) Exodus 2:14 (E + שֹׁפֵט); under Moses (over groups of 1000, 100, 50, 10) 18:21 7t. 18 (E), Deuteronomy 1:15 (4 t. in verse); later in Judah Hosea 5:10 (Now reads תִשׁ ׳שָׂרֵי), Isaiah 1:23, compare 3:4, 14; 32:1; Micah 7:3 (singular; "" שֹׁפֵט), Zephaniah 3:3 ("" id.), Ezekiel 22:27, compare Proverbs 8:16 ("" נְדִיבִים); 28:2 read perhaps צָרֶיהָ, see Toy.
c. as ruler or magistrate of a district (מְרִינָה), 1 Kings 20:14-15, 17, 19; (compare Esther 1:3; 8:9; 9:3, וָעָם עַם שָׂרֵי 3:12).
d. as commandant of city, ׳שׂ הָעִיר Judges 9:30, compare 1 Kings 22:26 2 Chronicles 18:25; 2 Kings 23:8; 2 Chronicles 34:8; of citadel, ׳שׂ הַבִּירָה Nehemiah 7:2; plural of city officials ׳שׂ סֻכּוֺת Judges 8:6, 14 (distinguished from זְקֵנִים), compare 2 Kings 10:1; 2 Chronicles 29:20.
3 specifically military, = captain, General:
a. שַׂרֿ(ה)צבא Genesis 21:22, 32 (E), 26:26 (J), 1 Samuel 12:9 23t., + ׳יֿ׳צֿ׳שׂ Joshua 5:14-15, (J E; צָבָא
1b), angel-captain in vision; see also 8, 9; הַצּ ׳שָׂרֵי 1 Kings 1:25 3t. Chronicles, בַּצּ ׳שָׂרִים 1 Chronicles 12:22 (Gi Baer; van d. H. v.12:21); צְבָאוֺת שָׂרֵי Deuteronomy 20:9; 1 Kings 2:5; 1 Chronicles 27:3; שַׂרהַֿחַ֫יִל 2 Samuel 24:2 (but read וְאֶלשָֿׂרֵי as ᵐ5L and "" 1 Chronicles 21:2 Th We Dr HPS Bu), (הַ)ח ׳שָׂרֵי 21:4; 21:4; 2 Kings 9:5; 2 Chronicles 33:14; Nehemiah 2:9, הַחֲיָלִים שָׂרֵי 1 Kings 15:20 2 Chronicles 16:4; 2 Kings 25:23, 26; Jeremiah 40:7, 13 7t. Jeremiah; מִלְחָמוֺת שָׂרֵי2 Chronicles 32:6; so (ה)שׂר alone 2 Samuel 18:5; 19:7; 1 Kings 9:22 2 Chronicles 8:9 ᵐ5.:B Be Kit (וְשָׁלִישָׁיו שָׁרָיו, for שׁ ׳שָׂרֵי ᵑ0), 2 Kings 9:5 (twice in verse); 1 Chronicles 11:6, 21 9t., + Job 39:25; Daniel 11:5; ׳שׂ וְגָדוֺל 2 Samuel 3:38 (of Abner); possibly military figurative also in שָׁלוֺם שַׂר Isaiah 9:5 (Messianic name).
b. leading companies of 50 2 Kings 1:9-14 Isaiah 3:3, of 100 1 Samuel 22:7 16t. + 8:12 (reading מֵאוֺת for ᵐ5 חֲמִשִּׁים HPS, compare We; Bu insert מֵאוֺת שָׂרֵי), of 1000 17:18 11t., + וְהַמֵּאוֺת הָאֲלָפִים שָׂרֵי 1 Chronicles 13:1; 26:26 (distinguished from הַצָּבָא שָׂרֵי), 27:1; 29:6; 2 Chronicles 1:2; also ׳שׂ הָרֶכֶב captain of the chariotry 1 Kings 22:31-32, 33 2 Chronicles 18:30; 18:31; 18:32 3t. + ׳ר וּפָרָשָׁיו שָׂרֵי 1 Kings 9:22 2 Chronicles 8:9.
4. a. chief, head, of other official classes: הַטַּבָּחִים שַׂר, Egypt, Genesis 37:36 5t.; הָרָצִים שָׂרֵי 1 Kings 14:27 2 Chronicles 12:10; הַנִּצָּבִים שָׂרֵי 1 Kings 5:30; 1 Kings 9:23 2 Chronicles 8:10; even domestic positions (court of Pharaoh), הַמַּשְׁקִים שַׂר Genesis 40:2 5t., הָאוֺפוֺת שַׂר 40:2 4t. (all E); הַמּחְלְקוֺת שָׂרֵי 1 Chronicles 28:1, i.e. of the successive courses of royal military officials; compare הַשַּׂר 27:28; הַסָּרִיסִים שַׂר Daniel 1:7-8, 9, 10, 11, 18; מְנוּחָה שַׂר Jeremiah 51:59.
b. = overseer: הַסֹּהַר בֵּית שַׂר Genesis 39:21, 23, מִקְנֶה שָׂרֵי 47:6 (all J; compare הָרֹעִים אַבִּיר 1 Samuel 21:8), מִסִּים שָׂרֵי Exodus 1:11 (J); compare 1 Chronicles 15:27; 29:6; 27:31; 28:1. — In 15:22 read probably הַמַּשָּׂא סַר (= שַׂר) overseer of the carrying (for בַּמַּשָּׂא יָסֹר בְּמַשָּׂא ᵑ0), so ᵐ5 Benz Kit, Be יָסֹר = יָשׂר; see another view יָסַר
Qal. 5. of religious office: הַכֹּהֲנִים שָׂרֵי Ezra 8:24, 29; 10:5; 2 Chronicles 36:14; ׳שׂ הַלְוִיִּם 1 Chronicles 15:16, 22; 2 Chronicles 35:9, compare 1 Chronicles 15:5-6, 7, 8, 10 (twice in verse); heads of classes or courses of priests, called קֹרֶשׁ שָׂרֵי 24:5, ׳שׂ אֱלֹהִים 24:5; — ק ׳שָׂרֵי Isaiah 43:28 (usually consecrated princes, whether priests, or kings, or both) is probably corrupt, read perhaps שַׁעֲרֵי (Du) or ᵐ5 קָרְשִׁי שָׂרֶיךָ וַיְחַלְּלוּ Houb Klo CheHpt Gr (substantially).
6 late, of representative leaders of people, tribal heads, יִשׂ ׳שִׁבְטֵי ׳שׂ 1 Chronicles 27:22; 29:6, compare 28:1; apparently = elders, ׳שׂ הָעָם Ezekiel 11:1; 2 Chronicles 24:23; ׳שׂ alone, Psalm 68:28 (3 t. in verse); in post-exilic Jerusalem Ezra 9:1-2, Nehemiah 4:10; 10:1; 11:1 (הָעָם שָׂרֵי), + elders Ezra 10:8, 14; called יְהוּדָה שָׂרֵי Nehemiah 12:31-32, of district-rulers 3:9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19; of heads of families, הָאָבוֺת שָׂרֵי Ezra 8:29; 1 Chronicles 29:6 (= ׳הָא רָאשֵׁי 24:31; 27:1; Nehemiah 7:70).
7 late, as term of rank and dignity, Isaiah 23:8 (compare 'merchant- princes'), Job 3:15; 29:9 ("" נְגִירִים), 34:19; Psalm 45:17; 82:7; 148:11, opposed to עבד(יםׅ Proverbs 19:10; Ecclesiastes 10:7; formidable foes Psalm 119:23; 119:161.
8 = patron-angel, only Daniel: מָּרַס (מַלְכוּת) שַׂר Daniel 10:13, 20, ׳שׂ יָוָן 10:20; specifically of מִיכָאֵל 10:13, 21; 12:1
9 שַׂרהַֿצָּבָא Daniel 8:11 = God (probably, compare צָרָא 1c; yet see also ׳צ 1b), so שְׂרִים שַׂר 8:25.