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 Context

The 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 Responsibilities

Prefects 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 Narrative

The 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.

Conclusion

The 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.5460. segan -- a prefect
... 5459, 5460. segan. 5461 . a prefect. Transliteration: segan Phonetic
Spelling: (seg-an') Short Definition: prefects. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/5460.htm - 6k

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. ...
/hebrew/5461.htm - 6k

Letter cxliv. To the Prefects' Officer.
... TOU AGIOU BAChILEIOU PERI TOU PNEUMATOCh BIBLION. Letter CXLIV. To the prefects'
officer. You know the bearer from meeting him in the town. ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter cxliv to the prefects.htm

Letter cxlii. To the Prefects' Accountant.
... TOU AGIOU BAChILEIOU PERI TOU PNEUMATOCh BIBLION. Letter CXLII. To the prefects'
accountant. I assembled all my brethren the chorepiscopi ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter cxlii to the prefects.htm

"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 or prefects, but also to ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter xxv for if it.htm

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 four prefects of the pr??torium, which they had ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of scholasticus/chapter ix the body of paul.htm

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 ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xix his second suggestion.htm

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 the prefects, [2964] when ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pamphilius/church history/chapter vi name of an.htm

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 which prefects brought necessary ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the history of solomon.htm

Basil: Letters and Select Works
... Letter CXLI. To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata. Letter CXLII. To the prefects' accountant.
Letter CXLIII. ... Letter CXLIV. To the prefects' officer. Letter CXLV. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/basil/basil letters and select works/

Here Next Followeth the History of Moses
... Therefore he commanded the same day to the prefects and masters of their works saying:
In no wise give no more chaff to the people for to make loam and clay ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here next followeth the history.htm

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 the prefects. ...
/.../tertullian/the chaplet or de corona/chapter i very lately it.htm

Prefects (18 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Prefects (18 Occurrences). Nehemiah 2:16 And
the prefects have not known whither I have gone, and what ...
/p/prefects.htm - 12k

Freemen (17 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 2:16 And the prefects 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 ...
/f/freemen.htm - 12k

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 ...
/j/justices.htm - 7k

Magistrates (18 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:2 and Nebuchadnezzar the king hath sent to gather the satraps, the prefects,
and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors ...
/m/magistrates.htm - 12k

Provincial (7 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:2 and Nebuchadnezzar the king hath sent to gather the satraps, the prefects,
and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors ...
/p/provincial.htm - 9k

Roman (26 Occurrences)
... The praetorian prefects (praefecti praetorii), of whom there were usually two, were
commanders of the entire garrison of the capital, and stood at the highest ...
/r/roman.htm - 101k

Hitherto (34 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 2:16 And the prefects 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 ...
/h/hitherto.htm - 19k

Nebuchadnez'zar (55 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:2 and Nebuchadnezzar the king hath sent to gather the satraps, the prefects,
and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors ...
/n/nebuchadnez'zar.htm - 24k

Strive (64 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 5:7 and my heart reigneth over me, and I strive with the freemen, and with
the prefects, and say to them, 'Usury one upon another ye are exacting ...
/s/strive.htm - 25k

Prefer (10 Occurrences)

/p/prefer.htm - 10k

Who were the satraps in the book of Daniel? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Herod Agrippa I? | GotQuestions.org

Where was Daniel when his three friends were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar's statue? | GotQuestions.org

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