Governor

Share

PREVIOUS Governments NEXT Gozan
Governor [S]

  • Heb. nagid, a prominent, conspicuous person, whatever his capacity: as, chief of the royal palace ( 2 Chronicles 28:7 ; Compare 1 Kings 4:6 ), chief of the temple ( 1 Chronicles 9:11 ; Jeremiah 20:1 ), the leader of the Aaronites ( 1 Chronicles 12:27 ), keeper of the sacred treasury ( 26:24 ), captain of the army ( 13:1 ), the king ( 1 Samuel 9:16 ), the Messiah ( Daniel 9:25 ).

  • Heb. nasi, raised; exalted. Used to denote the chiefs of families ( Numbers 3:24 Numbers 3:30 Numbers 3:32 Numbers 3:35 ); also of tribes ( 2:3 ; 7:2 ; 3:32 ). These dignities appear to have been elective, not hereditary.

  • Heb. pakid, an officer or magistrate. It is used of the delegate of the high priest ( 2 Chronicles 24:11 ), the Levites ( Nehemiah 11:22 ), a military commander ( 2 Kings 25:19 ), Joseph's officers in Egypt ( Genesis 41:34 ).

  • Heb. shallit, one who has power, who rules ( Genesis 42:6 ; Ezra 4:20 ; Eccl 8:8 ; Daniel 2:15 ; 5:29 ).

  • Heb. aluph, literally one put over a thousand, i.e., a clan or a subdivision of a tribe. Used of the "dukes" of Edom ( Genesis 36 ), and of the Jewish chiefs ( Zechariah 9:7 ).

  • Heb. moshel, one who rules, holds dominion. Used of many classes of rulers ( Genesis 3:16 ; 24:2 ; 45:8 ; Psalms 105:20 ); of the Messiah ( Micah 5:2 ); of God ( 1 Chronicles 29:12 ; Psalms 103:19 ).

  • Heb. sar, a ruler or chief; a word of very general use. It is used of the chief baker of Pharaoh ( Genesis 40:16 ); of the chief butler ( 40:2 , etc. See also Genesis 47:6 ; Exodus 1:11 ; Daniel 1:7 ; Judges 10:18 ; 1 Kings 22:26 ; 20:15 ; 2 Kings 1:9 ; 2 Sam 24:2 ). It is used also of angels, guardian angels ( Daniel 10:13 Daniel 10:20 Daniel 10:21 ; 12:1 ; 10:13 ; 8:25 ).

  • Pehah, whence pasha , i.e., friend of the king; adjutant; governor of a province ( 2 Kings 18:24 ; Isaiah 36:9 ; Jeremiah 51: : 57 ; Ezekiel 23:6 Ezekiel 23:23 ; Daniel 3:2 ; Esther 3: : 12 ), or a perfect ( Nehemiah 3:7 ; 5:14 ; Ezra 5:3 ; Haggai 1:1 ). This is a foreign word, Assyrian, which was early adopted into the Hebrew idiom ( 1 Kings 10:15 ).

  • The Chaldean word segan is applied to the governors of the Babylonian satrapies ( Daniel 3:2 Daniel 3:27 ; 6:7 ); the prefects over the Magi ( 2:48 ). The corresponding Hebrew word segan is used of provincial rulers ( Jeremiah 51:23 Jeremiah 51:28 Jeremiah 51:57 ); also of chiefs and rulers of the people of Jerusalem ( Ezra 9:2 ; Nehemiah 2:16 ; Nehemiah 4:14 Nehemiah 4:19 ; Nehemiah 5:7 Nehemiah 5:17 ; 7:5 ; 12:40 ).

    In the New Testament there are also different Greek words rendered thus.

  • Meaning an ethnarch ( 2 Corinthians 11:32 ), which was an office distinct from military command, with considerable latitude of application.

  • The procurator of Judea under the Romans ( Matthew 27:2 ). (Compare Luke 2:2 , where the verb from which the Greek word so rendered is derived is used.)

  • Steward ( Galatians 4:2 ).

  • Governor of the feast ( John 2:9 ), who appears here to have been merely an intimate friend of the bridegroom, and to have presided at the marriage banquet in his stead.

  • A director, i.e., helmsman; Lat. gubernator, ( James 3:4 ).

    These dictionary topics are from
    M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
    published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.
    [S] indicates this entry was also found in Smith's Bible Dictionary
    Bibliography Information

    Easton, Matthew George. "Entry for Governor". "Easton's Bible Dictionary". .
    • PREVIOUS Governments NEXT Gozan