Dictionaries :: Governor

Governor:

(1.) Heb. nagid, a prominent, conspicuous person, whatever his capacity; as, chief of the royal palace (2Ch 28:7; 1Ki 4:6), chief of the temple (1Ch 9:11; Jer 20:1), the leader of the Aaronites (1Ch 12:27), keeper of the sacred treasury (26:24), captain of the army (13:1), the king (1Sa 9:16), the Messiah (Dan 9:25).

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

(3.) Heb. pakid, an officer or magistrate. It is used of the delegate of the high priest (2Ch 24:11), the Levites (Neh 11:22), a military commander (2Ki 25:19), Joseph's officers in Egypt (Gen 41:34).

(4.) Heb. shallit, one who has power, who rules (Gen 42:6; Ezr 4:20; Ecc 8:8; Dan 2:15; 5:29).

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

(6.) Heb. moshel, one who rules, holds dominion. Used of many classes of rulers (Gen 3:16; 24:2; 45:8; Psa 105:20); of the Messiah (Mic 5:2); of God (1Ch 29:12; Psa 103:19).

(7.) Heb. sar, a ruler or chief; a word of very general use. It is used of the chief baker of Pharaoh (Gen 40:16); of the chief butler (See also Gen 47:6; Exd 1:11; Dan 1:7; Jdg 10:18; 1Ki 22:26; 20:15; 2Ki 1:9; 2Sa 24:2). It is used also of angels, guardian angels (Dan 10:13, 20, 21; 12:1; 10:13; 8:25).

(8.) Pehah, whence pasha, i.e., friend of the king; adjutant; governor of a province (2Ki 18:24; Isa 36:9; Jer 51:57; Eze 23:6,23; Dan 3:2; Est 3:12), or a prefect (Neh 3:7; 5:14; Ezr 5:3; Hag 1:1). This is a foreign word, Assyrian, which was early adopted into the Hebrew idiom (1Ki 10:15).

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

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

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

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

(3.) Steward (Gal 4:2).

(4.) Governor of the feast (Jhn 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.

(5.) A director, i.e., helmsman; Lat. gubernator, (Jam 3:4).