The meaning of Noble; Nobles; Nobleman in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
no'-b'-l, no'-b'-lz, no'-b'-l-man (chorim, 'addir; eugenes, Kratistos, basilikos): "Nobles" is the translation of the Hebrew chorim (occurring only in the plural), "free-born," "noble" (I Kings 21:8, I Kings 21:11; Nehemiah 2:16; Nehemiah 6:17, etc.); of 'addir, "begirded," "mighty," "illustrious" or "noble" (Judges 5:13; II Chronicles 23:20, etc.); of nadhibh, "liberal," "a noble" (Numbers 21:18; Proverbs 8:16, etc.).
Other words are gadhol, "great" (Jonah 3:7); yaqqir, Aramaic "precious" (Ezra 4:10); naghidh, "a leader" (Job 29:10); partemim, "foremost ones" (Esther 1:3; Esther 6:9); atsilim, "those near," "nobles" (Exodus 24:11); bariah, "fugitive" (Isaiah 43:14); kabhedh, "weighty," "honored" (Psalms 149:8); eugenes, "wellborn" (Acts 17:11; I Corinthians 1:26); kratistos, "strongest," "most powerful" (Acts 24:3; Acts 26:25).
The Apocrypha, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), still further enlarges the list. In the Revised Version (British and American) we have megistanes, "great ones" (1 Esdras 1:38; 8:26, with entimos, "in honor"; The Wisdom of Solomon 18:12). Otherwise the Revised Version's uses of "noble," and "nobleness" are for words containing the root genitive and referring to birth (compare The Wisdom of Solomon 8:3; 2 Macc 6:27,31; 12:42; 14:42 twice). The King James Version's uses are wider (Judith 2:2, etc.).
Nobleman is, in Luke 19:12, the translation of eugenes anthropos, "a man well born," and in John 4:46, John 4:49 of basilikos, "kingly," "belonging to a king," a designation extended to the officers, courtiers, etc., of a king, the Revised Version margin "king's officer"; he was probably an official, civil or military, of Herod Antipas, who was styled "king" (basileus).
For "nobles" (Isaiah 43:14), the King James Version "have brought down all their nobles," the Revised Version (British and American) has "I will bring down all of them as fugitives," margin "or, as otherwise read, all their nobles even," etc.; for "nobles" (Jeremiah 30:21), "prince"; the English Revised Version has "worthies" for "nobles" (Nahum 3:18); the Revised Version (British and American) has "the noble" for "princes" (Proverbs 17:26): "nobles" for "princes" (Job 34:18; Daniel 1:3), for "Nazarites" (Lamentations 4:7, margin "Nazirites"); "her nobles" for "his fugitives," margin "or, as other otherwise read, fugitives" (Isaiah 15:5); the American Standard Revised Version has "noble" for "liberal" (Isaiah 32:5); for "The nobles held their peace," the King James Version margin "The voice of the nobles was hid" (Job 29:10), the Revised Version (British and American) has "The voice of the nobles was hushed," margin "Hebrew: hid"; for "most noble" (Acts 24:3; Acts 26:25), "most excellent."
W. L. Walker
DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.
