The meaning of Prince in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
prins: This word occurs quite frequently in our English Bible, mostly in the Old Testament. While it is never used to denote royal parentage (compare I Chronicles 29:24), it often indicates actual royal or ruling power, together with royal dignity and authority. As a rule, the name is given to human beings; in a few instances it is applied to God and Christ, the angels and the devil.
In Matthew 2:6 the word rendered "princes" might be translated "princely cities"; at least, this seems to be implied. Here the term hegemon, "leader," "ruler," "prince," is used, undoubtedly to hint at the fact that Bethlehem was the native city of a great prince. In the other New Testament passages the word archon, "a potentate," "a person in authority," "a magistrate," occurs most frequently (compare Matthew 9:34; Matthew 12:24; Matthew 20:25 (the Revised Version (British and American) "ruler"); Mark 3:22; John 12:31; John 14:30; John 16:11; I Corinthians 2:6, I Corinthians 2:8 the King James Version; Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 1:5 (the Revised Version (British and American) "ruler")). In most of these instances the term "prince" refers to the devil.
In Acts 3:15; Acts 5:31, the word archegos, "leader," is employed referring to Christ as the author of life and salvation (compare Hebrews 12:2, where the term archegos is rendered "author" (Revised Version) or "captain" (Revised Version margin)).
The Old Testament contains a number of different words mostly rendered "prince" or "princes" in the English Versions of the Bible.
(1) sar: In Joshua 5:14 the mysterious armed stranger seen by Joshua near Jericho calls himself the "prince of the host of Yahweh": a high military title applied to a superhuman being. In Isaiah 9:6, the name is given to the child representing the future Messiah. The term "Prince of Peace" denotes the eminent position and the peaceful reign of the Messianic king: the highest human title in its most ideal sense. Daniel 8:11 : here, again, as in Joshua 5:14, occurs the phrase "prince of the host." In Daniel 8:25 "the prince of princes" refers to God Himself: the highest human title in its absolute sense applied to God. Daniel 10:21 : "Michael your prince." Michael the archangel is here called the prince of the Jewish people. He is the princely representative of God's people in the sight of God, a royal title suggesting high power and alliance with God in the great struggle going on between Him and the powers of darkness. Daniel 12:1 : here Michael is called "the great prince" who standeth for the children of Israel; supplementing Daniel 10:21. In Daniel 10:13 : "the prince of the kingdom of Persia" (compare Daniel 10:20, "the prince of Persia," "the prince of Greece"), the expression is used in the same general sense as in Daniel 10:21. Each individual nation is represented as guided by a spiritual being that may or may not be an ally of God in His combat with the devil. In the majority of cases, though, the term sar is applied (a) to men exercising royal or ruling power: Proverbs 8:16 : "By me princes (margin "or rulers") rule" Isaiah 32:1 : "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice." Judicial power is included (compare Exodus 2:14 : "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?" and Psalms 148:11 : "princes and all judges of the earth"). In some passages the word sar, having been rendered "prince," stands for "chief"; so Judges 7:25 : "They took the two princes of Midian" (compare Judges 8:14; I Samuel 29:4; II Samuel 10:3, etc.). (b) To royal officers of a high rank: Genesis 12:15 : "the princes of Pharaoh" (compare II Kings 24:14 : "Jerus and all the princes"; I Chronicles 29:24; II Chronicles 24:23; Jeremiah 36:21; Jeremiah 52:10; Hosea 5:10, etc.). "Ambassadors" (Jeremiah 36:14); "governors" (I Kings 20:14 : "By the young men (margin "or, servants") of the princes of the provinces"; compare Esther 1:3, Esther 1:14, "the seven princes"); "the chief of the eunuchs" (Daniel 1:7); a "quartermaster" (Jeremiah 51:59 : "Seraiah was chief chamberlain" (margin "or, quartermaster")). The King James Version renders it "a quiet prince," i.e. a prince having rest, instead of procuring rest (sar menuchah, "a sar of rest"). In post-exilic times: Ezra 9:1 : "The princes drew near unto me." They were the political leaders of the people (compare Ezra 10:8 : "the princes and the elders"; Nehemiah 9:38 : "our princes, our Levites, and our priests"; Nehemiah 11:1 : "The princes of the people dwelt in Jerus"; Nehemiah 12:31 : "the princes of Judah"). Of course, they were all subject to the authority of the Persian kings. (c) To the priesthood: I Chronicles 24:5 : "princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God" (of Isaiah 43:28). (d) On account of great achievements: II Samuel 3:38 : "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?"—an honorary title. Generally speaking, a prince is a wealthy man (compare Job 34:19 : "That respecteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor"), and he is a prominent man embodying true, although mortal, manhood (compare Psalms 82:7 : "Nevertheless ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes).
(2) nasi': usually derived from nasa', "to lift," hence, "exalted"; otherwise: a "speaker." (a) An honorary title (compare Genesis 23:6 : "Thou art a prince of God among us." The distinction is conferred upon Abraham by the children of Heth). (b) A name given to the heads of the Israelite tribes, families and fathers' houses: Numbers 3:24 : "the prince of the fathers' house of the Gershonites" (compare Numbers 3:30, Numbers 3:35); Numbers 3:32 : "Eleazar .... shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary"; Numbers 4:34 : "the princes of the congregation." They seem to be identical with the "rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens" (compare Exodus 18:21; Numbers 16:2). Numbers 7:2 : "the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses .... the princes of the tribes" (compare Numbers 17:2, Numbers 17:6; Numbers 34:18; Joshua 22:14; I Chronicles 4:38). (c) Equivalent to chief or king: Genesis 17:20 : "Twelve princes shall he beget" (compare Genesis 25:16); Genesis 34:2 : "Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land"; Numbers 25:18 : "Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian" (compare Joshua 13:21); I Kings 11:34 : "I will make him prince all the days of his life." This was said of Solomon, which shows the term equivalent to king. Of special interest is the use of the word nasi' in Ezekiel. The name is given to the Jewish king (compare Ezekiel 12:10 : "This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem"). Then, again, it is applied to the future theocratic king (compare Ezekiel 34:24; Ezekiel 37:25, etc., and especially chapters 45; 46). It is also used of foreign potentates and high officers (compare Ezekiel 26:16 : "the princes of the sea"; Ezekiel 28:2 : "the prince of Tyre"; Ezekiel 30:13 : "a prince from the land of Egypt"); Ezekiel 32:29 : "Edom, her kings and all her princes"; and, likewise, of high Jewish officers (Ezekiel 21:12). (d) A title bestowed upon Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:8).
(3) nadhibh: I Samuel 2:8 : "To make them sit with princes" (compare Psalms 113:8). The original meaning of the term is willing or obliging; then generous ("liberal"; compare Proverbs 19:6 : "Many will entreat the favor of the liberal man"; yet, it might safely be rendered here "prince", margin) or noble-minded; a gentleman, a nobleman, a person of rank, a prince. Job 12:21 : "He poureth contempt upon princes" (compare Psalms 107:40); Job 21:28 : "Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?" The context here suggests the thought of a wicked prince, a tyrant. Psalms 47:9 : "The princes of the peoples are gathered together" (compare Psalms 118:9; Psalms 146:3; Proverbs 17:7; Proverbs 25:7; Song of Solomon 7:1).
(4) naghidh: According to Gesenius, this term denotes originally either a high-minded person (compare the preceding word, nadhibh) or a speaker, a spokesman; then a prince, a king. I Samuel 13:14 : "Yahweh hath appointed him to be prince over his people" (compare II Samuel 5:2 : "Thou shalt be prince (the Revised Version margin "leader") over Israel"; II Samuel 6:21; II Samuel 7:8; I Kings 1:35; I Kings 14:7; I Kings 16:2; Job 29:9; Job 31:37; Psalms 76:12; Proverbs 28:16; Ezekiel 28:2 : "prince of Tyre"; Daniel 9:25 : "the anointed one, the prince," the King James Version the "Messiah the Prince"; Daniel 9:26 : "the prince that shall come" (the Roman emperor?); Daniel 11:22 : "the prince of the covenant" (either a high priest or some Egyptian king, Ptolemeus Philometor?).
(5), (6) razon, and rozen, "a high official," "a prince," usually associated with the word "king" or "judge." Proverbs 14:28 : "In the multitude of people is the king's glory; but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince" (razon); Judges 5:3 : "Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes" (rozenim); Proverbs 8:15 : "By me kings reign, and princes (rozenim) decree justice" (compare Proverbs 31:4; Habakkuk 1:10); Isaiah 40:23 : "that bringeth princes (rozenim) to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity."
(7) nacikh, derived from nacakh, "to install a king" (compare Psalms 2:6); hence, a prince: Joshua 13:21 : "the princes of Sihon" (compare Psalms 83:11); Ezekiel 32:30 : "the princes of the north"; Micah 5:5 : the Revised Version (British and American) "principal men," the Revised Version margin "princes among men"; Daniel 11:8 : the Revised Version (British and American) "molten images," the Revised Version margin "princes."
(8) qatsin, "a judge," "a military leader," "a prince"; Daniel 11:18 : "A prince (the Revised Version margin "captain") shall cause the reproach .... to cease" (probably a Roman consul; a Roman general?).
(9) shalish: The usual explanation, "one of the three men on a war-chariot" is highly improbable; Gesenius suggests that it is a loan-word, and renders it "hero." Ezekiel 23:15 : "All of them princes to look upon" ("picked men," Gesenius).
(10) chashmannim: Psalms 68:31 : "Princes shall come out of Egypt." Septuagint renders it presbeis, "ambassadors," Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 AD) legati. But the meaning is uncertain.
See also GOVERNOR, 1, (8).
William Baur
See more on the meaning of Prince in the Bible:
Prince {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
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