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is the rendering of several Heb. and Gr. words in the A. V. Sar, ùִׂø (from ùָׂøִø , to rule, to have dominion; Sept. ἄñ÷ùí ; Vulg. princts), the chief of any class, the master of a company, a prince or noble; used of Pharaoh's chief butler and baker (Gen_40:2 sq.); of the taskmasters set over the Israelites in Egypt (Exo_1:11); even of chief herdsmen (Gen_47:6). It is frequently used for military commanders (Exo_18:21 [“rulers”]; 2Ki_1:9 [“captain”]; Isa_3:3, etc.), and or princes both supreme and subordinate (1Sa_29:3; Job_29:1; Job_29:9; Isa_49:7; Jer_51:59, etc.). In Dan_8:11 God is called ùִׂø äִöָּáָ (Sar hatstaba), Prince of the host; and in Dan_8:25 the title ùָׁøִéí ùָׂø (Sar sarim), Prince of princes, is applied to the Messiah. The “princes of the provinces” ( äִîְּãִéðåֹú ùָׁøֵå , sarey ham-medinoth, 1Ki_20:14) were probably the district magistrates who had taken refire in Samaria during the invasion of Benhadad, and their “young men” were their attendants, ðáéäÜñéá , pedisseqiui (Thenius, Ewall. Gesch. 3, 495). Josephus savs, õἱïὶ ôῶí ἡãåìüíùí (Ant. 8:14, 2).
There is a peculiar sense in which the term “prince” is used by the prophet Daniel: thus, “Prince of the kingdom of Persia” (Dan_10:13), “Michael your prince” (Dan_10:21). In these passages the term probably means a tutelary angel; and the doctrine of tutelary angels of different countries seems to be countenanced by several passages of Scripture (Zec_3:1; Zec_6:5; Jud_1:9; Rev_12:7). Michael and Gabriel were probably the tutelary angels of the Jews. These names do not occur in any books of the Old Test. that were written before the captivity; and it is suggested by some that they were borrowed from the Chaldaeans, with whom and the Persians the doctrine of the general administration and superintendence of angels over empires and provinces was commonly received. SEE ANGEL.
2. Nagid, ðָâִéã : (from, ðָâִã to be in front, to precede; Sept. ἄñ÷ùí or ἡãïýìåíïò ; Vulg. dux), one who has the precedence, a leader, or chief, used of persons set over any undertaking, superintending any trust, or invested with supreme power (1Ki_14:7; Psalm 76:13; 1Ch_26:24 [“ruler”]; 1Sa_9:16 [“captain”], etc.). In Dan_9:25 it is applied to the Messiah; and in Dan_11:22 to Ptolemy Philometor, king of Egypt.
3. Nadib, ðָãִéá (from ðָãִá , which in Hithp. signifies to volunteer, to offer voluntarily or spontaneously; chiefly in poetry; Sept. ἄñ÷ùí ; Vulg. princeps), generous, noble-minded, noble by birth (1Sa_2:8; Psa_107:40; Psa_113:8; Psa_118:9; Pro_27:7, etc.). This word is the converse of the preceding; ðָâִéã means primarily a chief, and derivatively what is morally noble, excellent (Pro_8:6); ðãéá means primarily what is morally noble, and derivatively one who is noble by birth or position.
4. Nasi, ðָùִׂéõ (from ðָùָׂõ , to lift up, Niph. to be elevated; Sept. ἄñ÷ùí , ἡãïýìåíïò , ἡãåìώí , âáóéëåýò Vulg. princeps, dux), one exalted; used as a general term for princes, including kings (1Ki_11:24; Eze_12:10, etc.), heads of tribes or families (Num_1:44; Num_3:24 [A. V. “chief”]; Num_7:10; Num_34:18; Gen_17:20; 1Ch_7:40, etc.). In the A.V. it is often rendered “ruler” or “captain.” In Gen_23:6 Abraham is addressed by the sons of Heth as ðָùִׂéõ àֵֹìäִéí (nasi Elohim), a prince of God, i.e. constituted, and consequently protected, by God [A.V. “mighty prince”]. This word appears on the coins of Judas Maccableus (Gesenius, Thesaur. p. 917).
5. Nasik, ðָñִéêְ (from ðָñִêְ , to pour out, anoint; Sept. ἄñ÷ùí ; Vulg.princeps; Psa_83:11; Eze_32:30; Dan_11:5; “duke,” Jos_13:8; “principal,” Mic_5:5).
6. Katsin,
÷ָöִéï
(from
÷ָöָä
, to cut, to decide; Sept.
ἀñ÷çãüò
,
ἄñ÷ùí
; Vulg. princeps; Pro_25:15; Dan_11:18; Mic_3:1; Mic_3:9; elsewhere “captain,” “guide,” “ruler”).
7. Rab,
øִá
(usually an adj. great; Sept.
ἄñ÷ùí
,
ἡãåìώí
; Vulg. optimus); only occasional; but used in compounds, e.g. Rab-mag, Rab-saris (q.v.). So its Chald. reduplicature Rabreban,
øִáְøְáָï
, in the plur. (Dan_5:2-3; elsewhere “lords”).8. Rozen, øֹæֵï (participle of øָæִï , to rule; Sept. ( óáôñÜðçò , äõíÜóôçò ; Vulg. princeps, legum conditor), a poetical word (Jdg_5:3; Pro_8:15; Pro_31:4; Isa_40:23; Hab_1:10 “ruller,” Psa_2:2).
9. Shalish, ùָׁìִéùׁ (apparently from ùָìåֹùׁ , three; only Eze_23:13; elsewhere “captain” [q.v.]).
10. Achashdarpenaya (Chald. plur. àֲçִùְׁãִּøְôְּðִéָּ ‹, Dan_3:2; Dan_3:27; Dan_6:1-7; Sept.; ὕñáôïé ), a Persian word. Those mentioned in Dan_6:1 (see Esther 1, 1) were the predecessors, either in fact or in place, of the satraps of Darius Hystaspis (Herod. 3, 89). SEE SATRAP.
11. Chashmannim, çִùְׁîִðִּéí (plur. literally rich, only in Psa_68:13).
12. Segen, ñֶâֶï (a Persian word, used only in the plur. Isaiah 11:25; elsewhere “rulers”).
13. Partemim, only in the plur. ôִּøְúְּîִéí (another Persian word, Dan_1:3; elsewhere “rulers”).
14. ῎Áñ÷ùí , which in the Sept. appears as the rendering of all the Hebrew words above cited, in the New Test. is used of earthly princes (Mat_20:25; 1Co_2:6), of Jesus Christ (Rev_1:5), and of Satan (Mat_9:34; Mat_12:24; Mark 3, 22; Joh_12:31; Joh_14:30; Joh_16:11; Eph_2:2). On the phrase “prince of the power of the air” in this last passage, see AIR.
15. Á᾿ñ÷çãüò , which in Theodotion is the rendering of ðָùִׂéà (Num_13:3; Num_16:2); and in the Sept. is the rendering of ùִׂø (Judges 5, 15; Nehemiah 2, 9; Isa_30:4), in the New Test. is applied only to our Lord (Act_3:15; Act_5:31; Heb_2:10 [A. V. “captain”]; Heb_12:2 [A. V. “author”]).
16. ῾Çãåìώí is used (Mat_2:6) in a general sense for a chief or ruler. SEE GOVERNOR; SEE KING; SEE RULER.