International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Prince

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Prince


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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 ), 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 the word rendered “princes” might be translated “princely cities”; at least, this seems to be implied. Here the term ἡγεμών, hēgemṓn, “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 ἄρχων, árchōn, “a potentate,” “a person in authority,” “a magistrate,” occurs most frequently (compare ; ; (the Revised Version (British and American) “ruler”); ; ; ; ; , the King James Version; ; (the Revised Version (British and American) “ruler”)). In most of these instances the term “prince” refers to the devil.

In ; , the word ἀρχηγός, archēgós, “leader,” is employed referring to Christ as the author of life and salvation (compare , where the term archēgos 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) שׂר, sar: In 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 , 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. : here, again, as in , occurs the phrase “prince of the host.” In “the prince of princes” refers to God Himself: the highest human title in its absolute sense applied to God. : “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. : here Michael is called “the great prince” who standeth for the children of Israel; supplementing . In : “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” (compare , “the prince of Persia,” “the prince of Greece”), the expression is used in the same general sense as in . 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: : “By me princes (margin “or rulers”) rule” : “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.” Judicial power is included (compare : “Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?” and : “princes and all judges of the earth”). In some passages the word sar, having been rendered “prince,” stands for “chief”; so : “They took the two princes of Midian” (compare ; ; , etc.). (b) To royal officers of a high rank: : “the princes of Pharaoh” (compare : “Jerus and all the princes”; ; ; ; ; , etc.). “Ambassadors” (); “governors” ( : “By the young men (margin “or, servants”) of the princes of the provinces”; compare , , “the seven princes”); “the chief of the eunuchs” (); a “quartermaster” ( : “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 (מנוּחה שׂר, sar menūḥāh, “a sar of rest”). In post-exilic times: : “The princes drew near unto me.” They were the political leaders of the people (compare : “the princes and the elders”; : “our princes, our Levites, and our priests”; : “The princes of the people dwelt in Jerus”; : “the princes of Judah”). Of course, they were all subject to the authority of the Persian kings. (c) To the priesthood: : “princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God” (of ). (d) On account of great achievements: : “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 : “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 : “Nevertheless ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes).

(2) נשׂיא, nāsı̄': usually derived from נשׂא, nāsā', “to lift,” hence, “exalted”; otherwise: a “speaker.” (a) An honorary title (compare : “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: : “the prince of the fathers' house of the Gershonites” (compare , ); : “Eleazar ... shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary”; : “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 ; ). : “the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses ... the princes of the tribes” (compare , ; ; ; ). (c) Equivalent to chief or king: : “Twelve princes shall he beget” (compare ); : “Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land”; : “Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian” (compare ); : “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 nāsı̄' in Ezekiel. The name is given to the Jewish king (compare : “This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem”). Then, again, it is applied to the future theocratic king (compare ; , etc., and especially chapters 45; 46). It is also used of foreign potentates and high officers (compare : “the princes of the sea”; : “the prince of Tyre”; : “a prince from the land of Egypt”); : “Edom, her kings and all her princes”; and, likewise, of high Jewish officers (). (d) A title bestowed upon Sheshbazzar ().

(3) נדיב, nādhı̄bh: : “To make them sit with princes” (compare ). The original meaning of the term is willing or obliging; then generous (“liberal”; compare : “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. : “He poureth contempt upon princes” (compare ); : “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. : “The princes of the peoples are gathered together” (compare ; ; ; ; ).

(4) נגיד, nāghı̄dh: According to Gesenius, this term denotes originally either a high-minded person (compare the preceding word, nādhı̄bh) or a speaker, a spokesman; then a prince, a king. : “Yahweh hath appointed him to be prince over his people” (compare : “Thou shalt be prince (the Revised Version margin “leader”) over Israel”; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; : “prince of Tyre”; : “the anointed one, the prince,” the King James Version the “Messiah the Prince”; : “the prince that shall come” (the Roman emperor?); : “the prince of the covenant” (either a high priest or some Egyptian king, Ptolemeus Philometor?).

(5), (6) רזון, rāzōn, and רוזן, rōzēn, “a high official,” “a prince,” usually associated with the word “king” or “judge.” : “In the multitude of people is the king's glory; but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince” (rāzōn); : “Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes” (rōzenı̄m); : “By me kings reign, and princes (rōzenı̄m) decree justice” (compare ; ); : “that bringeth princes (rōzenı̄m) to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.”

(7) נסך, nāṣı̄kh, derived from נסך, nāṣakh, “to install a king” (compare ); hence, a prince: : “the princes of Sihon” (compare ); : “the princes of the north”; : the Revised Version (British and American) “principal men,” the Revised Version margin “princes among men”; : the Revised Version (British and American) “molten images,” the Revised Version margin “princes.”

(8) קצין, ḳācı̄n, “a judge,” “a military leader,” “a prince”; : “A prince (the Revised Version margin “captain”) shall cause the reproach ... to cease” (probably a Roman consul; a Roman general?).

(9) שׁלישׁ, shālı̄sh: 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.” : “All of them princes to look upon” (“picked men,” Gesenius).

(10) חשׁמנּים, ḥashmannı̄m: : “Princes shall come out of Egypt.” Septuagint renders it πρέσβεις, présbeis, “ambassadors,” Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) legati. But the meaning is uncertain. See also GOVERNOR, 1, (8).