Basic HTML Version
Note:
For other verbs see above.
For
GOT and GOTTEN
see
GET
GOVERNMENT
$
(
!$
, 2941), from
$
, “to guide” (whence Eng., “govern”),
denotes (a) “steering, pilotage”; (b) metaphorically, “governments or governings,” said of
those who act as guides in a local church, 1 Cor. 12:28.¶ Cf.
$
, “a pilot,” Acts
27:11; Rev. 18:17.¶
Note:
For
$
, “lordship, dominion,” rendered “government” in 2 Pet. 2:10,
KJV
,
see
DOMINION
.
GOVERNOR
A. Nouns.
1.
(
4 0
, 2232) is a term used (a) for “rulers” generally, Mark 13:9; 1
Pet. 2:14; translated “princes” (i.e., leaders) in Matt. 2:6; (b) for the Roman procurators,
referring, in the gospels to Pontius Pilate, e.g., Matt. 27:2; Luke 20:20 (so designated by
Tacitus,
*
xv. 44); to Felix, Acts 23:26. Technically the procurator was a financial
official under a proconsul or propretor, for collecting the imperial revenues, but entrusted
also with magisterial powers for decisions of questions relative to the revenues. In certain
provinces, of which Judea was one (the procurator of which was dependent on the legate
of Syria), he was the general administrator and supreme judge, with sole power of life
and death. Such a governor was a person of high social standing. Felix, however, was an
ex-slave, a freedman, and his appointment to Judea could not but be regarded by the Jews
as an insult to the nation. The headquarters of the governor of Judea was Caesarea, which
was made a garrison town. See
PRINCE
,
RULER
. For
$
, “a proconsul,” see
PROCONSUL
.
2.
(
#
1$
, 1481), “an ethnarch,” lit. “a ruler of a nation” (
, “a
people,”
, “rule”), is translated “governor” in 2 Cor. 11:32; it describes normally the
ruler of a nation possessed of separate laws and customs among those of a different race.
Eventually it denoted a ruler of a province, superior to a tetrarch, but inferior to a king
(e.g., Aretas).¶
3.
(
*
, 3623), lit., “one who rules a house” (
, “a house,”
, “a law”), Gal. 4:2, denotes a superior servant responsible for the family
housekeeping, the direction of other servants, and the care of the children under age. See
CHAMBERLAIN
,
STEWARD
.
4.
(
$ $&
, 755), from
, “rule,” and
, “a room with
three couches,” denotes “the ruler of a feast,” John 2:8,
RV
(
KJV
, “the governor of the
feast”), a man appointed to see that the table and couches were duly placed and the
courses arranged, and to taste the food and wine.¶
B. Verbs.
1.
(
4 !
, 2233), akin to A, No. 1, is used in the present participle to
denote “a governor,” lit., “(one) governing,” Matt. 2:6; Acts 7:10.