Encyclopedia entry
Governor
(1.) Heb. nagid, a prominent, conspicuous person, whatever his capacity: as, chief of the royal palace (2 Chr. 28:7; comp. 1 Kings 4:6), chief of the temple (1 Chr. 9:11; Jer. 20:1), the leader of the Aaronites (1 Chr. 12:27), keeper of the sacred treasury (26:24), captain of the army (13:1), the king (1 Sam. 9:16), the Messiah (Dan. 9:25).
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(2.) Heb. nasi, raised; exalted. Used to denote the chiefs of families (Num. 3:24, 30, 32, 35); also of tribes (2:3; 7:2; 3:32). These dignities appear to have been elective, not hereditary.
(3.) Heb. pakid, an officer or magistrate. It is used of the delegate of the high priest (2 Chr. 24:11), the Levites (Neh. 11:22), a military commander (2 Kings 25:19), Joseph’s officers in Egypt (Gen. 41:34).
(4.) Heb. shallit, one who has power, who rules (Gen. 42:6; Ezra 4:20; Eccl. 8:8; Dan. 2:15; 5:29).
(5.) Heb. aluph, literally one put over a thousand, i.e., a clan or a subdivision of a tribe. Used of the “dukes” of Edom (Gen. 36), and of the Jewish chiefs (Zech. 9:7).
(6.) Heb. moshel, one who rules, holds dominion. Used of many classes of rulers (Gen. 3:16; 24:2; 45:8; Ps. 105:20); of the Messiah (Micah 5:2); of God (1 Chr. 29:12; Ps. 103:19).
(7.) Heb. sar, a ruler or chief; a word of very general use. It is used of the chief baker of Pharaoh (Gen. 40:16); of the chief butler (40:2, etc. See also Gen. 47:6; Ex. 1:11; Dan. 1:7; Judg. 10:18; 1 Kings 22:26; 20:15; 2 Kings 1:9; 2 Sam. 24:2). It is used also of angels, guardian angels (Dan. 10:13, 20, 21; 12:1; 10:13; 8:25).
(8.) Pehah, whence pasha, i.e., friend of the king; adjutant; governor of a province (2 Kings 18:24; Isa. 36:9; Jer. 51: 57; Ezek. 23:6, 23; Dan. 3:2; Esther 3: 12), or a perfect (Neh. 3:7; 5:14; Ezra 5:3; Hag. 1:1). This is a foreign word, Assyrian, which was early adopted into the Hebrew idiom (1 Kings 10:15).
(9.) The Chaldean word segan is applied to the governors of the Babylonian satrapies (Dan. 3:2, 27; 6:7); the prefects over the Magi (2:48). The corresponding Hebrew word segan is used of provincial rulers (Jer. 51:23, 28, 57); also of chiefs and rulers of the people of Jerusalem (Ezra 9:2; Neh. 2:16; 4:14, 19; 5:7, 17; 7:5; 12:40).
In the New Testament there are also different Greek words rendered thus.
(1.) Meaning an ethnarch (2 Cor. 11:32), which was an office distinct from military command, with considerable latitude of application.
(2.) The procurator of Judea under the Romans (Matt. 27:2). (Comp. Luke 2:2, where the verb from which the Greek word so rendered is derived is used.)
(3.) Steward (Gal. 4:2).
(4.) Governor of the feast (John 2:9), who appears here to have been merely an intimate friend of the bridegroom, and to have presided at the marriage banquet in his stead.
(5.) A director, i.e., helmsman; Lat. gubernator, (James 3:4).
Also from Smith's (1884) +−
In the Authorized Version this one English word is the representative of no less than ten Hebrew and four Greek words.
The chief of a tribe or family. A ruler in his capacity of lawgiver and dispenser of justice. A ruler consider especially as having power over the property and persons of his subjects. (Genesis 24:2; Joshua 12:2; Psalms 100:20) The “governors of the people,” in (2 Chronicles 23:20) appear to have been the king’s body-guard; cf. (2 Kings 11:19) A prominent personage, whatever his capacity. It is applied to a king as the military and civil chief of his people, (2 Samuel 5:2; 6:21; 1 Chronicles 29:22) to the general of an army, (2 Chronicles 32:21) and to the head of a tribe. (2 Chronicles 19:11) It denotes an officer of high rank in the palace, the lord high chamberlain. (2 Chronicles 28:7) It is applied in (1 Kings 10:15) to the petty chieftains who were tributary to Solomon, (2 Chronicles 9:14) to the military commander of the Syrians, (1 Kings 20:24) the Assyrians, (2 Kings 18:24; 23:8) the Chaldeans, (Jeremiah 51:23) and the Medes. (Jeremiah 51:38) Under the Persian viceroys, during the Babylonian captivity, the land of the Hebrews appears to have been portioned out among “governors” (pachoth) inferior in rank to the satraps, (Ezra 8:30) like the other provinces which were under the dominion of the Persian king. (Nehemiah 2:7,9) It is impossible to determine the precise limits of their authority or the functions which they had to perform. It appears from (Ezra 6:8) that these governors were intrusted with the collection of the king’s taxes; and from (Nehemiah 5:18; 12:26) that they were supported by a contribution levied upon the people, which was technically termed “the bread of the governor” comp. (Ezra 4:14) They were probably assisted in discharging their official duties by A council. (Ezra 4:7; 6:6) The “governor” beyond the river had a judgment-seat beyond Jerusalem, from which probably he administered justice when making a progress through his province. (Nehemiah 3:7) At the time of Christ Judea was a Roman province, governed by a procurator (governor) appointed by Rome.
In the Bible
66
Verses where Governor is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 1 Chronicles 29:22
That day they ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD. Then, for a second time, they designated David’s son Solomon as king, anointing him before the LORD as ruler, and Zadok as the priest.
- 1 Kings 4:19
Geber son of Uri in the land of Gilead, including the territories of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. There was also one governor in the land of Judah.
- 1 Kings 18:3
and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,
- 1 Kings 22:26
And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
- 2 Chronicles 1:2
Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel—the heads of the families.
- 2 Chronicles 18:25
And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
+60 more verses naming Governor.
Scripture on Governor
90
See all 90 +−
- 1 Chronicles 292 Chronicles 28Ezra 4Nehemiah 3Nehemiah 5Haggai 1John 2Genesis 421 Kings 41 Kings 101 Kings 222 Kings 182 Kings 25Nehemiah 2Nehemiah 7Jeremiah 20Jeremiah 40Jeremiah 41Daniel 3Haggai 2Zechariah 9Luke 2Acts 242 Corinthians 11James 3Genesis 3Genesis 24Genesis 36Genesis 40Genesis 41Genesis 45Genesis 47Exodus 1Numbers 3Joshua 12Judges 9Judges 101 Samuel 92 Samuel 52 Samuel 241 Kings 181 Kings 202 Kings 12 Kings 112 Kings 231 Chronicles 91 Chronicles 122 Chronicles 12 Chronicles 92 Chronicles 182 Chronicles 192 Chronicles 232 Chronicles 242 Chronicles 322 Chronicles 34Ezra 2Ezra 8Ezra 9Nehemiah 8Nehemiah 10Nehemiah 11Nehemiah 12Esther 3Psalms 22Psalms 100Psalms 103Psalms 105Ecclesiastes 8Isaiah 36Isaiah 60Jeremiah 30Ezekiel 23Daniel 1Daniel 2Daniel 9Daniel 10Micah 5Malachi 1Matthew 2Matthew 28Luke 3Luke 20Acts 7Acts 26Galatians 4
Entries that reference Governor
3
Governor references
33
Voices on Governor
3
Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.
Sources · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.