‘The ruler of the temple’ occurs in Acts 4:1 AVm ^{[Note: Vm Authorized Version margin.]} , but is more correctly represented by ‘the captain of the temple’ (Authorized Version and Revised Version ). He was a priest, second in command to the high priest himself, and had under him the officers who commanded the Temple police. His duty was to superintend the priests and Levites who guarded the Temple and its precincts. The word ‘ruler,’ however, generally represents ἄρχων or some derived word, and the general idea behind ἄρχων is that of a magistrate of a city, whereas ἡγεμών, suggests rather a governor of a country (see Government). In Acts 3:17, Acts 4:5; Acts 4:8, Acts 13:27 ἄρχοντες is used of the Jews in authority who had Jesus put to death, and therefore includes the high priests (cf. R. J. Knowling in Expositor’s Greek Testament , ‘Acts,’ 1900, on Acts 4:5). In Acts 4:26, Acts 7:27; Acts 7:35 (referred to Moses in Egypt) Acts 23:5 the word occurs in quotations from the Septuagint . In Romans 13:3 magistrates (and possibly also governors and the Emperor) are referred to. In Acts 13:15 rulers of the synagogue are mentioned at Pisidian Antioch. In Asia Minor there is evidence that the title was one of honour, and therefore could be held by more than one person simultaneously; there is a case known of even a woman bearing this title at Smyrna. In Corinth, however (Acts 18:17), the normal practice of having one ruler of the synagogue with real power appears to have been maintained. In Acts 14:5 the leading men among the Jews at Iconium are intended, probably including the honorary rulers of the synagogue. In Acts 16:19 Luke first uses the general term ἄρχοντες, and then the specific στρατηγοί for the two leading Roman magistrates of the colonia Philippi (see under Praetor). In Acts 17:8, again, it is the leading magistrates of Thessalonica, the πολιτάρχαι, to whom reference is made (see under Magistrate). In Ephesians 6:12 ‘the rulers of the darkness of this world’ (Authorized Version ) might be more exactly rendered ‘the world-rulers of this darkness’ (Revised Version ). The reference here is to spiritual powers of evil to which this world is really in bondage, while all the time it falsely asserts its independence of the only true God. This world is the realm of darkness of these powers. References to such powers under various names are frequent in the NT where they are part of the heritage from later Judaism.

A. Souter.

Bibliography Information
Hastings, James. Entry for 'Ruler'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/r/ruler.html. 1906-1918.

Bible Dictionaries Ruler

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

Bible Dictionaries
Ruler