Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, April 28th, 2024
the Fifth Sunday after Easter
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more! Bible Encyclopedias
Chief
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Search for…
or
chēf : The English word is in the King James Version of Old Testament the translation of some 17 different Hebrew words, most frequently of rō'sh , "head," sar , "prince," and rē'shı̄th , "beginning." The principal changes made by the Revised Version (British and American) are: (1) Hebrew bēth'ābh , "house of a father," being recognized as a technical term denoting a subdivision of a tribe, rō'sh is rendered literally "head," when it occurs in connection with this phrase, so that "chief fathers" (Numbers 31:26 ) and "chief of the fathers" (Ezra 1:5 ) become "heads of fathers' houses"; (2) Hebrew nāghı̄dh and nāsı̄' are more accurately translated "prince" in such passages as 1 Chronicles 5:2; Numbers 3:32; (3) The misinterpretations which brought about the translation "chief" for 'acı̄lı̄m , "corners," Isaiah 41:9 , and for ma‛ăleh , "ascent," in 2 Chronicles 32:33 , are corrected.
In the New Testament "chief" is in most of its appearances the translation of Greek prō̇tos , "first"; the Revised Version (British and American) reads "first" for the King James Version "chief," "chiefest," in Matthew 20:27; Mark 10:44; Acts 16:12 . The reading in the latter passage is a difficult one, but the King James Version "Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia," seems to imply a political authority which Philippi did not possess; the Revised Version (British and American) "a city of Macedonia, the first of the district." Greek árchōn , "prince," "ruler," is rendered by the King James Version "chief," by the Revised Version (British and American) "prince," in Luke 11:15; the King James Version "chief Pharisees," the Revised Version (British and American) "rulers of the Pharisees," in Luke 14:1 .
The original meaning of "chief" having been weakened, the comparative and superlative were admitted into English, the latter only appearing in the King James Version or the Revised Version: 1 Samuel 2:29; Song of Solomon 5:10; 2 Corinthians 11:5 , etc. On "chief of Asia" (Acts 19:31 the King James Version) see ASIARCH .
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and were generously provided by the folks at WordSearch Software.
Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Chief'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/c/chief.html. 1915.
