749. archiereus

Strong's Concordance

archiereus: high priest

Original Word: ἀρχιερεύς, έως, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: archiereus
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-khee-er-yuce')
Definition: high priest
Usage: high priest, chief priest.

HELPS Word-studies

749 arxiereús (from 746 /arxḗ, "chief, pre-eminent one" and 2409 /hiereús, "a priest") – a chief-priest, i.e. a leader among priests.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from archó and hiereus
Definition
high priest
NASB Translation
chief priest (1), chief priests (64), high priest (53), high priest's (1), high priesthood (1), high priests (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 749: ἀρχιερεύς

ἀρχιερεύς, ἀρχιερέως, ὁ, chief priest, high priest.

1. He who above all others was honored with the title of priest, the chief of the priests, הַגָדול כֹּהֵן (Leviticus 21:10; Numbers 35:25 (later הָרֹאשׁ כֹּהֵן, 2 Kings 25:18; 2 Chronicles 19:11, etc.)): Matthew 26:3, and often in the Gospels, the Acts, and the Epistle to the Heb. It was lawful for him to perform the common duties of the priesthood; but his chief duty was, once a year on the day of atonement, to enter the Holy of holies (from which the other priests were excluded) and offer sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of the people (Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9:7, 25), and to preside over the Sanhedrin, or supreme Council, when convened for judicial deliberations (Matthew 26:3; Acts 22:5; Acts 23:2). According to the Mosaic law no one could aspire to the high priesthood unless he were of the tribe of Aaron, and descended moreover from a high priestly family; and he on whom the office was conferred held it till death. But from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, when the kings of the Seleucidae and afterward the Herodian princes and the Romans arrogated to themselves the power of appointing the high priests, the office neither remained vested in the pontifical family nor was conferred on anyone for life; but it became venal, and could be transferred from one to another according to the will of civil or military rulers. Hence, it came to pass, that during the one hundred and seven years intervening between Herod the Great and the destruction of the holy city, twenty-eight persons held the pontifical dignity (Josephus, Antiquities 20, 10; see Αννας). Cf. Winers RWB under the word Hoherpriester; Oehler in Herzog vi., pp. 198ff; (BB. DD., see under the words, High Priest, Priest, etc. The names of the 28 (27?) above alluded to are given, together with a brief notice of each, in an article by Schürer in the Studien und Kritiken for 1872, pp. 597-607).

2. The plural ἀρχιερεῖς, which occurs often in the Gospels and Acts, as Matthew 2:4; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 26:3; Matthew 27:41; Mark 8:31; Mark 14:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 19:47; Luke 22:52, 66; Luke 23:4; Luke 24:20; John 7:32; John 11:57; John 18:35; Acts 4:23; Acts 5:24; Acts 9:14, 21; Acts 22:30; Acts 23:14, etc., and in Josephus, comprises, in addition to the one actually holding the high priestly office, both those who had previously discharged it and although deposed continued to have great power in the State (Josephus, Vita38; b. j. 2, 12, 6; 4, 3, 7; 9; 4, 4, 3; see Αννας above), as well as the members of the families from which high priests were created, provided they had much influence in public affairs (Josephus, b. j. 6, 2, 2). See on this point the learned discussion by Schürer, Die ἀρχιερεῖς im N. T, in the Studien und Kritiken for 1872, p. 593ff and in his Neutest. Zeitgesch. § 23 iii., p. 407ff (Prof. Schürer, besides reviewing the opinions of the more recent writers, contends that in no instance where indubitable reference to the heads of the twenty-four classes is made (neither in the Sept. 1 Chronicles 24:3; 2 Chronicles 36:14; Ezra 10:5; Nehemiah 12:7; nor in Josephus, Antiquities 7, 14, 7) are they called ἀρχιερεῖς; that the nearest approximations to this term are periphrases such as ἄρχοντες τῶν ἱερέων, Nehemiah 12:7, or φυλαρχοι τῶν ἱερέων, Esra apocr. (1 Esdr.) (94); Josephus, Antiquities 11, 5, 4; and that the word ἀρχιερεῖς was restricted in its application to those who actually held, or had held, the high priestly office, together with the members of the few prominent families from which the high priests still continued to be selected, cf. Acts 4:6; Josephus, b. j. 4, 3, 6.)

3. In the Epistle to the Hebrews Christ is called 'high priest,' because by undergoing a bloody death he offered himself as an expiatory sacrifice to God, and has entered the heavenly sanctuary where he continually intercedes on our behalf: ; cf. Winzer, De sacerdotis officio, quod Christo tribuitur in the Epistle to the Hebrews (three Programs), Leips. 1825f; Riehm, Lehrbegriff des Hebräerbriefes, ii., pp. 431-488. In Greek writings the word is used by Herodotus 2 ((37), 142) 143 and 151; Plato, legg. 12, p. 947 a.; Polybius 23, 1, 2; 32, 22, 5; Plutarch, Numa c. 9, others; (often in Inscriptions); once (viz., Leviticus 4:3) in the Sept., where ἱερεύς μέγας is usual, in the O. T. Apocrypha, 1 Esdr. 5:40 1 Esdr. 9:40, and often in the books of Maccabees.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

high priest, chief priest.

From arche and hiereus; the high-priest (literally, of the Jews, typically, Christ); by extension a chief priest -- chief (high) priest, chief of the priests.

see GREEK arche

see GREEK hiereus

Forms and Transliterations

αρχειρείς αρχιερεα αρχιερέα ἀρχιερέα αρχιερει αρχιερεί ἀρχιερεῖ αρχιερεις αρχιερείς ἀρχιερεῖς αρχιερευς αρχιερεύς ἀρχιερεύς ἀρχιερεὺς αρχιερεύσι αρχιερευσιν αρχιερεύσιν ἀρχιερεῦσιν αρχιερεων αρχιερέων ἀρχιερέων ἀῥχιερέων αρχιερεως αρχιερέως ἀρχιερέως αρχιεταίρος αρχιευνούχον αρχιευνούχος αρχιευνούχου αρχιευνούχω αρχιμάγειρον αρχιμάγειρος αρχιμαγείρου αρχιμαγείρω αρχιοινοχοϊαν αρχιοινοχόον αρχιοινοχόος αρχιοινοχόου αρχιοινοχόω αρχιπατριώται ἱερεῖς archierea archieréa archierei archiereî archiereis archiereîs archiereon archiereōn archieréon archieréōn archiereos archiereōs archieréos archieréōs archiereus archiereús archiereùs archiereusin archiereûsin arhchiereon arhchiereōn arhchieréon arhchieréōn hiereis hiereîs iereis

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 2:4 N-AMP
GRK: πάντας τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς
NAS: all the chief priests and scribes
KJV: all the chief priests and
INT: all the chief priests and scribes

Matthew 16:21 N-GMP
GRK: πρεσβυτέρων καὶ ἀρχιερέων καὶ γραμματέων
NAS: from the elders and chief priests and scribes,
KJV: and chief priests and
INT: elders and chief priests and scribes

Matthew 20:18 N-DMP
GRK: παραδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ γραμματεῦσιν
NAS: will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes,
KJV: shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and
INT: will be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes

Matthew 21:15 N-NMP
GRK: δὲ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ
NAS: But when the chief priests and the scribes
KJV: And when the chief priests and scribes
INT: moreover the chief priests and the

Matthew 21:23 N-NMP
GRK: διδάσκοντι οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ
NAS: the temple, the chief priests and the elders
KJV: the temple, the chief priests and
INT: [when he was] teaching the chief priests and the

Matthew 21:45 N-NMP
GRK: ἀκούσαντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ
NAS: When the chief priests and the Pharisees
KJV: And when the chief priests and
INT: having heard the chief priests and the

Matthew 26:3 N-NMP
GRK: συνήχθησαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ
NAS: Then the chief priests and the elders
KJV: assembled together the chief priests, and
INT: were gathered together the chief priests and the

Matthew 26:3 N-GMS
GRK: αὐλὴν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως τοῦ λεγομένου
NAS: the chief priests and the elders
KJV: the palace of the high priest, who
INT: court of the high priest who was called

Matthew 26:14 N-AMP
GRK: πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς
NAS: Iscariot, went to the chief priests
KJV: went unto the chief priests,
INT: to the chief priests

Matthew 26:47 N-GMP
GRK: ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων
NAS: and clubs, [who came] from the chief priests and elders
KJV: from the chief priests and
INT: from the chief priests and elders

Matthew 26:51 N-GMS
GRK: δοῦλον τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ἀφεῖλεν αὐτοῦ
NAS: the slave of the high priest and cut off
KJV: a servant of the high priest's, and smote off
INT: servant of the high priest cut off of him

Matthew 26:57 N-AMS
GRK: Καιάφαν τὸν ἀρχιερέα ὅπου οἱ
NAS: to Caiaphas, the high priest, where
KJV: Caiaphas the high priest, where
INT: Caiaphas the high priest where the

Matthew 26:58 N-GMS
GRK: αὐλῆς τοῦ ἀρχιερέως καὶ εἰσελθὼν
NAS: as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered
KJV: unto the high priest's palace,
INT: court of the high priest and having entered

Matthew 26:59 N-NMP
GRK: οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ τὸ
NAS: Now the chief priests and the whole
KJV: Now the chief priests, and elders,
INT: moreover [the] chief priests and the

Matthew 26:62 N-NMS
GRK: ἀναστὰς ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἶπεν αὐτῷ
NAS: The high priest stood up and said
KJV: And the high priest arose, and said
INT: having stood up the high priest said to him

Matthew 26:63 N-NMS
GRK: καὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἶπεν αὐτῷ
NAS: kept silent. And the high priest said
KJV: And the high priest answered
INT: And the high priest said to him

Matthew 26:65 N-NMS
GRK: τότε ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς διέρρηξεν τὰ
NAS: Then the high priest tore his robes
KJV: Then the high priest rent his
INT: Then the high priest tears the

Matthew 27:1 N-NMP
GRK: πάντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ
NAS: all the chief priests and the elders
KJV: all the chief priests and
INT: all the chief priests and the

Matthew 27:3 N-DMP
GRK: ἀργύρια τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ πρεσβυτέροις
NAS: pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
KJV: pieces of silver to the chief priests and
INT: pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders

Matthew 27:6 N-NMP
GRK: Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς λαβόντες τὰ
NAS: The chief priests took
KJV: And the chief priests took
INT: and [the] chief priests having taken the

Matthew 27:12 N-GMP
GRK: ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων
NAS: He was being accused by the chief priests and elders,
KJV: of the chief priests and
INT: by the chief priests and elders

Matthew 27:20 N-NMP
GRK: Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ
NAS: But the chief priests and the elders
KJV: But the chief priests and elders
INT: moreover [the] chief priests and the

Matthew 27:41 N-NMP
GRK: καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἐμπαίζοντες μετὰ
NAS: In the same way the chief priests also,
KJV: also the chief priests mocking
INT: also the chief priests mocking with

Matthew 27:62 N-NMP
GRK: συνήχθησαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ
NAS: the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees
KJV: the day of the preparation, the chief priests and
INT: were gathered together the chief priests and the

Matthew 28:11 N-DMP
GRK: ἀπήγγειλαν τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν ἅπαντα τὰ
NAS: and reported to the chief priests all
KJV: and shewed unto the chief priests all the things
INT: reported to the chief priests all things that

Strong's Greek 749
123 Occurrences

ἀρχιερέα — 9 Occ.
ἀρχιερεῖ — 3 Occ.
ἀρχιερεῖς — 50 Occ.
ἀρχιερέων — 11 Occ.
ἀρχιερέως — 16 Occ.
ἀρχιερεὺς — 28 Occ.
ἀρχιερεῦσιν — 6 Occ.