Word study
Ruler
13 Hebrew and 3 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: ruler, rulers. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “ruler” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- מָשַׁל mâshalrule, have dominion, reigntranslated this way 26 times of its 79 uses · Strong’s H4910Verb · Translated: rule 27, ruler 16, ruled 6, rules 6Full study and all 74 verses →
Genesis 45:8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh — lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
1 Chronicles 29:12 Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all.
- שַׂר sarchieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, princetranslated this way 17 times of its 401 uses · Strong’s H8269Noun · Translated: commanders 74, officials 67, princes 63, commander 39Full study and all 366 verses →
Exodus 2:14 But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.”
Judges 10:18 And the rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all who live in Gilead.”
- נָגִיד nâgîdleadertranslated this way 17 times of its 43 uses · Strong’s H5057Noun · Translated: ruler 17, leader 6, prince 5, chief official 3Full study and all 43 verses →
1 Samuel 9:16 “At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him ruler over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.”
2 Samuel 5:2 Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the LORD said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”
- סֶרֶן serentyrant, lordtranslated this way 11 times of its 22 uses · Strong’s H5633Noun · Translated: rulers 11, lords 7, leaders 3, axles 1Full study and all 20 verses →
Joshua 13:3 from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)— that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;
Judges 3:3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.
- שָׁפַט shâphaṭjudge, governtranslated this way 7 times of its 199 uses · Strong’s H8199Verb · Translated: judge 81, judges 35, judged 15, vindicate 7Full study and all 181 verses →
Psalm 141:6 When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
Isaiah 40:23 He brings the princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth meaningless.
- קָצִין qâtsînchief, rulertranslated this way 5 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s H7101Noun · Translated: commander 4, rulers 4, leader 2, commanders 1Full study and all 12 verses →
Proverbs 25:15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
Isaiah 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
- שְׁלֵט shelêṭhave power, ruletranslated this way 4 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s H7981Verb · Translated: highest ruler 2, made you ruler 1, rule 1, made him ruler 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Daniel 2:38 Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
Daniel 2:48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
- נָשִׂיא nâsîone lifted uptranslated this way 3 times of its 126 uses · Strong’s H5387Noun · Translated: leader 44, leaders 29, prince 26, princes 9Full study and all 119 verses →
Genesis 17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.
Exodus 22:28 You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- רָזַן râzanbe weighty, judicious, commandingtranslated this way 3 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s H7336Verb · Translated: rulers 3, princes 2, and 1Full study and all 6 verses →
Psalm 2:2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One:
Proverbs 8:15 By me kings reign, and rulers enact just laws;
- שַׁלִּיט shallîṭhaving mastery, domineeringtranslated this way 3 times of its 4 uses · Strong’s H7989Adjective · Translated: ruler 2, rulers 1, power 1Full study and all 4 verses →
Genesis 42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
Ecclesiastes 7:19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
- יָשַׁב yâshabsit, remain, dwelltranslated this way 3 times of its 1,049 uses · Strong’s H3427Verb · Translated: lived 103, dwell 89, live 84, sit 70Full study and all 960 verses →
- בַּעַל baalowner, lordtranslated this way 2 times of its 76 uses · Strong’s H1167Noun · Translated: owner 15, leaders 15, husband 6, bound 2Full study and all 72 verses →
Numbers 21:28 For a fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the rulers of Arnon’s heights.
Isaiah 16:8 For the fields of Heshbon have withered, along with the grapevines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations have trampled its choicest vines, which had reached as far as Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots had spread out and passed over the sea.
- נָגַשׂ nâgaspress, drive, oppress, exacttranslated this way 2 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s H5065Verb · Translated: taskmasters 4, oppressor 4, oppressors 2, collect 2Full study and all 23 verses →
Isaiah 60:17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold; I will bring silver in place of iron, bronze instead of wood, and iron instead of stones. I will appoint peace as your governor and righteousness as your ruler.
Zechariah 10:4 The cornerstone will come from Judah, the tent peg from him, as well as the battle bow and every ruler together.
Greek words (New Testament)
- ἄρχων árchōna ruler, prince, leadertranslated this way 20 times of its 37 uses · Strong’s G758Noun · Translated: rulers 14, prince 7, ruler 6, synagogue leader 2Full study and all 36 verses →
Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.
Luke 18:18 Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- ἀρχή archḗruler, beginningtranslated this way 6 times of its 55 uses · Strong’s G746Noun · Translated: beginning 31, rulers 5, first 3, rule 2Full study and all 55 verses →
Luke 12:11 When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say.
Ephesians 3:10 His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
- ἡγέομαι hēgéomaiI lead, thinktranslated this way 2 times of its 27 uses · Strong’s G2233Verb · Translated: consider 7, leaders 4, ruler 2, thought 2Full study and all 26 verses →
Matthew 2:6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’”
Acts 7:10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.