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ἡγεμών

hēgemṓn

G2232 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Principal leader or governor, denoting a person exercising authority over a territory or administrative unit; in various contexts, refers to the official responsible for governance, adjudication, or military command. Semantic range includes: (1) governor of a Roman province; (2) ruler or political head; (3) to a lesser extent, a military commander in pre-classical and classical usage.

Semantic Range

governor (provincial or regional), ruler, leader, principal magistrate, military commander, chief official

Root / Etymology

Derived from the verb ἡγέομαι ('to lead, to guide'); the suffix -ών forms an agent noun, indicating 'one who leads.' Cognate with English 'hegemony'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἡγεμών broadly signified any leader—whether military, political, or otherwise—without specific administrative connotation. In Hellenistic and Roman periods, particularly in Koine, it gained a technical usage for provincial governors, especially those appointed by the Roman state (e.g., Pontius Pilate as ἡγεμών of Judea). In the New Testament, ἡγεμών typically refers to Roman officials charged with administrative, judicial, or military authority over a defined region. Septuagint usage can parallel biblical Hebrew terms for commanders or rulers without the later Roman specificity. English translations usually render as 'governor' or 'ruler,' which sometimes oversimplifies the variety of leadership roles the term could cover. Context is key for distinguishing between generic leadership and a specific administrative office. No inherent religious connotation attaches to the term; it functions as a title of office or rank.

Translation Consistency

primary "governor" 16 occurrences

'Governor' is the most frequent and natural rendering in the P2 data and fits the primary SILEX sense — an official exercising administrative or territorial authority (provincial ruler, chief magistrate). It also covers related senses (ruler, leader, military commander) while remaining the most specific and idiomatic choice for likely contexts (e.g., Roman provincial officials).

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"governing ruler" (4x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἡγέομαι; a leader, i.e. chief person (or figuratively, place) of a province:--governor, prince, ruler.

Root Family

ἡγεμ- (hēgemṓn) — to lead, to guide, to rule

Root ἡγεμ- to lead, to guide, to rule

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2232-06 ἡγεμόνος egemonos N GEN M SG governor of a governor of a governor 5
G2232-01 ἡγεμὼν egemon N NOM M SG governor governing ruler governing ruler 4
G2232-04 ἡγεμόνι egemoni N DAT M SG governor to a governor governor 4
G2232-02 ἡγεμόνα egemona N ACC M SG governor governor governor 2
G2232-03 ἡγεμόνας egemonas N ACC M PL governors governing leaders governors 2
G2232-07 ἡγεμόσιν egemosin N DAT M PL to governors to the governors to the governors 2
G2232-05 ἡγεμόνων egemonon N GEN M PL governors of governors governors 1

Occurrences in Scripture

20 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2232-07 Matthew 2:6 ἡγεμόσιν egemosin N DAT M PL rulers to the governors governors
G2232-03 Matthew 10:18 ἡγεμόνας egemonas N ACC M PL governors governing leaders governors
G2232-04 Matthew 27:2 ἡγεμόνι egemoni N DAT M SG governor to a governor governor
G2232-06 Matthew 27:11 ἡγεμόνος egemonos N GEN M SG governor of a governor of a governor
G2232-01 Matthew 27:11 ἡγεμὼν egemon N NOM M SG governor governing ruler governing ruler
G2232-02 Matthew 27:14 ἡγεμόνα egemona N ACC M SG governor governor governor
G2232-01 Matthew 27:15 ἡγεμὼν egemon N NOM M SG governor governing ruler governing ruler
G2232-01 Matthew 27:21 ἡγεμὼν egemon N NOM M SG governor governing ruler governing ruler
G2232-06 Matthew 27:27 ἡγεμόνος egemonos N GEN M SG governor of a governor of a governor
G2232-06 Matthew 28:14 ἡγεμόνος egemonos N GEN M SG governor's of a governor of a governor
G2232-05 Mark 13:9 ἡγεμόνων egemonon N GEN M PL governors of governors governors
G2232-06 Luke 20:20 ἡγεμόνος egemonos N GEN M SG governor of a governor of a governor
G2232-03 Luke 21:12 ἡγεμόνας egemonas N ACC M PL governors governing leaders governors
G2232-02 Acts 23:24 ἡγεμόνα egemona N ACC M SG governor governor governor
G2232-04 Acts 23:26 ἡγεμόνι egemoni N DAT M SG governor to a governor governor
G2232-04 Acts 23:33 ἡγεμόνι egemoni N DAT M SG governor to a governor to a governor
G2232-04 Acts 24:1 ἡγεμόνι egemoni N DAT M SG governor to a governor governor
G2232-06 Acts 24:10 ἡγεμόνος egemonos N GEN M SG governor of a governor of a governor
G2232-01 Acts 26:30 ἡγεμὼν egemon N NOM M SG governor governing ruler governing ruler
G2232-07 1 Peter 2:14 ἡγεμόσιν egemosin N DAT M PL to governors to the governors to the governors
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