ἀρχῐερ-εύς G0749
High priest, chief priest — the principal priestly officer of the Jerusalem temple, or collectively the senior priestly leadership
Archiereus combines arche ('chief, first') with hiereus ('priest') to designate the highest-ranking priest. In the singular it refers to the high priest who alone entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement — figures like Caiaphas (Matt 26:57) and Annas (John 18:13). In the plural, 'chief priests' denotes the priestly aristocracy who wielded political power in Jerusalem and feature prominently in the passion narratives as opponents of Jesus (Matt 21:23; 26:3). The letter to the Hebrews transforms the term theologically, declaring Jesus the eternal high priest after the order of Melchizedek (Heb 4:14-5:10). Spanish 'sumo sacerdote,' French 'grand pretre,' and German 'Hohepriester' all preserve the compound structure.
Senses
1. high priest, chief priest — The chief priest or high priest of the Jewish temple system, used in the singular for the office-holder who alone performed the Day of Atonement ritual (Caiaphas in Matt 26:57; Annas in Luke 3:2), and in the plural for the broader priestly aristocracy who wielded religious-political authority in Jerusalem (Matt 2:4; 21:23). Hebrews reappropriates the title for Christ as the eternal high priest after Melchizedek's order (Heb 4:14; 9:11). Spanish 'sumo sacerdote/principales sacerdotes,' French 'grand pretre/principaux sacrificateurs,' and German 'Hohepriester/Hohenpriester' reflect the singular-plural distinction. 123×
AR["رُؤَساءَ-الكَهَنَةِ", "رُؤَساءُ-الكَهَنَةِ", "رُؤَساءِ-الكَهَنَةِ", "رُؤَسَاءُ-الْكَهَنَةِ", "رُؤَسَاءِ-الكَهَنَةِ", "رُؤَسَاءِ-الْكَهَنَةِ"]·ben["প্রধান-যাজকদের", "প্রধান-যাজকরা", "প্রধান-যাজকেরা", "প্রধানযাজকদের"]·DE["Hohepriester"]·EN["chief-priests"]·FR["grand-prêtre"]·heb["כֹּהֲנִים-הַגְּדוֹלִים", "רָאשֵׁי-הַכֹּהֲנִים", "רָאשֵׁי-כֹּהֲנִים", "רָאשֵׁי־הַכֹּהֲנִים"]·HI["प्रमुख-यजकोन", "प्रमुख-यजकोन-को", "महायाजक", "महायाजकों", "महायाजकों-को", "महायाजकों-ने"]·ID["imam-imam-kepala", "imam-kepala"]·IT["sommo-sacerdote"]·jav["imam-ageng", "imam-agung", "imam-agung,", "pangageng-imam", "para-imam-agung"]·KO["대제사장들", "대제사장들-에게", "대제사장들-은", "대제사장들-을", "대제사장들-이", "대제사장들과"]·PT["principais-sacerdotes", "sumos-sacerdotes"]·RU["первосвященникам", "первосвященниками", "первосвященники", "первосвященников"]·ES["principales-sacerdotes", "sumos-sacerdotes"]·SW["makuhani-wakuu", "na", "wakuu-wa-makuhani"]·TR["baş-kâhinlerden", "baş-kâhinleri", "başkahinler", "başkahinlere", "başkâhinler", "başkâhinlerden", "başkâhinlere", "başkâhinlerin"]·urd["سردار-کاہن", "سردار-کاہنوں", "سردار-کاہنوں-نے", "سردار-کاہنوں-کو", "سردار-کاہنوں-کی", "سردار-کاہنوں-کے"]
Matt 2:4, Matt 16:21, Matt 20:18, Matt 21:15, Matt 21:23, Matt 21:45, Matt 26:3, Matt 26:14, Matt 26:47, Matt 26:59, Matt 27:1, Matt 27:3 (+38 more)
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)G0040 2. holy, sacred, consecrated (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀρχῐερ-εύς, έως, ὁ: Ionic dialect ἀρχῐέρεως, εω, Refs 5th c.BC+:— arch-priest, chief-priest, [same places], frequently in Inscrr., νήσουRefs 1st c.AD+, etc.:—at Rome, = pontifex, Refs 1st c.AD+; ἀ. μέγιστος, = pontifex maximus, Refs:—at Jerusalem, high-priest, LXX+NT