ἡγεμών G2232
A leader or ruler; in the NT especially a Roman provincial governor such as Pilate or Felix.
In classical Greek, hegemon covers any kind of leader -- a guide, a military commander, a chief. By the Roman period it had become the standard term for a provincial governor, and that is overwhelmingly how the New Testament uses it. Pontius Pilate is called hegemon throughout the Passion narratives (Matt 27:2, 11, 14), while Jesus warns his disciples they will be brought before hegemones and kings (Matt 10:18; Mark 13:9). Matthew 2:6 uniquely applies the word to the promised ruler from Bethlehem, echoing Micah 5:2 with messianic overtones.
Senses
1. governor — The dominant NT sense: a Roman provincial governor exercising judicial and administrative authority. All the Synoptic Passion accounts use hegemon for Pilate (Matt 27:2, 11, 14-15), and Acts applies it to Felix and Festus. Spanish 'gobernador,' French 'gouverneur,' and German 'Statthalter' all converge on this official-title reading. The singular form appears fifteen times, consistently in trial or administrative settings. 15×
AR["الوالي","الوَالِي","الْوَالِي"]·ben["রাজ্যপাল","রাজ্যপালের","শাসনকর্তা","শাসনকর্তাকে","শাসনকর্তার"]·DE["Statthalter"]·EN["governor"]·FR["gouverneur"]·heb["מוֹשֵׁל","נְצִיב","נָּצִיב"]·HI["राज्यपाल","राज्यपाल-के","राज्यपालककेसामने","राज्यपालकको","राज्यपालकने","राज्यपालके।","राज्यपालको"]·ID["gubernur","gubernur,"]·IT["governatore"]·jav["gubernur","gubernur,","gubernur.","wali-nagari","wali-nagari,","wali-nagari.","wali-nagari;"]·KO["총독","총독-의","총독-이","총독과","총독에게","총독의","총독이"]·PT["governador","governador,"]·RU["правителем","правитель","правителю","правителя"]·ES["gobernador"]·SW["gavana","liwali","mtawala"]·TR["vali","valinin","valiye"]·urd["حاکم","حاکم-کے","والی","والی-کے-سامنے","گورنر","گورنر-نے","گورنر-کو","گورنر-کی","گورنر-کے"]
Matt 27:2, Matt 27:11, Matt 27:11, Matt 27:14, Matt 27:15, Matt 27:21, Matt 27:27, Matt 28:14, Luke 20:20, Acts 23:24, Acts 23:26, Acts 23:33 (+3 more)
2. governors — The plural form 'governors,' used when Jesus or the apostles speak generically about civil authorities before whom believers will testify. Matt 10:18 and Mark 13:9 pair hegemones with kings as representative powers of the state. First Peter 2:14 sets governors alongside the emperor in a hierarchy of human authority. The plural highlights the class of officials rather than any single figure. 4×
AR["لِلحُكّامِ","وُلاةٍ","وُلَاةٍ"]·ben["শাসকদের","শাসনকর্তাদের"]·DE["Statthalter","ἡγεμόνων","ἡγεμόσιν"]·EN["governors","to-governors"]·FR["gouverneur"]·heb["לְמוֹשְׁלִים","מוֹשְׁלִים","נְגִידִים"]·HI["राज्यपालों","राज्यपालों-के","हाकिमों-के"]·ID["gubernur","gubernur-gubernur","penguasa-penguasa"]·IT["governatore","ēgemosin"]·jav["bupati,","guphèrnur","pangageng-pangageng","para-gubernur,"]·KO["총독들","총독들에게","총독들의"]·PT["aos-governadores,","governadores"]·RU["правителям","правителям,","правителями"]·ES["a-gobernadores","gobernadores"]·SW["kwa-watawala","watawala"]·TR["valilere","valilerin"]·urd["حاکموں","حاکموں،"]
3. rulers — A broader sense of 'ruler' or 'leader,' applied prophetically in Matt 2:6 to the one who will shepherd Israel. Here Matthew quotes Micah 5:2, and the word carries messianic weight rather than Roman bureaucratic overtones. Spanish 'gobernantes' captures the broader scope, distinguishing this from the narrower 'gobernador' of the governor senses. 1×
AR["رُؤَسَاءِ"]·ben["শাসকদের"]·DE["Statthalter"]·EN["rulers"]·FR["gouverneur"]·heb["נְשִׂיאֵי"]·HI["प्रधानों-में"]·ID["penguasa-penguasa"]·IT["governatore"]·jav["pangarsa-pangarsa"]·KO["통치자들-에"]·PT["governantes"]·RU["владык"]·ES["gobernantes"]·SW["watawala"]·TR["önderlerin"]·urd["حاکموں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἡγεμών, Doric dialect ἁγ-, Aeolic dialect ἀγίμων Refs, όνος, ; also ἡ, Refs 5th c.BC+:— one who leads; and so, __I in Refs 8th c.BC+, guide, Refs 5th c.BC+; of a charioteer, Refs 5th c.BC+ __I.2 one who does a thing first, shows the way to others, τοῖς νεωτέροις ἡ. ἠθῶν χρηστῶν γίγνεσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+: absolutely, of choir-leaders, Mnemos.Refs 2nd c.BC+ __II in Refs 8th c.BC+, leader, commander,…