ἡγέομαι G2233
Consider, regard, esteem; also to lead, guide, or rule over others — a verb spanning cognition and authority.
A versatile Greek verb that bridges the mental world of judgment and the public world of leadership. In its dominant New Testament usage, hegeomai means to consider, regard, or reckon — forming an evaluation or assessment, as when Paul counts all things loss compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8) or urges believers to esteem others as more important than themselves (Philippians 2:3). The secondary sense preserves the verb's classical meaning of leading or ruling, applied to governors (Acts 7:10), tribal chiefs (Matthew 2:6), and church leaders (Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24). Spanish distinguishes these neatly: considerad for 'regard' versus gobernante for 'ruler.'
Senses
1. consider, regard, esteem — The cognitive sense — to consider, think, regard, or reckon something to be a certain way. Paul uses it to evaluate his former privileges as loss (Philippians 3:7–8), to urge mutual esteem (Philippians 2:3), and to express his considered judgment (2 Corinthians 9:5; Acts 26:2). James 1:2 employs it for counting trials as joy. Spanish considerad and German achten consistently capture this evaluative reasoning. The participial form is common, expressing an ongoing mental assessment rather than a momentary thought. 20×
AR["أنْ-تَعْتَبِروا", "أَحسَبُ", "أَحْسِبُ", "أَحْسِبُهُ", "أَعْتَبِرُ", "احسَبوا", "احسِبوا", "اعْتَبَرَتْ", "اعْتَبَرَني", "تَحْسَبوا", "حاسِبينَ", "حَسِبَ", "حَسِبْتُ", "حَسِبْتُهُ", "رَأَيتُ", "لِيَحْسِبوهُم", "يَحسَبونَ", "يَحْسِبْ"]·ben["আমি-মনে-করি", "গণ্য-করি", "গণ্য-করে", "গণ্য-করেছি", "গণ্য-করেছিলেন", "গণ্য-করেছে", "গণ্য-করো", "তারা-গণ্য-করুক,", "তিনি-মনে-করলেন,", "মনে-কর", "মনে-করিয়াছি", "মনে-করে", "মনে-করেছি", "মনে-করেছিলেন", "মনে-করো", "সম্মান-করতে"]·DE["achten", "hält-für"]·EN["I-consider", "I-considered", "I-have-considered", "consider", "considered", "considering", "having-considered", "having-regarded", "he-considered", "let-consider", "she-considered", "to-esteem"]·FR["considérer"]·heb["חִשְׁבוּ", "חָשְׁבָה", "חָשַׁב", "חָשַׁבְתִּי", "חָשַׁבְתִּי,", "חוֹשְׁבִים", "חוֹשֵׁב", "יַחְשְׁבוּ", "כְּדֵי", "לְהַחְשִׁיב", "תַּחֲשִׁיבוּ"]·HI["मानो", "मैं-समझता-हूँ", "मैंने-समझा", "मैन-मअन्त-हुन", "मैने-मअन,", "मैने-समझ,", "समझ", "समझकर", "समझकर,", "समझताहूँ", "समझते-हुए", "समझते-हैं", "समझन", "समझने-वाला,", "समझा", "समझेइन", "समझो"]·ID["Dia-menganggap", "aku anggap", "aku menganggap", "aku-anggap", "aku-anggap,", "anggaplah,", "anggaplah;", "hendaklah-menganggap", "ia-menganggap", "menganggap", "menganggap,", "menghormati", "telah-menganggap,"]·IT["considerare"]·jav["Panjenenganipun-ngajèni,", "anggepana,", "anggepna;", "kawula-pangaji", "kula-anggep", "kula-anggep,", "kula-nganggep", "ngajèni", "nganggep", "nganggep,", "padha-ngajèni,"]·KO["생각하노라,", "여겨,", "여겨서", "여겨오노라,", "여겨젤노라,", "여겼다", "여겼으니", "여기게-하라,", "여기기를", "여기나,", "여기노라", "여기는", "여기는-자들", "여기라,", "여기라;", "여기시지", "여기지-말라", "여긴-자고", "여긴다"]·PT["considerai", "consideram", "considerando", "considerei", "considerem", "considero", "considerou", "estimá-los", "julguei", "o-considereis"]·RU["да-считают", "посчитал", "почитать", "почитающий", "почла", "почтя", "почёл", "считайте", "считайте,", "считаю", "считают", "считающие", "считая", "счёл"]·ES["considerad", "consideran", "considerando", "consideren", "considero", "consideré", "consideréis", "consideró", "estimarlos", "he-considerado"]·SW["akihesabu", "alihesabu", "alimhesabu", "alinihesabu", "hesabuni", "kuwaheshimu", "mhesabie", "mkiwahesabu", "mwoneni", "nahesabu", "naona", "niliona", "niliona,", "nimeyahesabu", "ninajiona", "wakiona", "wanaona", "wawahesabie"]·TR["düşündüm", "sayan", "sayanlar", "sayar", "sayarak", "sayarım", "saydim", "saydı", "sayiyorum", "saymadi", "saymak", "saysunlar", "sayın", "sayıyorum"]·urd["جانا", "سمجھ-کر", "سمجھا", "سمجھا-ہے", "سمجھتا-ہوں", "سمجھتا-ہوں،", "سمجھتے-ہوئے", "سمجھتے-ہیں،", "سمجھنے-والا", "سمجھو", "سمجھو؛", "سمجھو٬", "سمجھیں"]
Acts 26:2, 2 Cor 9:5, Phil 2:3, Phil 2:6, Phil 2:25, Phil 3:7, Phil 3:8, Phil 3:8, 1 Thess 5:13, 2 Thess 3:15, 1 Tim 1:12, 1 Tim 6:1 (+8 more)
2. lead, guide, rule — The leadership sense — to lead, guide, direct, or rule over others. Matthew 2:6 applies it to the messianic ruler from Bethlehem (citing Micah 5:2), Acts 7:10 to Joseph as governor of Egypt, and Acts 14:12 to Barnabas as the 'leading' figure. Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24 uses the participle hoi hegoumenoi as a near-technical term for church leaders. Spanish gobernante and dirigiendo distinguish this authority sense from the cognitive one. French notably uses considerer for both senses, collapsing a distinction that Greek and Spanish preserve. 8×
AR["رَئِيسًا", "قائِدَ", "قائِدُ", "قادَةً", "قَائِدٌ", "قَادَتِكُمْ"]·ben["নেতা", "নেতা,", "নেতাদের", "প্রধান", "শাসনকর্তা"]·DE["achten", "hält-für"]·EN["leader", "leading", "one-ruling"]·FR["considérer"]·heb["בְּ-", "הַמַּנְהִיג", "מַנְהִיג", "מַנְהִיגִיכֶם", "מַנְהִיגִים", "מוֹשֵׁל"]·HI["अगुआ", "अगुवा", "अगुवे", "अगुवों-की", "अगुवों-को", "शासक"]·ID["pemimpin", "pemimpin,", "yang-memimpin"]·IT["considerare"]·jav["ingkang-mimpin,", "kang-mimpin", "mimpin", "pangarsaning", "pangarsanipun,", "pemimpin", "pemimpin-pemimpin"]·KO["다스리는-자-가", "다스리는-자-로", "인도하는", "인도하는-자", "인도하는-자는", "인도하는-자들-에게", "인도하는-자들-을"]·PT["governador", "governante", "líderes", "que-liderava"]·RU["вождь", "наставникам", "наставников", "начальником", "начальствующий", "начальствующих"]·ES["dirigiendo", "gobernador", "gobernante", "líder", "líderes", "que-os-dirigen"]·SW["anayeongoza", "kiongozi", "viongozi"]·TR["yönetici", "önder", "önderler", "önderlerinize", "önderlerinizi"]·urd["حاکم", "حکمران", "راہنماؤں", "راہنماؤں-کو", "رہنما", "سردار", "سرداروں"]
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×)H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)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×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἡγέομαι, Doric dialect ἁγ- (irregular present participle ἁγώμενος Refsimperfect ἡγούμηνRefs, Ionic dialect -εύμηνRefs 5th c.BC+: future ἡγήσομαι Refs 8th c.BC+: aorist 1 ἡγησάμην Refs 8th c.BC+aorist 1 ἡγήθηνRefs 3rd c.AD+: perfect ἥγημαι Refs 5th c.BC+:—go before, lead the way, ὣς εἰπὼν ἡγεῖθ᾽, ἡ δ᾽ ἕσπετο Παλλὰς 'Αθήνη Refs 8th c.BC+: Astron., precede in the daily movement, Refs 4th c.BC+ __b…