G4245 G4245
Elder; a community leader, ancestor, or older person — spanning official authority, ancestral honor, and comparative age.
In the New Testament world, this word bridges civic authority and simple seniority. Most often it designates an official leader — a member of the Sanhedrin, a synagogue ruler, or a church overseer — as seen across the Gospels and Acts where 'the elders' stand alongside chief priests as institutional gatekeepers. Yet the same word can reach back through time to honor the faithful ancestors of Hebrews 11, or simply describe someone older in years, as when the elder brother in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son refuses to celebrate (Luke 15:25). Spanish 'ancianos' and German 'Älteste' both capture this double register of age and authority.
4. older woman — The feminine counterpart describing older women in the community. In 1 Timothy 5:2 Paul counsels Timothy to treat 'older women as mothers,' where Spanish 'ancianas' and English 'older women' mark a clear gender and role distinction from the masculine elder-as-leader. 1×
AR["الشَّيْخاتِ"]·ben["প্রাচীনাদের"]·DE["Aelteste"]·EN["older-women"]·FR["ancien"]·heb["זְקֵנוֹת"]·HI["बोओधि-स्त्रियोन"]·ID["perempuan-tua"]·IT["anziano"]·jav["tiyang-èstri-sepuh"]·KO["장로들을"]·PT["anciãs"]·RU["стариц"]·ES["a-ancianas"]·SW["wake-zake"]·TR["yaşlı-kadınları"]·urd["بوڑھیوں"]
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
1. elder, community leader — The dominant institutional sense: a recognized leader or official bearing the quasi-title 'elder' within Jewish or early Christian governance. In the Gospels, these elders conspire with chief priests against Jesus (Matt 16:21; 26:3); in Acts and the Epistles they shepherd local congregations. The multilingual evidence is remarkably stable — English 'elders,' Spanish 'ancianos,' French 'ancien,' German 'Älteste' — confirming a single well-understood social role across translation traditions. 60×
AR["الشُّيوخِ","الشُّيُوخُ","الشُّيُوخِ","شُيوخَ","شُيوخُ","شُيُوخُ","شُيُوخِ"]·ben["প্রাচীনদের","প্রাচীনরা","প্রাচীনেরা"]·DE["Aelteste","Ältester"]·EN["elders"]·FR["ancien"]·heb["הַזְּקֵנִים","זְקֵנִים","זִקְנֵי"]·HI["अशुद्ध","पुरनिये","पुरनियों","प्रअचिनो","प्रअचेएनोन","प्राचीन","प्राचीनों","प्राचीनों-को"]·ID["tua-tua"]·IT["anziano"]·jav["para-pinisepuh,","para-pinisepuh;","pinisepuh","pinisepuh,","pinituwa","sesepuh","sesepuh?"]·KO["장로들","장로들-에게","장로들-의","장로들-이","장로들과","장로들을","장로들의","장로들이"]·PT["anciãos"]·RU["старейшин","старейшинам","старейшинами","старейшины","старцев"]·ES["ancianos","ancianos?"]·SW["-ya-wazee","wa-","wazee"]·TR["atalarin","ataların","ihtiyarlar","ihtiyarlara","ihtiyarlardan","ihtiyarlarla","ihtiyarları","ihtiyarların"]·urd["-کے","بزرگ","بزرگوں","بزرگوں-کی","بزرگوں-کے","بُزُرگ","بُزُرگوں","بُزُرگوں-نے","بُزُرگوں-کو","بُزُرگوں-کی","بُزُرگوں-کے"]
Matt 15:2, Matt 16:21, Matt 21:23, Matt 26:3, Matt 26:47, Matt 26:57, Matt 27:1, Matt 27:3, Matt 27:12, Matt 27:20, Matt 27:41, Matt 28:12 (+38 more)
2. ancestor, person of old — People of former times, the revered ancestors of faith. Hebrews 11:2 commends 'the elders' who received divine approval, reaching past any institutional role to the great cloud of witnesses. The same translations — 'ancianos,' 'ancien,' 'Älteste' — are reused, so context alone distinguishes ancestral honor from community office. 3×
AR["شُيوخ","شُيوخاً","شُيُوخ"]·ben["প্রাচীনদের","প্রাচীনেরা"]·DE["Aelteste"]·EN["elders"]·FR["ancien"]·heb["זְקֵנִים"]·HI["पूर्वजों।","प्रचेएन,","बड़ों"]·ID["penatua-penatua,","tua-tua.","yang-tua"]·IT["anziano"]·jav["pinituwa,","sepuh","tiyang-sepuh"]·KO["선조들이","장로들-을","장로들에서"]·PT["anciãos,","antigos","mais-velhos"]·RU["старейшин","старейших","старцы"]·ES["ancianos"]·SW["wazee"]·TR["atalar","ihtiyarlar,","yaşlılardan"]·urd["بزرگوں","بزرگوں-کو"]
3. older in age — A straightforward comparative: 'older in age,' without implying any official standing. The elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:25) and the pastoral advice about older men in 1 Timothy 5:1 use this purely age-based sense. Spanish 'mayor' (rather than 'ancianos') and English 'older' signal the shift away from institutional meaning. 2×
AR["الأَكْبَرُ","الشَّيْخَ"]·ben["প্রাচীনকে","বড়"]·DE["Aelteste","Ältester"]·EN["an-older-man","older"]·FR["ancien"]·heb["בְּכוֹר","לְ-זָקֵן"]·HI["बड़ा","बोओधे-पर"]·ID["Orang-tua","yang-lebih-tua"]·IT["anziano"]·jav["Dhateng-tiyang-sepuh","langkung-sepuh,"]·KO["더-나이-많은","장로를"]·PT["A-ancião","mais-velho"]·RU["Старца","старший"]·ES["A-anciano","mayor"]·SW["Mzee","mkubwa"]·TR["büyük","İhtiyarı"]·urd["بوڑھے-کو","بڑا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Related to: πρεσβῠτέριον or πρεσβῠ-εῖον, τό, council of elders, presbytery, NT __II honour or privilege of an elder, LXX+2nd c.AD+