H5057 H5057
Ruler, leader, prince; a designated authority figure, or (once) noble/excellent things
A masculine noun meaning 'leader' or 'ruler,' derived from the root nagad ('to be in front'). It carries the sense of one who stands at the head -- designated, appointed, set before the people as their chief. The word appears prominently in the narratives of Israel's monarchy: Samuel anoints Saul as nagid over Israel, David is told he will be nagid, and Solomon is installed as such. Unlike melek ('king'), nagid emphasizes the act of divine appointment and the leader's role as forerunner. A unique abstract usage in Proverbs 8:6 shifts the word to mean 'noble things' -- the excellent speech of personified Wisdom.
Senses
1. ruler, leader, prince — A person holding political, military, or religious authority -- a ruler, commander, prince, or officially designated leader. Attested 43 times, this sense spans the entire range of Israelite leadership: Saul anointed as nagid (1 Samuel 9:16, 10:1), David designated by God (1 Samuel 13:14, 2 Samuel 5:2, 7:8), Solomon installed (1 Chronicles 29:22), and temple overseers (2 Chronicles 35:8). French distinguishes chef, prince, and leader; Spanish oscillates between principe, gobernador, and lider; Arabic renders variously as ra'is and qa'id -- all pointing to appointed authority rather than hereditary royalty, which aligns with BDB's observation that nagid is 'one in front.' 43×
AR["الرَّئِيس", "الرَّئِيسُ", "النَّاظِرُ", "رَئيساً", "رَئِيس", "رَئِيسًا", "رَئِيسٌ", "قَائِدٍ", "لِقائِدٍ", "لِلرِّئَاسَةِ"]·ben["-প্রশাসক", "অধিনায়ক-রূপে", "তত্ত্বাবধায়ক", "নাগিদ", "নেতা", "নেতা-রূপে", "নেতাদের", "শাসক", "হতে"]·DE["Fuehrer", "Fuerst", "Herrscher", "leader"]·EN["a-ruler", "as-leader", "as-ruler", "leader", "leader-of", "prince", "ruler", "the-leader", "the-ruler"]·FR["chef", "leader", "prince"]·heb["ה-נגיד", "ל-נגיד", "נגיד"]·HI["-के-प्रधान", "अगुवा", "अगुवा-के-लिए", "अगुवों", "अधिकारी", "नागीद", "नायक", "प्रधान"]·ID["-pemimpin", "di-antara-saudara-saudaranya", "pemimpin", "sebagai-pemimpin"]·IT["capo", "governante", "principe"]·jav["dhateng-pangageng", "kanggé-pamimpin", "pangageng", "panggedhé", "panuntun", "pemimpin", "sang-pangageng"]·KO["그-지도자", "그-지도자이다", "에-대한-지도자로", "인도자-로", "지도자", "지도자가", "지도자로", "지휘관이", "통치자", "통치자가"]·PT["como-líder", "líder", "o-líder", "para-líder", "príncipe", "príncipe-de"]·RU["а-вождь", "вождём", "как-правителя", "начальник", "начальником", "правителем"]·ES["el-gobernador", "el-príncipe", "líder", "oficial", "por-príncipe", "príncipe", "príncipe-de"]·SW["kama-kiongozi", "kiongozi", "kiongozi-huyo", "kuwa-mkuu", "mkuu", "nagiyd"]·TR["önder", "önder-olarak", "önderle"]·urd["حاکم", "رہنما", "سردار", "نگران", "نگران-کے-لیے", "پیشوا", "پیشوا-کے-طور-پر"]
1 Sam 9:16, 1 Sam 10:1, 1 Sam 13:14, 1 Sam 25:30, 2 Sam 5:2, 2 Sam 6:21, 2 Sam 7:8, 1 Kgs 1:35, 1 Kgs 14:7, 1 Kgs 16:2, 2 Kgs 20:5, 1 Chr 5:2 (+31 more)
2. noble, excellent things — An abstract or adjectival usage meaning 'noble things' or 'excellent matters,' found uniquely in Proverbs 8:6 where personified Wisdom declares: 'Hear, for I will speak negidim.' Here the plural shifts from persons-in-authority to the quality of speech itself -- things that are princely, worthy, and authoritative. Spanish renders cosas nobles, English noble things, though French and German leave the Hebrew untranslated in some versions, suggesting translators found this metaphorical leap from 'rulers' to 'ruling-quality speech' challenging to capture in a single word. 1×
AR["بِسُمُوٍّ"]·ben["মহৎ-বিষয়ে"]·DE["[נגידים]"]·EN["noble-things"]·FR["נגידים"]·heb["נגידים"]·HI["उत्तम-बातें"]·ID["hal-hal-yang-mulia"]·IT["noble-things"]·jav["bab-kang-mulya"]·KO["고균한-것-들-을"]·PT["coisas-excelentes"]·RU["великое"]·ES["cosas-nobles"]·SW["mambo-mazuri"]·TR["soylu-şeyler"]·urd["عمدہ-باتیں"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)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×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)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×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† נָגִיד n.m. leader (lit. prob. one in front), ruler, prince;—abs. נ׳ 1 S 9:16 + 31 times; cstr. נְגִיד (נְגִד) 2 K 20:5 + 6 times; pl. נְגִידִים Jb 29:10 + 3 times; נְגִידֵי 2 Ch 35:8;—ruler, prince ψ 76:13 Pr 28:16 Jb 29:10; 31:37 (in sim.). Especially 1. of king of Isr.: of Saul מָשַׁח לְנ׳ עַל (+ acc. pers.), 1 S 9:16 (subj. proph.), cf. of Sol., subj. people, 1 Ch 29:22; 1 S 10:1 (subj.…