H5257b H5257b
nesikei — princes, chieftains, tribal or regional leaders
This plural noun form denotes princes or chieftains—leaders of tribal or regional groups. Distinguished from the more common word for 'prince' (nasi), this term appears primarily in poetic texts and refers to defeated enemy leaders or foreign rulers. The contexts involve military defeat and judgment: Midianite kings defeated by Israel, princes of the north brought low, rulers of Edom in Ezekiel's oracle. The term may carry connotations of established, hereditary leadership over defined territories or peoples, particularly non-Israelite rulers.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Princes or chieftains, particularly of foreign or enemy peoples. Joshua 13:21 lists 'the princes of Sihon (nesikei Sichon),' Midianite kings defeated when Moses struck down Sihon king of the Amorites—regional rulers under Sihon's overlordship. Psalm 83:11 recalls this in prayer: 'Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes (nesikhemo) like Zebah and Zalmunna'—requesting similar defeat for current enemies. Ezekiel 32:30 describes judgment: 'the princes of the north (nesikei tsafon) are there, all of them'—northern rulers consigned to Sheol with other defeated nations. Micah 5:5 prophesies raising 'seven shepherds and eight princes of men (nesikei adam)' against Assyria. The term designates established regional or tribal leaders, usually non-Israelite. 4×
AR["أُمَراءِ", "أُمَرَائِهِمْ", "رُؤَسَاءَ", "رُؤَسَاءُ"]·ben["অধিপতি", "তাদের-অধ্যক্ষদের", "নগরপতিরা", "নেতা-"]·DE["Fuersten-von", "[נסיכי]", "ihr-princes"]·EN["princes-of", "their-princes"]·FR["libation", "prince", "princes-de"]·heb["נסיכי", "נסיכימו"]·HI["उनके-राजाओं-को", "प्रधान", "हाकिमों"]·ID["pemimpin", "pemimpin-mereka", "pemimpin-pemimpin"]·IT["[נסיכי]", "[נסיכמו]", "principi-di"]·jav["pangageng-pangageng", "para-pamimpin", "para-pangageng", "para-pangageng-ipun"]·KO["군주들", "그들-의-왕들-을", "장수들이-있다", "총독들"]·PT["os-seus-príncipes", "príncipes-de", "vassalos-de"]·RU["вассалов", "вождей-их", "князей", "князья"]·ES["los-príncipes-de", "príncipes-de", "príncipes-de-ellos"]·SW["wakuu-wa", "wao-wote"]·TR["beyleri", "prenslerini", "önderleri", "önderlerini"]·urd["امیر", "اُن-کے-رئیسوں-کو", "رئیس", "سردار"]
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
† II. [נָסִיךְ] n.m. prince;—pl. cstr. נְסִיכֵי Jos 13:21; Ez 32:30; Mi 5:4; sf. נְסִיכֵמוֹ ψ 83:12.