Biblical Lexicon

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H5387a H5387a

Conj-w | 130× in 2 senses

A chief, prince, or tribal leader; one raised up to authority over a clan, tribe, or nation.

In the Pentateuch and Chronicles, this noun designates the recognized heads of Israel's twelve tribes -- the leaders summoned by Moses and counted in the census rolls of Numbers. The root n-s-' ('to lift up') captures the idea of one elevated above his kinsmen. German consistently renders Fuehrer ('leader') for the tribal heads but shifts to Fuerst ('prince') for the sovereign figure in Ezekiel, mirroring how the word stretches from a community headman to the eschatological royal shepherd-prince of Ezekiel 34-48.

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Senses

1. leader, chief, head of tribe — The designated head of a tribal, clan, or communal group -- particularly the chiefs of Israel's twelve tribes appointed for census and camp organization (Num 2:3-29). Spanish principe and French chef both converge on the administrative, delegated-authority sense. The term appears in formulaic lists (Num 1:5-16; 7:10-83) where each leader represents his father's house before the congregation. 116×

PROPERTIES_RELATIONS › Nature, Class, Example › Geography and Space

AR["رَئِيسٌ", "رَئِيسُ"]·ben["নেতা"]·DE["Fuehrer", "ein-Fuehrer"]·EN["a-leader", "leader"]·FR["chef", "un-chef"]·heb["נשיא"]·HI["प्रधान"]·ID["pemimpin", "seorang-pemimpin"]·IT["capo", "un-capo"]·jav["pangageng", "pemimpin"]·KO["족장", "족장-이"]·PT["príncipe"]·RU["начальник"]·ES["príncipe", "príncipe-de"]·SW["kiongozi", "mkuu", "mkuu-wa"]·TR["önder"]·urd["سردار"]

Lev 4:22, Num 2:3, Num 2:5, Num 2:7, Num 2:10, Num 2:12, Num 2:14, Num 2:18, Num 2:20, Num 2:22, Num 2:25, Num 2:27 (+38 more)

2. prince, sovereign ruler — A sovereign prince or exalted ruler exercising royal authority, especially Ezekiel's eschatological prince (Ezek 34:24; 44:3; 45:7-8). German Fuerst and French prince distinguish this from the tribal-headman sense, signaling elevated, almost monarchic, status. In Exodus 22:28, the term stands parallel to 'elohim, marking a ruler whom one must not curse. 14×

PROPERTIES_RELATIONS › Nature, Class, Example › Geography and Space

AR["رَئيسَ", "رَئيسُ", "رَئِيسًا", "رَئِيسٌ", "رَئِيسٍ", "رَئِيسَ", "رَئِيسِ", "نَسِيءٍ", "وَ-الرَّئِيسُ", "وَ-رَئيساً", "وَالرَّئِيسُ"]·ben["অধ্যক্ষ", "আর-নেতা", "এবং-নেতা", "এবং-নেতাকে", "নেতা", "রাজপুত্র"]·DE["Fuerst", "und-der-Fuerst", "und-ein-Herrscher"]·EN["and-a-ruler", "and-the-prince", "prince", "prince-of"]·FR["et-prince", "et-un-chef", "prince"]·heb["ו-ה-נשיא", "ו-נשיא", "נשיא"]·HI["और-प्रधान", "दाऊद", "प्रधान", "मेरा"]·ID["dan-pemimpin", "dan-raja", "dan-raja-itu", "pemimpin", "pemimpin-", "raja"]·IT["e-il-principe", "e-un-governatore", "principe"]·jav["Lan-pangageng", "Lan-pangageng-punika", "lan-pangarsa", "pangageng", "pangagengipun", "pangéran"]·KO["군주-", "군주가", "군주로", "그리고-그-족장은", "그리고-지도자는", "그리고-지도자를", "오장", "족장", "족장-의", "지도자", "지도자여"]·PT["E-o-príncipe", "e-o-príncipe", "e-príncipe", "príncipe", "príncipe-de"]·RU["Йехуды", "и-князь", "и-начальника", "князем", "князь", "князьям", "начальник", "начальников"]·ES["Y-el-príncipe", "príncipe", "príncipe-de", "y-a-príncipe"]·SW["Na-mkuu", "kiongozi", "mkuu", "mkuu-wa", "na-kiongozi", "na-mkuu"]·TR["ve-yöneticiyi", "ve-önder", "önder", "önder-", "öndere", "önderi"]·urd["اور-حاکم", "اور-سردار-کو", "اور-شہزادہ", "رئیس", "سردار"]

Exod 22:28, Num 13:2, 1 Chr 2:10, 1 Chr 5:6, 2 Chr 1:2, Ezek 12:12, Ezek 21:25, Ezek 34:24, Ezek 37:25, Ezek 38:2, Ezek 38:3, Ezek 39:1 (+2 more)

BDB / Lexicon Reference

I. נָשִׂיא128 n.m. one lifted up, i.e. a chief prince;—abs. נ׳ Ez 22:27 +; cstr. נְשִׂיא Gn 23:6 +; pl. נְשִׂיאִים Jos 22:32 +, נְשִׂאִים Ex 34:31 + 7 times, נְשִׂיאִם Gn 17:20 + 3 times, נְשִׂאִם Ex 35:27; cstr. נְשִׂיאֵי Ex 16:22 +; sf. נְשִׂיאַי Ez 45:8, נְשִׂיאֶיהָ Ez 32:29, נְשִׂיאֵיהֶם Nu 17:21, נְשִׂיאֵהֶם v 17, etc.—mostly in Isr.: 1. נ׳ בְּעַמְּךָ of any chief man, Ex 22:27 (E; human…