1. ruler, dignitary — A person who rules or governs, used as a Qal participle functioning as a substantive noun meaning 'ruler' or 'prince.' All three clusters represent the same lexical meaning with variation only in prefixed prepositions and conjunctions (with-rulers, to-rulers, O-rulers). Cross-linguistic evidence confirms a single sense: Arabic الرُّؤَساءُ (al-ru'asā'u, 'the chiefs/leaders'), Spanish gobernantes/príncipes ('governors/princes'), Hindi शासक (śāsak, 'ruler'), Korean 방백들 (bangbaek-deul, 'magistrates'), Swahili watawala ('rulers/governors'). The participial form is consistent across all occurrences, serving as a poetic synonym for kings and judges in wisdom and prophetic literature (Proverbs 8:15, 31:4; Habakkuk 1:10). 6×
AR["أَيُّها-الرُّؤَساءُ","الرُّؤَسَاءَ","وَ-الرُّؤَساءُ","وَ-الرُّؤَسَاءُ","وَ-الْرُؤَسَاءُ","وَ-لِ-الرُّؤَساءِ"]·ben["এবং-শাসকগণ","এবং-শাসকদের-জন্য","এবং-শাসকরা","এবং-শাসকেরা","শাসকেরা","শাসনকর্তাদের"]·DE["O-rulers","[ולרוזנים]","[ורוזנים]","[ורזנים]","[רוזנים]","und-rulers"]·EN["O-rulers","and-for-rulers","and-rulers","rulers"]·FR["[רוזנים]","et-prince","et-ולרוזנים","et-ורוזנים","Ô-chefs"]·heb["ו-ל-רוזנים","ו-רוזנים","רוזנים"]·HI["और-शासक","और-हाकिमों-के-लिए","शासको","शासकों"]·ID["dan-bukan-untuk-penguasa","dan-para-penguasa","hai-para-pembesar","penguasa-penguasa"]·IT["O-rulers","[ורזנים]","[רוזנים]","e-e-rulers","e-per-e-per-rulers","e-principi"]·jav["lan-kanggé-pangageng","lan-para-panggedhe","lan-para-panguwasa","para-panggedhé","para-panguwasa","saha-para-panggedhé"]·KO["군주들아","귀인들을","그리고-관원들-이","그리고-방백-들은","그리고-지도자-들-이","그리고-통치자들에게"]·PT["e-governantes","e-os-príncipes","e-para-governantes","e-príncipes","governantes"]·RU["вельмож","и-властителям","и-правители","правители"]·ES["a-príncipes","ni-para-príncipes","príncipes","y-gobernantes","y-príncipes"]·SW["na-kwa-wakuu","na-watawala","watawala"]·TR["hükümdarlar","ve-hükümdarlar","ve-hükümdarlara","ve-yöneticiler","yoneticileri"]·urd["امیرو","اور-حاکم","اور-حکمران","اور-شاہزادوں-کے-لیے","حکمرانوں-کو"]
Senses
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [רָזַן, ? earlier רָזֹן, so LagBN 31] vb. be weighty, judicious, commanding (Arabic رَزُنَ be weighty, grave, firm of judgment; NH רֹווֵן = BH, so רוזנים Ecclus 44:4);—only Qal Pt. pl. as subst., rulers, potentates, ‖ מְלָכִים: רֹזְנִים Ju 5:3; Hb 1:10, רוֹ׳ ψ 2:2 Pr 8:15 31:4, ‖ שֹׁפְטֵי אֶרֶץ Is 40:23.