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Lexicon :: Strong's G749 - archiereus

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ἀρχιερεύς
Transliteration
archiereus (Key)
Pronunciation
ar-khee-er-yuce'
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Part of Speech
masculine noun
Root Word (Etymology)
Dictionary Aids

Vine's Expository Dictionary: View Entry

TDNT Reference: 3:265,349

Strong’s Definitions

ἀρχιερεύς archiereús, ar-khee-er-yuce'; from G746 and G2409; the high-priest (literally, of the Jews, typically, Christ); by extension a chief priest:—chief (high) priest, chief of the priests.


KJV Translation Count — Total: 123x

The KJV translates Strong's G749 in the following manner: chief priest (64x), high priest (58x), chief of the priest (1x).

KJV Translation Count — Total: 123x
The KJV translates Strong's G749 in the following manner: chief priest (64x), high priest (58x), chief of the priest (1x).
  1. chief priest, high priest

  2. the high priests, these comprise in addition to one holding the high priestly office, both those who had previously discharged it and although disposed, continued to have great power in the State, as well as the members of the families from which high priest were created, provided that they had much influence in public affairs.

  3. Used of Christ because by undergoing a bloody death he offered himself as an expiatory sacrifice to God, and has entered into the heavenly sanctuary where he continually intercedes on our behalf.

Strong’s Definitions [?](Strong’s Definitions Legend)
ἀρχιερεύς archiereús, ar-khee-er-yuce'; from G746 and G2409; the high-priest (literally, of the Jews, typically, Christ); by extension a chief priest:—chief (high) priest, chief of the priests.
STRONGS G749:
ἀρχιερεύς, -έως, , chief priest, high priest.
1. He who above all others was honored with the title of priest, the chief of the priests, הַגָדול כֹּהֵן (Leviticus 21:10; Numbers 35:25, [later הָרֹאשׁ כֹּהֵן, 2 Kings 25:18; 2 Chronicles 19:11, etc.]): Matthew 26:3, and often in the Gospels, the Acts, and the Epistle to the Hebrews. It was lawful for him to perform the common duties of the priesthood; but his chief duty was, once a year on the day of atonement, to enter the Holy of holies (from which the other priests were excluded) and offer sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of the people (Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9:7, 25), and to preside over the Sanhedrin, or supreme Council, when convened for judicial deliberations (Matthew 26:3; Acts 22:5; Acts 23:2). According to the Mosaic law no one could aspire to the high priesthood unless he were of the tribe of Aaron, and descended moreover from a high priestly family; and he on whom the office was conferred held it till death. But from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, when the kings of the Seleucidæ and afterwards the Herodian princes and the Romans arrogated to themselves the power of appointing the high priests, the office neither remained vested in the pontifical family nor was conferred on anyone for life; but it became venal, and could be transferred from one to another according to the will of civil or military rulers. Hence it came to pass, that during the one hundred and seven years intervening between Herod the Great and the destruction of the holy city, twenty-eight persons held the pontifical dignity (Josephus, Antiquities 20, 10; see Ἄννας). Cf. Winers RWB under the word Hoherpriester; Oehler in Herzog vi., pp. 198ff; [BB. DD., see under the words, Highpriest, Priest, etc. The names of the 28 (27?) above alluded to are given, together with a brief notice of each, in an article by Schürer in the Studien und Kritiken for 1872, pp. 597-607].
2. The plural ἀρχιερεῖς, which occurs often in the Gospels and Acts, as Matthew 2:4; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 26:3; Matthew 27:41; Mark 8:31; Mark 14:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 19:47; Luke 22:52, 66; Luke 23:4; Luke 24:20; John 7:32; John 11:57; John 18:35; Acts 4:23; Acts 5:24; Acts 9:14, 21; Acts 22:30; Acts 23:14, etc., and in Josephus, comprises, in addition to the one actually holding the high priestly office, both those who had previously discharged it and although deposed continued to have great power in the State (Josephus, vita 38; b. j. 2, 12, 6; 4, 3, 7; 9; 4, 4, 3; see Ἄννας above), as well as the members of the families from which high priests were created, provided they had much influence in public affairs (Josephus, b. j. 6, 2, 2). See on this point the learned discussion by Schürer, Die ἀρχιερεῖς im N. T, in the Studien und Kritiken for 1872, p. 593ff and in his Neutest. Zeitgesch. § 23 iii., p. 407ff [Prof. Schürer, besides reviewing the opinions of the more recent writers, contends that in no instance where indubitable reference to the heads of the twenty-four classes is made (neither in the Sept. 1 Chronicles 24:3; 2 Chronicles 36:14; Ezra 10:5; Nehemiah 12:7; nor in Josephus, Antiquities 7, 14, 7) are they called ἀρχιερεῖς; that the nearest approximations to this term are periphrases such as ἄρχοντες τῶν ἱερέων, Nehemiah 12:7, or φύλαρχοι τῶν ἱερέων, Esra apocr. (1 Esdr.) 1 Esdras 8:92 (1 Esdras 8:94); Josephus, Antiquities 11, 5, 4; and that the word ἀρχιερεῖς was restricted in its application to those who actually held, or had held, the high priestly office, together with the members of the few prominent families from which the high priests still continued to be selected, cf. Acts 4:6; Josephus, b. j. 4, 3, 6.]
3. In the Epistle to the Hebrews Christ is called 'high priest,' because by undergoing a bloody death he offered himself as an expiatory sacrifice to God, and has entered the heavenly sanctuary where he continually intercedes on our behalf: Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14; 5:10; 6:20; 7:26; 8:1; 9:11; cf. Winzer, De sacerdotis officio, quod Christo tribuitur in the Epistle to the Hebrews (three Programs), Leips. 1825f; Riehm, Lehrbegriff des Hebräerbriefes, ii., pp. 431-488. In Greek writings the word is used by Herodotus 2 [(37), 142,] 143 and 151; Plato, legg. 12, p. 947 a.; Polybius 23, 1, 2; 32, 22, 5; Plutarch, Numa c. 9, others; [often in Inscriptions]; once (viz., Leviticus 4:3) in the Sept., where ἱερεὺς μέγας is usual, in the O. T. Apocrypha, 1 Esdr. 5:40 1 Esdr. 9:40, and often in the books of Maccabees, for the application of the term to Christ by the early writers see Bp. Lightfoot on Clem. Romans; 1 Corinthians 36 p. 118f, and on Ign. ad Philad. 9 vol. ii. p. 274.
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com

BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's

Leviticus
4:3; 16; 21:10
Numbers
35:25
2 Kings
25:18
1 Chronicles
24:3
2 Chronicles
19:11; 36:14
Ezra
10:5
Nehemiah
12:7; 12:7
Matthew
2:4; 16:21; 26:3; 26:3; 26:3; 27:41
Mark
8:31; 14:1; 15:1
Luke
19:47; 22:52; 22:66; 23:4; 24:20
John
7:32; 11:57; 18:35
Acts
4:6; 4:23; 5:24; 9:14; 9:21; 22:5; 22:30; 23:2; 23:14
Hebrews
2:17; 3:1; 4:14; 5:10; 6:20; 7:26; 8:1; 9:7; 9:11; 9:25

Word / Phrase / Strong's Search

Strong's Number G749 matches the Greek ἀρχιερεύς (archiereus),
which occurs 17 times in 17 verses in 'Heb' in the MGNT Greek.

Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 2:17 - Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters,[fn] so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 3:1 - And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and[fn] are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger[fn] and High Priest.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 4:14 - So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 4:15 - This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 5:1 - Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 5:5 - That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him,
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 5:10 - And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 6:20 - Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 7:26 - He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 7:27 - Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 7:28 - The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 8:1 - Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 8:3 - And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 9:7 - But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 9:11 - So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come.[fn] He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 9:25 - And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal.
Unchecked Copy BoxHeb 13:11 - Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp.
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