ἀρχιερεὺς
archiereus
high priest
from ἀρχή and ἱερεύς; the high-priest (literally, of the Jews, typically, Christ); by extension a chief priest:--chief (high) priest, chief of the priests.
Acts 5:21 · Word #15
Lexicon G749
| Lemma | ἀρχιερεύς |
| Transliteration | archiereús |
| Strong's | G749 |
| In-context | high priest |
| Literal | chief-priest |
Morphology N NOM M SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Case | NOM — Nominative — The subject of the sentence |
| Gender | M — Masculine — Grammatical masculine |
| Number | SG — Singular — One |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | ἀρχιερεύς |
| Strong's | G749 |
SIBI-P1 G749-06
the chief-priest
| Root | ἀρχιερεύς (archiereus) |
| Core Meanings | chief priest, ruling priest, high priest, principal cultic leader |
| Semantic Range | the high priest of Israel; leading priest among other priests; chief of the priestly order; in the New Testament, also used typologically of Christ as the supreme High Priest |
| Conceptual Significance | In Second Temple Judaism, the ἀρχιερεύς was the highest religious authority, overseeing temple worship and atonement rites, especially on the Day of Atonement. In the New Testament, the title acquires profound theological weight as it is applied to Jesus, portraying him as the ultimate and abiding Chief-Priest who mediates between God and humanity. |
| Morphological Notes | Noun; nominative masculine singular (Gr,N,,,,,NMS,). Functions as a subject or predicate nominative referring to one male chief priest. |
| Rendering Rationale | The term combines ἀρχή (rule, first place, chief authority) and ἱερεύς (priest), literally meaning "chief priest" or "ruling priest." The nominative masculine singular form is reflected in the rendering "the chief-priest," indicating a single male officeholder functioning as the subject. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root ἀρχιερεύς (chief priest, ruling priest, high priest, principal cultic leader)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
G749-01 |
archierea | the chief-priest |
G749-02 |
archierei | to the chief-priest |
G749-03 |
archiereis | ruling-priests (masculine plural, nominative/accusative) |
Word Usage (122 occurrences of G749)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew 2:4 | ἀρχιερεῖς | archiereis | chief priests |
| Matthew 16:21 | ἀρχιερέων | archiereon | |
| Matthew 20:18 | ἀρχιερεῦσιν | archiereusin |