Bible Dictionary
CHIEF
Chief means foremost, principal, or a leader. In Scripture it may refer to the head of a family or tribe, a prince or ruler, the first in rank, or the most important person or thing.
Definition
Chief means foremost, principal, first in rank, or a leader. It may refer to the head of a family or tribe, a prince or ruler, or the most important person or thing.
Biblical Usage
In the Old Testament, chief translates several words meaning head, prince, or beginning. In the New Testament it often represents “first,” and may describe rulers, leading persons, or a city’s prominence.
Historical Background
The Revised Version often replaces “chief” with more precise terms such as “heads of fathers’ houses,” “prince,” “first,” or “rulers,” correcting older renderings where the broader English word obscured the original sense.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>chef: The English word is in the King James Version of Old Testament the translation of some 17 different Hebrew words, most frequently of ro'sh, "head," sar, "prince," and re'shith, "beginning." The principal changes made by the Revised Version (British and American) are:</p><p>(1) Hebrew beth'abh, "house of a father," being recognized as a technical term denoting a subdivision of a tribe, ro'sh is rendered literally "head," when it occurs in connection with this phrase, so that "chief fathers" (Num 31:26) and "chief of the fathers" (Ezr 1:5) become "heads of fathers' houses";</p><p>(2) Hebrew naghidh and nasi' are more accurately translated "prince" in such passages as 1Ch 5:2; Nu 3:32;</p><p>(3) the misinterpretations which brought about the translation "chief" for 'atsilim, "corners," Isa 41:9, and for ma`aleh, "ascent," in 2Ch 32:33, are corrected.</p><p>In the New Testament "chief" is in most of its appearances the translation of Greek protos, "first"; the Revised Version (British and American) reads "first" for the King James Version "chief," "chiefest," in Mt 20:27; Mr 10:44; Ac 16:12. The reading in the latter passage is a difficult one, but the King James Version "Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia," seems to imply a political authority which Philippi did not possess; the Revised Version (British and American) "a city of Macedonia, the first of the district." Greek archon, "prince," "ruler," is rendered by the King James Version "chief," by the Revised Version (British and American) "prince," in Lu 11:15; the King James Version "chief Pharisees," the Revised Version (British and American) "rulers of the Pharisees," in Lu 14:1.</p><p>The original meaning of "chief" having been weakened, the comparative and superlative were admitted into English, the latter only appearing in the King James Version or the Revised Version: 1Sa 2:29; So 5:10; 2Co 11:5, etc. On "chief of Asia" (Ac 19:31 the King James Version) see ASIARCH.</p><p>F. K. Farr</p>