Noble; Nobles; Nobleman - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

NOBLE; NOBLES; NOBLEMAN

no'-b'-l, no'-b'-lz, no'-b'-l-man (chorim, 'addir; eugenes, Kratistos, basilikos):

"Nobles" is the translation of the Hebrew chorim (occurring only in the plural), "free-born," "noble" (1 Kings 21:8,11; Nehemiah 2:16; 6:17, etc.); of 'addir, "begirded," "mighty," "illustrious" or "noble" (Judges 5:13; 2 Chronicles 23:20, etc.); of nadhibh, "liberal," "a noble" (Numbers 21:18; Proverbs 8:16, etc.).

Other words are gadhol, "great" (Jonah 3:7); yaqqir, Aramaic "precious" (Ezra 4:10); naghidh, "a leader" (Job 29:10); partemim, "foremost ones" (Esther 1:3; 6:9); atsilim, "those near," "nobles" (Exodus 24:11); bariah, "fugitive" (Isaiah 43:14); kabhedh, "weighty," "honored" (Psalms 149:8); eugenes, "wellborn" (Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians 1:26); kratistos, "strongest," "most powerful" (Acts 24:3; 26:25).

The Apocrypha, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), still further enlarges the list. In the Revised Version (British and American) we have megistanes, "great ones" (1 Esdras 1:38; 8:26, with entimos, "in honor"; The Wisdom of Solomon 18:12). Otherwise the Revised Version's uses of "noble," and "nobleness" are for words containing the root genitive and referring to birth (compare The Wisdom of Solomon 8:3; 2 Macc 6:27,31; 12:42; 14:42 twice). The King James Version's uses are wider (Judith 2:2, etc.).

Nobleman is, in Luke 19:12, the translation of eugenes anthropos, "a man well born," and in John 4:46,49 of basilikos, "kingly," "belonging to a king," a designation extended to the officers, courtiers, etc., of a king, the Revised Version margin "king's officer"; he was probably an official, civil or military, of Herod Antipas, who was styled "king" (basileus).

For "nobles" (Isaiah 43:14), the King James Version "have brought down all their nobles," the Revised Version (British and American) has "I will bring down all of them as fugitives," margin "or, as otherwise read, all their nobles even," etc.; for "nobles" (Jeremiah 30:21), "prince"; the English Revised Version has "worthies" for "nobles" (Nahum 3:18); the Revised Version (British and American) has "the noble" for "princes" (Proverbs 17:26):

"nobles" for "princes" (Job 34:18; Daniel 1:3), for "Nazarites" (Lamentations 4:7, margin "Nazirites"); "her nobles" for "his fugitives," margin "or, as other otherwise read, fugitives" (Isaiah 15:5); the American Standard Revised Version has "noble" for "liberal" (Isaiah 32:5); for "The nobles held their peace," the King James Version margin "The voice of the nobles was hid" (Job 29:10), the Revised Version (British and American) has "The voice of the nobles was hushed," margin "Hebrew: hid"; for "most noble" (Acts 24:3; 26:25), "most excellent."

W. L. Walker

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'NOBLE; NOBLES; NOBLEMAN'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.