Dictionaries :: Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

denotes "the first," whether in time or place. It is translated "chief" in Mar 6:21, RV, of men of Galilee; in Act 13:50, of men in a city; in Act 28:7, of the "chief" man in the island of Melita; in Act 17:4, of "chief" women in a city; in Act 28:17, of Jews; in 1Ti 1:15, 16, of a sinner. In the following, where the AV has "chief," or "chiefest," the RV renderings are different: Mat 20:27; Mar 10:44, "first;" Luk 19:47; Act 25:2, "principal men;" Act 16:12, said of Philippi, "the first (city) of the district," RV, for incorrect AV, "the chief city of that part of Macedonia." Amphipolis was the "chief" city of that part. Protos here must mean the first in the direction in which the Apostle came.
See BEGINNING, BEFORE, BEST, FIRST, FORMER.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

akin to the adjective kephalaios, "belonging to the head," and kephale, "the head," denotes the chief point or principal thing in a subject, Hbr 8:1, "the chief point is this" (AV, "the sum"); elsewhere in Act 22:28 (of principal, as to money), "(a great) sum."
See SUM.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

a chief priest, high priest" (arche, "first," hiereus, "a priest"), is frequent in the Gospels, Acts and Hebrews, but there only in the NT. It is used of Christ e.g. in Hbr 2:17; 3:1; of "chief" priests, including ex-high-priests and members of their families, e.g., Mat 2:4; Mar 8:31.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

"a chief shepherd" (arche, "chief," poimen, "a shepherd"), is said of Christ only, 1Pe 5:4. Modern Greeks use it of tribal chiefs.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

denotes "a chief tax-collector, or publican," Luk 19:2.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

denotes "a chief corner-stone" (from akros, "highest, extreme," gonia, "a corner, angle"), Eph 2:20 and 1Pe 2:6. In the Sept., Isa 28:16

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

"a sitting in the first or chief seat" (protos, "first," kathedra, "a seat"), is found in Mat 23:6; Mar 12:39; Luk 11:43; 20:46.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

"the first reclining place, the chief place at table" (from protos, and klisia, "a company reclining at a meal;" cp. klino, "to incline"), is found in Mat 23:6; Mar 12:39 (as with No. 6); Luk 14:7, 8; 20:46

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

denotes "a chief captain": see CAPTAIN, No 1.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

"an Asiarch," was one of certain officers elected by various cities in the province of Asia, whose function consisted in celebrating, partly at their own expense, the public games and festivals; in Act 19:31, RV, the word is translated "chief officers of Asia" (AV, "chief of Asia").

It seems probable, according to Prof. Ramsay, that they were "the high priests of the temples of the Imperial worship in various cities of Asia;" further, that "the Council of the Asiarchs sat at stated periods in the great cities alternately... and were probably assembled at Ephesus for such a purpose when they sent advice to St. Paul to consult his saftey." A festival would have brought great crowds to the city.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

"a ruler," is rendered "chief" in the AV of Luk 14:1 (RV, "ruler"); "chief rulers," in Jhn 12:42, RV, "rulers (of the people)," i.e., of members of the Sanhedrin; "chief," in Luk 11:15 (RV, "prince") in reference to Beelzebub, the prince of demons. See MAGISTRATE, PRINCE, RULER.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

"a ruler of a synagogue," translated "chief ruler of the synagogue," in Act 18:8, 17, AV, was the administrative officer supervising the worship.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

"to lead the way, to preside, rule, be the chief," is used of the ambition "to be chief" among the disciples of Christ, Luk 22:26; of Paul as the "chief" speaker in Gospel testimony at Lystra, Act 14:12; of Judas and Silas, as chief (or rather, "leading") men among the brethren at Jerusalem, Act 15:22.
See ACCOUNT, COUNT, ESTEEM, GOVERNOR, JUDGE, SUPPOSE, THINK.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

"chiefest" (huper, "over," lian, "exceedingly, pre-eminently, very much"), is used in 2Cr 11:5; 12:11, of Paul's place among the Apostles.

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly:

the superlative of mala, "very, very much," is rendered "chiefly" in 2Pe 2:10 and in the AV of Phl 4:22 (RV, "especially").
See ESPECIALLY, MOST.

Note: In Rom 3:2, RV, the adverb proton is translated "first of all" (AV, "chiefly").