Original Word: ἡγεμών
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: hégemón
Pronunciation: hay-gay-MONE
Phonetic Spelling: (hayg-em-ohn')
KJV: governor, prince, ruler
NASB: governor, governors, governor's
Word Origin: [from G2233 (ἡγέομαι - regard)]

1. a leader of a province, i.e. chief person
2. (figuratively) a chief place of a region, a capital

governor, prince, ruler.

From hegeomai; a leader, i.e. Chief person (or figuratively, place) of a province -- governor, prince, ruler.

see GREEK hegeomai

Word Origin
from hégeomai
Definition
a leader, governor
NASB Translation
governor (14), governor's (1), governors (4).

STRONGS NT 2232: ἡγεμών

ἡγεμών, ἡγεμόνος, ὁ (ἡγέομαι), in classical Greek a word of very various signification: a leader of any kind, a guide, ruler, prefect, president, chief, general, commander, sovereign; in the N. T. specifically:

1. "a 'legatus Caesaris,' an officer administering a province in the name and with the authority of the Roman emperor; the governor of a province": Matthew 10:18; Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12; 1 Peter 2:14.

2. a procurator (Vulg.praeses; Luth.Landpfleger), an officer who was attached to a proconsul or a propraetor and had charge of the imperial revenues; in causes relating to these revenues he administered justice, (called ἐπίτροπος, διοικητής, in secular authors). In the smaller provinces also, which were so to speak appendages of the greater, he discharged the functions of governor of the province; and such was the relation of the procurator of Judaea to the proconsul of Syria (cf. Krebs, Observations, p. 61ff; Fischer, De vitiis lexamples etc., p. 432ff; Winers RWB under the word Procuratoren; Sieffert in Herzog 2 under the word Landpfleger; Krenkel in Schenkel 4:7; (BB. DD. under the word )); so of Pilate, Felix, Festus: Matthew 27:2, 11, 14f, (R G L Tr marginal reading), ; ; Luke 20:20; Acts 23:24, 26, 33; Acts 24:1, 10; Acts 26:30; Πιλᾶτος ὁ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἡγεμών, Josephus, Antiquities 18, 3, 1; (Tacitus, ann. 15, 44 Christus Tiberio imperitante per procuratorem Pontium Pilatum supplicio adfectus erat).

3. first, leading, chief: so of a principal town as the capital of the region, Matthew 2:6, where the meaning is, 'Thou art by no means least among the chief cities of Judah;' others less aptly (Bleek also ((where?); in his (posthumous) Synoptative Erklärung etc. 1:119 he repudiates this interpretation (ascribed by him to Hofmann, Weiss. u. Erfüll. 2:56))), 'Thou shalt by no means be regarded as least among i. e. by the princes, the nobles, of the state.' The saying is taken from Micah 5:2 (1), where the Hebrew בְּאַלְפֵי (which the Sept. give correctly, ἐν χιλιασι) seems to have been read בְּאַלֻּפֵי by the Evangelist (cf. Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, i. 206).

Scope of the Term in Scripture

Strong’s Greek 2232 (hēgemōn) designates a civil ruler empowered by Rome—most often a provincial governor vested with judicial and military authority. The New Testament records the term twenty times, distributed across the Gospels, Acts, and one Petrine epistle, showing that the early church continually engaged both the local synagogue and the imperial administration.

Governors in the First-Century Roman World

From 27 B.C. to A.D. 70 the provinces of the empire were divided between senatorial and imperial jurisdictions. Imperial provinces—especially those prone to unrest—were overseen by legates, procurators, or prefects. Such governors commanded the troops stationed in their province and exercised the ius gladii, the “right of the sword.” In Judea this office was held successively by men such as Pontius Pilate, Felix, and Festus. Their residence was the praetorium in Caesarea, though they came to Jerusalem during feasts to quell disturbance (Matthew 27:27).

Governors in the Passion Narrative

Matthew employs hēgemōn nine times in chapter 27, keeping the reader’s focus on Pilate, who unwittingly fulfills prophecy by declaring Jesus “the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:11). The governor’s vacillation—“he was amazed at Him” (Matthew 27:14)—underscores Christ’s innocence and the injustice of His condemnation. When the crowd insists, “Let Him be crucified!” Pilate’s pronouncement legally transfers Jesus to the Roman method of execution, confirming Isaiah’s vision of the Suffering Servant “cut off from the land of the living.” The Gospel thus shows that earthly governors, though invested with temporal power, remain instruments in God’s redemptive plan.

Governors in Apostolic Ministry

1. Jesus forewarns His disciples: “You will be brought before governors and kings on My account, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles” (Matthew 10:18). Luke 21:12 and Mark 13:9 echo the same commissioning.
2. Acts corroborates the prophecy. Paul stands before Felix (Acts 23:33; Acts 24:1) and Festus (Acts 26:30), presenting the gospel to the highest levels of provincial government. His reasoned defense illustrates Peter’s exhortation to be ready “to give an answer” (compare 1 Peter 3:15).
3. Luke’s record in Acts 23:24, 23:26, and 23:33 shows Roman procedure: a letter of referral, escort by soldiers, and formal transfer to the governor, highlighting the orderly justice Rome prided itself upon, even while its officers remained spiritually blind to Christ’s lordship.
4. Paul’s appeal to Caesar through Festus (Acts 25, implied in Acts 26:30) reveals the strategic value of Roman citizenship for gospel advance.

Theological Themes

• Divine Sovereignty: Earthly rulers unwittingly carry out the divine decree (Acts 4:27-28).
• Witness before Authorities: Apologetic opportunity is inherent in persecution (Luke 21:12-13).
• Submission and Conscience: Believers are exhorted “to submit to every human authority…whether to the king as supreme or to governors sent by him” (1 Peter 2:13-14). Such submission is not servility but an act of free men who “fear God” (1 Peter 2:17).
• Judgment and Vindication: Governors hold the sword “to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right” (1 Peter 2:14), yet their judgments are provisional; final vindication belongs to Christ, “the Ruler of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5).

Practical Application for Believers

• Respect for Civil Authority: Scripture recognizes government as ordained by God; resistance is justified only when obedience to men directly violates obedience to God (Acts 5:29).
• Prepared Testimony: Like Paul, believers should be equipped to articulate faith before civic leaders, trusting the Spirit’s aid (Luke 21:14-15).
• Prayer for Leaders: Paul urges “supplications…for kings and all who are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2), seeking conditions favorable to gospel outreach.

Historical Notes

Pontius Pilate (A.D. 26-36) ruled under Emperor Tiberius; archaeological confirmation comes from the “Pilate Stone” discovered at Caesarea. Marcus Antonius Felix (A.D. 52-59) and Porcius Festus (A.D. 59-62) presided during Paul’s imprisonments. Each governor’s interaction with Christ or His apostles demonstrates that the gospel penetrated every level of society, fulfilling the risen Lord’s mandate in Acts 1:8.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 2232 highlights the intersection of the kingdom of God with the political powers of the age. Governors possessed temporal authority, yet their encounters with Jesus and His messengers reveal a higher sovereignty. The believer’s calling is to honor legitimate authority, bear bold witness, and trust God’s overarching governance of history.

ηγεμονα ηγεμόνα ἡγεμόνα ηγεμονας ηγεμόνας ἡγεμόνας ηγεμόνες ηγεμονι ηγεμόνι ἡγεμόνι ηγεμονος ηγεμόνος ἡγεμόνος ηγεμονων ηγεμόνων ἡγεμόνων ηγεμοσιν ηγεμόσιν ἡγεμόσιν ηγεμων ηγεμών ἡγεμὼν ηγουμένους egemon ēgemōn egemona ēgemona egemonas ēgemonas egemoni ēgemoni egemonon ēgemonōn egemonos ēgemonos egemosin ēgemosin hegemon hegemṑn hēgemōn hēgemṑn hegemona hegemóna hēgemona hēgemóna hegemonas hegemónas hēgemonas hēgemónas hegemoni hegemóni hēgemoni hēgemóni hegemonon hegemónon hēgemonōn hēgemónōn hegemonos hegemónos hēgemonos hēgemónos hegemosin hegemósin hēgemosin hēgemósinInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts