ἄρχων

ἄρχων, οντος, ὁ (Aeschyl., Hdt.+) actually ptc. of ἄρχω, used as subst.: one who is in a position of leadership, esp. in a civic capacity.

① one who has eminence in a ruling capacity, ruler, lord, prince

ⓐ of earthly figures, οἱ ἄ. τῶν ἐθνῶν Mt 20:25; cp. B 9:3 (Is 1:10); οἱ ἄ. the rulers Ac 4:26 (Ps 2:2). W. δικαστής of Moses (in quot. of Ex 2:14): 7:27, 35 and 1 Cl 4:10.

ⓑ of Christ ὁ ἄ. τ. βασιλέων τ. γῆς the ruler of the kings of the earth Rv 1:5;

ⓒ of transcendent figures. Evil spirits (Kephal. I p. 50, 22; 24; 51, 25 al.), whose hierarchies resembled human polit. institutions. The devil is ἄ. τ. δαιμονίων Mt 9:34; 12:24; Mk 3:22; Lk 11:15 (s. Βεελζεβούλ.—Porphyr. [in Eus., PE 4, 22, 15] names Sarapis and Hecate as τοὺς ἄρχοντας τ. πονηρῶν δαιμόνων) or ἄ. τοῦ κόσμου τούτου J 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; ἄ. καιροῦ τοῦ νῦν τῆς ἀνομίας B 18:2; ὁ ἄ. τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου (Orig., C. Cels. 8, 13, 13) IEph 17:1; 19:1; IMg 1:2; ITr 4:2; IRo 7:1; IPhld 6:2. (Cp. AscIs 1, 3; 10, 29.) At AcPlCor 2, 11 the ed. of PBodmer X suggests on the basis of a Latin version (s. ZNW 44, 1952–53, 66–76) that the following words be supplied between πολλοῖς and θέλων εἶναι: [ὁ γὰρ ἄρχων ἄδικος ὢν| (καὶ) θεὸς] (lat.: nam quia injustus princeps deus volens esse) [the prince (of this world) being unjust] and desiring to be [god] (s. ASchlatter, D. Evglst. Joh. 1930, 271f). Many would also class the ἄρχοντες τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου 1 Cor 2:6–8 in this category (so from Origen to H-DWendland ad loc., but for possible classification under mng. 2 s. TLing, ET 68, ’56/57, 26; WBoyd, ibid. 68, ’57/58, 158). ὁ πονηρὸς ἄ. B 4:13; ὁ ἄδικος ἄ. MPol 19:2 (cp. ὁ ἄρχων τ. πλάνης TestSim 2:7, TestJud 19:4). ὁ ἄ. τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος Eph 2:2 (s. ἀήρ, end). W. ἄγγελος as a messenger of God and representative of the spirit world (Porphyr., Ep. ad Aneb. [s. ἀρχάγγελος] c. 10) Dg 7:2; οἱ ἄ. ὁρατοί τε καὶ ἀόρατοι the visible and invisible rulers ISm 6:1.

② gener. one who has administrative authority, leader, official (so loanw. in rabb.) Ro 13:3; Tit 1:9 v.l. (cp. PsSol 17:36). For 1 Cor 2:6–8 s. 1b above.

ⓐ of Jewish leaders (Schürer, index; PLond III, 1177, 57 p. 183 [113 A.D.] ἀρχόντων Ἰουδαίων προσευχῆς Θηβαίων; IGR I, 1024, 21; Jos., Ant. 20, 11) of the high priest Ac 23:5 (Ex 22:27). Of those in charge of a synagogue (IG XIV, 949, 2) Mt 9:18, 23; cp. ἄ. τῆς συναγωγῆς Lk 8:41; Ac 14:2 D. Of members of the Sanhedrin Lk 18:18; 23:13, 35; 24:20; ἄ. τ. Ἰουδαίων (cp. Epict. 3, 7, 30 κριτὴς τῶν Ἑλλήνων) J 3:1; cp. 7:26, 48; 12:42; Ac 3:17; 4:5, 8 (ἄρχοντες καὶ πρεσβύτεροι as 1 Macc 1:26); 13:27; 14:5. τὶς τῶν ἀρχόντων τ. Φαρισαίων a member of the Sanhedrin who was a Pharisee Lk 14:1. Of a judge 12:58.

ⓑ of gentile officials (Diod S 18, 65, 6; s. the indexes to SIG and OGI) Ac 16:19 (OGI 441, 59 and note); 1 Cl 60:2; MPol 17:2. W. ἡγούμενοι 1 Cl 60:4. W. βασιλεῖς and ἡγούμενοι 1 Cl 32:2.—B. 1324. 153–59 (‘Archon’). EDNT. DELG s.v. ἄρχω. M-M. TW.