archiereus · chief priest, high priest

What it means

archiereus (ἀρχιερεύς) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “chief priest, high priest”.

High priest. In the plural, the one then in office, those who had held it before, and the heads of the priestly families: the chief priests.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. The chief of the priests; Jesus is that forever.
2. The leading priests: the high priest in office, former ones and his family.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

High priest. In the plural, the high priests: the one in office, those before him and those of the leading families. Formed from ἀρχ-, “first, chief”, and ἱερεύς, “priest”.

• Annas and Caiaphas Luke 3:2John 18:13
• The high priests and the scribes Matthew 2:4Matthew 26:3
• Jesus before the high priest Mark 14:53
• Jesus, “a great high priest” Hebrews 4:14

Historical and cultural background

Luke 3:2 places the word of God that came to John “under the high priest Annas and Caiaphas”; Acts 4:6 calls Annas “the high priest” and names with him Caiaphas and “as many as were of the high-priestly family”.

How we translate it

“High priests” 60 times, “high priest” 56, “chief priests” 6.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• high priests ×60
• high priest ×56
• chief priests ×6

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×25
• Mark×22
• Luke×15
• John×21
• Acts×22
• Hebrews×17

• Matthew 2:4

  and gathering together all the high priests and scribes of the people, he was asking them where the Messiah is to be born.

• Matthew 16:21

  From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go away to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

• Matthew 20:18

  “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death

• Matthew 21:15

  But when the high priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children who were crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant

• Matthew 21:23

  And when he had come into the temple, the high priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, saying, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?”

• Matthew 21:45

  And when the high priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them.

• Matthew 26:3

  Then the high priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

• Matthew 26:14

  Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the high priests

• Matthew 26:47

  And while he was still speaking, look, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the high priests and elders of the people.

• Matthew 26:51

  And look, one of those with Jesus, stretching out his hand, drew his sword, and striking the slave of the high priest, cut off his ear.

• Matthew 26:57

  Those who had seized Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.

• Matthew 26:58

  And Peter was following him from a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside, he sat with the attendants to see the outcome.

• Matthew 26:59

  Now the high priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death,

• Matthew 26:62

  And the high priest stood up and said to him, “Do you answer nothing? What are these men testifying against you?”

• Matthew 26:63

  But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath by the living God that you tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

• Matthew 26:65

  Then the high priest tore his garments, saying, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.

• Matthew 27:1

  When morning came, all the high priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus so as to put him to death.

• Matthew 27:3

  Then Judas, who had handed him over, seeing that he had been condemned, felt regret and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the high priests and elders,

• Matthew 27:6

  But the high priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood.”

• Matthew 27:12

  And while he was being accused by the high priests and elders, he answered nothing.

• Matthew 27:20

  But the high priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus.

• Matthew 27:41

  In the same way the high priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, were saying,

• Matthew 27:62

  Now on the next day, which is after the Preparation, the high priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate

• Matthew 28:11

  While they were going, look, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the high priests all the things that had happened.

• Mark 2:26

  how he entered into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the presentation, which it is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave it also to those who were with him?”

• Mark 8:31

  And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the high priests and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise.

• Mark 10:33

  “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the nations,

• Mark 11:18

  And the high priests and the scribes heard it, and they were seeking how they might destroy him; for they feared him, for all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.

• Mark 11:27

  And they come again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the high priests and the scribes and the elders come to him

• Mark 14:1

  Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread was after two days. And the high priests and the scribes were seeking how they might seize him by deceit and kill him;

• Mark 14:10

  And Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve, went away to the high priests in order to hand him over to them.

• Mark 14:43

  And at once, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrives, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the high priests and the scribes and the elders.

• Mark 14:47

  But one of those standing by, drawing his sword, struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

• Mark 14:53

  And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the high priests and the elders and the scribes come together.

• Mark 14:54

  And Peter followed him from a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the attendants and warming himself at the fire.

• Mark 14:55

  And the high priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, and they were not finding any.

• Mark 14:60

  And the high priest stood up in the middle and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do you not answer anything? What is it that these men are testifying against you?”

• Mark 14:61

  But he was silent and did not answer anything. Again the high priest was questioning him and says to him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

• Mark 14:63

  And the high priest, tearing his garments, says, “What further need do we have of witnesses?

• Mark 14:66

  And while Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest comes,

And 82 more times.