nasi · chief

What it means

nasi (נָשִׂיא) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “chief”.

Leader of a tribe or clan.

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. Literally "one lifted up": the leader of a tribe or clan.
2. Clouds or vapor that God makes rise from the end of the earth to give rain.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Chief, head of a tribe or a clan; also a cloud that rises. BDB: properly an exalted one, that is, a king or sheikh; also a rising mist. It comes from נָשָׂא, “to lift”.

• The twelve chiefs of Ishmael Genesis 17:20
• “You are a chief of Elohim among us” Genesis 23:6
• The chiefs of the tribes of Israel Numbers 1:16Numbers 7:2
• “Nor curse a chief among your people” Exodus 22:28
• Clouds that rise Psalms 135:7Proverbs 25:14

How we translate it

“Chief” 81 times, “chiefs” 48, “clouds” 4. This edition's glossary sets נָשִׂיא = “chief” (as against שַׂר, “prince” or “official”). In Ezekiel 40–48 the one who governs is also called “the chief”. When it rises from the end of the earth, “clouds”.

How it is translated

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

• chief ×81
• chiefs ×48
• clouds ×4
• each ×1

Where it appears

• Genesis×4
• Exodus×4
• Leviticus×1
• Numbers×62
• Joshua×13
• 1 Kings×2
• 1 Chronicles×4
• 2 Chronicles×2
• Ezra×1
• Psalms×1
• Proverbs×1
• Jeremiah×2
• Ezekiel×37

• Genesis 17:20

  As for Ishmael, I have heard you; look, I will bless him and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly. He will father twelve chiefs, and I will make him into a great nation.

• Genesis 23:6

  “Hear us, my lord: you are a chief of Elohim among us. In the choicest of our graves bury your dead. No one of us will withhold his grave from you for burying your dead.”

• Genesis 25:16

  These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve chiefs according to their peoples.

• Genesis 34:2

  Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the chief of the land, saw her, and he took her, lay with her, and humbled her.

• Exodus 16:22

  And on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the chiefs of the community came and told Moses.

• Exodus 22:28

  You shall not treat Elohim with contempt, nor curse a chief among your people.

• Exodus 34:31

  But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the chiefs in the community returned to him, and Moses spoke to them.

• Exodus 35:27

  And the chiefs brought the onyx stones and the stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece,

• Leviticus 4:22

  When a chief sins and does inadvertently any one of all the commandments of YHWH his Elohim concerning things that should not be done, and becomes guilty,

• Numbers 1:16

  These were the ones called from the community, the chiefs of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.

• Numbers 1:44

  These are those counted whom Moses and Aaron counted with the chiefs of Israel, twelve men; they were one man for each fathers’ house.

• Numbers 2:3

  Those who camp on the east side, toward the sunrise, shall be the banner of the camp of Judah by their armies; and the chief of the sons of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab,

• Numbers 2:5

  Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar; and the chief of the sons of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar,

• Numbers 2:7

  Then the tribe of Zebulun; and the chief of the sons of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon,

• Numbers 2:10

  The banner of the camp of Reuben shall be on the south side by their armies; and the chief of the sons of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur,

• Numbers 2:12

  Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon; and the chief of the sons of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai,

• Numbers 2:14

  And the tribe of Gad; and the chief of the sons of Gad is Eliasaph son of Reuel,

• Numbers 2:18

  The banner of the camp of Ephraim by their armies shall be on the west side; and the chief of the sons of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud,

• Numbers 2:20

  And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh; and the chief of the sons of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur,

• Numbers 2:22

  And the tribe of Benjamin; and the chief of the sons of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni,

• Numbers 2:25

  The banner of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies; and the chief of the sons of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai,

• Numbers 2:27

  Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher; and the chief of the sons of Asher is Pagiel son of Ochran,

• Numbers 2:29

  And the tribe of Naphtali; and the chief of the sons of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan,

• Numbers 3:24

  And the chief of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites is Eliasaph son of Lael.

• Numbers 3:30

  And the chief of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites is Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

• Numbers 3:32

  And the chief of the chiefs of the Levites is Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, with oversight of those who keep the charge of the Holy Place.

• Numbers 3:35

  And the chief of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari is Zuriel son of Abihail. They shall camp on the side of the dwelling, on the north.

• Numbers 4:34

  So Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of the community counted the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ houses,

• Numbers 4:46

  All those counted whom Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel counted, the Levites, by their families and by their fathers’ houses,

• Numbers 7:2

  Then the chiefs of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, presented offerings; they were the chiefs of the tribes, they were the ones standing over those counted.

• Numbers 7:3

  And they brought their offering before YHWH: six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and an ox for each one; and they presented them before the dwelling.

• Numbers 7:10

  And the chiefs presented the dedication offering for the altar on the day it was anointed; and the chiefs presented their offering before the altar.

• Numbers 7:11

  And YHWH said to Moses, “One chief each day, one chief each day, shall present their offering for the dedication of the altar.”

• Numbers 7:18

  On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, chief of Issachar, presented his offering.

• Numbers 7:24

  On the third day, the chief of the sons of Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon:

• Numbers 7:30

  On the fourth day, the chief of the sons of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur:

• Numbers 7:36

  On the fifth day, the chief of the sons of Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai:

• Numbers 7:42

  On the sixth day, the chief of the sons of Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel:

• Numbers 7:48

  On the seventh day, the chief of the sons of Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud:

• Numbers 7:54

  On the eighth day, the chief of the sons of Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur:

And 94 more times.