Grow With Me
Grow With Me

נָגִיד

nagid · leader

Hebrew word · Strong’s number H5057 · appears 44 times in the Bible

What is the Strong number?Strong’s number identifies this word: use it to find the same word in other study tools.

What it means

nagid (נָגִיד) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “leader”.

The one who goes at the head of others, in war, in government or in worship. In the books of Samuel it is used of the one whom YHWH places at the head of his people.

How to say it

na·gid

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. One who goes ahead of others; one YHWH sets in charge.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

The one who goes in front: leader, head of a people, of an army or of a house. In Samuel and Kings it designates the one whom YHWH places at the head of his people, before or besides being king.

Historical and cultural background

Samuel anoints Saul “as leader over his inheritance” (1 Samuel 10:1), and later announces that YHWH has commanded another, “a man after his own heart”, to be leader over his people (13:14).

How we translate it

“Leader” 36 times and “leaders” 4, for the one who goes at the head; it is distinct from שַׂר, ‘official’ or ‘prince’, and from נָשִׂיא, ‘chief’. Other contexts ask for another form: “chief overseer” (Jeremiah 20:1), “A prince” (Proverbs 28:16) and, in the plural, “noble things” (Proverbs 8:6).

How it is translated

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

  • leader ×36
  • leaders ×4
  • noble things ×1
  • prince ×1
  • ruler ×1
  • was chief ×1

Where it appears

  • 1 Samuel 9:16

    “About this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him as leader over my people Israel; and he will save my people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have seen my people, for their cry has come to me.”

  • 1 Samuel 10:1

    And Samuel took the flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Is it not that YHWH has anointed you as leader over his inheritance?

  • 1 Samuel 13:14

    But now your kingdom will not stand firm. YHWH has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and YHWH has commanded him to be leader over his people, because you have not kept what YHWH commanded you.”

  • 1 Samuel 25:30

    And when YHWH does for my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and commands you to be leader over Israel,

  • 2 Samuel 5:2

    For some time now, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and YHWH said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be leader over Israel.’”

  • 2 Samuel 6:21

    David said to Michal, “Before YHWH, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to command me to be leader over the people of YHWH, over Israel, before YHWH I will celebrate.

  • 2 Samuel 7:8

    And now, thus you shall say to my servant, to David, ‘Thus says YHWH Tsevaot: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people, over Israel.

  • 1 Kings 1:35

    Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall reign in my place; and him I have commanded to be leader over Israel and over Judah.”

  • 1 Kings 14:7

    Go, say to Jeroboam, ‘Thus says YHWH, the Elohim of Israel: Because I raised you up from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel,

  • 1 Kings 16:2

    “Because I raised you up from the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, but you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel sin, provoking me to anger with their sins,

  • 2 Kings 20:5

    “Go back and say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘Thus says YHWH, the Elohim of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of YHWH.

  • 1 Chronicles 5:2

    for Judah prevailed among his brothers, and from him came a leader, but the birthright was Joseph’s):

  • 1 Chronicles 9:11

    and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the leader of the house of Elohim;

  • 1 Chronicles 9:20

    And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was leader over them in former times; YHWH was with him.

  • 1 Chronicles 11:2

    For some time now, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and YHWH your Elohim said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people, Israel, and you will be leader over my people Israel.’”

  • 1 Chronicles 12:27

    and Jehoiada, the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred;

  • 1 Chronicles 13:1

    David consulted with the commanders of the thousands and of the hundreds, with every leader.

  • 1 Chronicles 17:7

    And now, thus you shall say to my servant, to David, ‘Thus says YHWH Tsevaot: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people Israel.

  • 1 Chronicles 26:24

    Shebuel son of Gershom, son of Moses, was leader over the treasuries.

  • 1 Chronicles 27:4

    Over the division of the second month was Dodai the Ahohite, and his division and Mikloth the leader; and in his division, twenty-four thousand.

  • 1 Chronicles 27:16

    Over the tribes of Israel: for the Reubenites, the leader was Eliezer son of Zichri; for the Simeonites, Shephatiah son of Maacah;

  • 1 Chronicles 28:4

    Yet YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever; for he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.

  • 1 Chronicles 29:22

    They ate and drank before YHWH on that day with great joy. They made Solomon son of David king a second time, and anointed him for YHWH as leader, and Zadok as priest.

  • 2 Chronicles 6:5

    ‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house for my name to be there, and I have not chosen a man to be leader over my people Israel;

  • 2 Chronicles 11:11

    He strengthened the fortresses and put in them leaders, and stores of food, oil, and wine.

  • 2 Chronicles 11:22

    Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as head, as leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king.

  • 2 Chronicles 19:11

    And look, Amariah the head priest is over you in every matter of YHWH, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the house of Judah, in every matter of the king; and the Levites will be supervisors before you. Be strong and do it, and may YHWH be with the good.”

  • 2 Chronicles 28:7

    Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the son of the king, and Azrikam the leader of the house, and Elkanah the second to the king.

  • 2 Chronicles 31:12

    They brought in the contribution and the tithe and the holy things with faithfulness. Over them as leader was Conaniah the Levite, and Shimei his brother was second.

  • 2 Chronicles 31:13

    Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were appointed under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the arrangement of Hezekiah the king and of Azariah the leader of the house of Elohim.

  • 2 Chronicles 32:21

    YHWH sent an angel, who wiped out every mighty man of valor and leader and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria; and he returned with shame of face to his land. He went into the house of his god, and some of those who came out of his own body made him fall there by the sword.

  • 2 Chronicles 35:8

    And his officials contributed as a freewill offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the leaders of the house of Elohim, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred flock animals and three hundred cattle.

  • Nehemiah 11:11

    Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, ruler of the house of Elohim,

  • Job 29:10

    the voice of the leaders was hidden, and their tongue to their palate stuck.

  • Job 31:37

    The number of my steps I would declare to him; like a leader I would approach him.

  • Psalms 76:12

    He cuts off the spirit of leaders; he is fearsome to the kings of the earth.

  • Proverbs 8:6

    Listen, for noble things I will speak, and the opening of my lips will be uprightness.

  • Proverbs 28:16

    A prince lacking insight is also great in oppressions; whoever hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

  • Isaiah 55:4

    Look, as a witness to peoples I have given him, a leader and commander of peoples.

  • Jeremiah 20:1

    And Pashhur son of Immer, the priest, heard —and he was chief overseer in the house of YHWH— Jeremiah prophesying these things.

And 4 more times.