Topic
Magistrate
41 passages cited, from 3 classic reference works.
These works date from 1896–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Judges 18:7Easton · ISBE · Nave An officer of civil law
¶ Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and…
- Luke 12:58Easton · ISBE · Nave An officer of civil law
¶ When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
- Acts 16:20Easton · ISBE · Nave An officer of civil law
And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
- Acts 16:22Easton · ISBE · Nave An officer of civil law
And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
- Acts 16:35Easton · ISBE · Nave An officer of civil law
And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
- Acts 16:38Easton · ISBE · Nave An officer of civil law
And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
- Titus 3:1Easton · ISBE · Nave Obedience to, enjoined
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
- Ezra 7:25ISBE · Nave An officer of civil law
And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
- Nehemiah 2:16Easton · ISBE
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
- Nehemiah 4:14Easton · ISBE
And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and…
- Nehemiah 13:11Easton · ISBE
Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
- Luke 12:11ISBE · Nave An officer of civil law
And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
Show 29 more
- Acts 16:36 Easton · ISBE
- 1 Corinthians 2:6 Easton · ISBE
- 1 Corinthians 2:8 Easton · ISBE
- Revelation 1:5 Easton · ISBE
- Deuteronomy 1:16 Easton
- Deuteronomy 1:17 Easton
- Ezra 9:2 ISBE
- Jeremiah 51:23 ISBE
- Jeremiah 51:28 ISBE
- Jeremiah 51:57 ISBE
- Ezekiel 23:6 ISBE
- Matthew 9:18 ISBE
- Matthew 9:23 ISBE
- Matthew 9:34 ISBE
- Matthew 20:25 Easton
- Mark 5:22 ISBE
- Luke 8:41 ISBE
- Luke 14:1 ISBE
- John 3:1 ISBE
- Acts 3:17 ISBE
- Acts 4:26 ISBE
- Acts 7:27 ISBE
- Acts 7:35 ISBE
- Acts 16:19 ISBE
- Acts 23:5 ISBE
- Romans 13:1 ISBE
- Romans 13:2 ISBE
- Romans 13:3 ISBE
- Ephesians 2:2 ISBE
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 18 references
A public civil officer invested with authority. The Hebrew shophetim, or judges, were magistrates having authority in the land (Deut. 1:16, 17). In Judg. 18:7 the word “magistrate” (A.V.) is rendered in the Revised Version “possessing authority”, i.e., having power to do them harm by invasion. In the time of Ezra (9:2) and Nehemiah (2:16; 4:14; 13:11) the Jewish magistrates were called seganim, properly meaning “nobles.” In the New Testament the Greek word archon, rendered “magistrate” (Luke 12:58; Titus 3:1), means one first in power, and hence a prince, as in Matt. 20:25, 1 Cor. 2:6, 8. This term is used of the Messiah, “Prince of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:5). In Acts 16:20, 22, 35, 36, 38, the Greek term strategos, rendered “magistrate,” properly signifies the leader of an army, a general, one having military authority. The strategoi were the duumviri, the two praetors appointed to preside over the administration of justice in the colonies of the Romans. They were attended by the sergeants (properly lictors or “rod bearers”).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 41 references
maj'-is-trat (shephaT, corresponding to shaphaT, "to judge," "to pronounce sentence" (Jud 18:7)): Among the ancients, the terms corresponding to our "magistrate" had a much wider signification. "Magistrates and judges" (shopheTim we-dhayyanim) should be translated "judges and rulers" (Ezr 7:25). ceghanim "rulers" or "nobles," were Babylonian magistrates or prefects of provinces (Jer 51:23,28,57; Eze 23:6). In the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jewish magistrates bore the same title (Ezr 9:2; Ne 2:16; 4:14; 13:11). The Greek archon, "magistrate" (Lu 12:58; Tit 3:1 the King James Version), signifies the chief in power (1Co 2:6,8) and "ruler" (Ac 4:26; Ro 13:3).
The Messiah is designated as the "prince (archon) of the kings of the earth" (Re 1:5 the King James Version), and by the same term Moses is designated the judge and leader of the Hebrews (Ac 7:27,35). The wide application of this term is manifest from the fact that it is used of magistrates of any kind, e.g. the high priest (Ac 23:5); civil judges (Lu 12:58; Ac 16:19); ruler of the synagogue (Lu 8:41; Mt 9:18,23; Mr 5:22); persons of standing and authority among the Pharisees and other sects that appear in the Sanhedrin (Lu 14:1; Joh 3:1; Ac 3:17). The term also designates Satan, the prince or chief of the fallen angels (Mt 9:34; Eph 2:2).
In the New Testament we also find strategos, employed to designate the Roman praetors or magistrates of Philippi, a Roman colony (Ac 16:20,22,35,36,38). A collective term for those clothed with power (Eng. "the powers"), exousiai, is found in Lu 12:11 the King James Version; Ro 13:2,3; Tit 3:1. The "higher powers" (Ro 13:1) are all those who are placed in positions of civil authority from the emperor down.
In early Hebrew history, the magisterial office was limited to the hereditary chiefs, but Moses made the judicial office elective. In his time the "heads of families" were 59 in number, and these, together with the 12 princes of the tribes, composed the Sanhedrin or Council of 71. Some of the scribes were entrusted with the business of keeping the genealogies and in this capacity were also regarded as magistrates.
Frank E. Hirsch
In the topical indexes
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.