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Bible Dictionaries
Prince
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or This is the rendering of two Gr. words in the NT, viz. ἀρχηγός and ἄρχων. The translation ‘prince’ is assigned to ἀρχηγός in two passages in Acts, viz. Acts 3:14 f., ‘desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life’ (AVm_ and RVm_ ‘Author’); and Acts 5:31, ‘Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour.’ In the latter passage the title evidently denotes the royal dignity to which Jesus has been raised by the Resurrection; but in the other quotation ἀρχηγὸς τῆς ζωῆς rather refers to His work as Saviour, and thus the marginal translation is preferable. He is the Author of life in the sense that He is the Mediator to others of eternal life (cf. Hebrews 2:10, ἀρχηγὸν τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν [AV_ and RVm_ ‘captain of their salvation,’ RV_ ‘author’], and Hebrews 5:9, αἴτιος σωτηρίας αἰωνίου [AV_ and RV_ ‘author of eternal salvation,’ RVm_ ‘cause’]). The title ‘author of life’ is specially suggestive in the passage in Acts in virtue of the contrast it presents to the ‘murderer’ whom they desired instead.
The title ‘Prince’ (ἄρχων) is applied to Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:5, ‘firstbegotten (RV_ ‘firstborn’) of the dead, and the prince (RV_ ‘ruler’) of the kings of the earth’ (cf. Psalms 89:27). In virtue of the Resurrection Jesus has been exalted to Divine Lordship (cf. Matthew 28:18, Philippians 2:9). The title ‘prince of the kings of the earth’ corresponds to the ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’ of Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16. It is characteristic of Rev., with its transference to the Christ of the attributes of the theocratic king, to emphasize the sovereignty of the Exalted Christ over all earthly potentates.
There are two other passages in the apostolic writings in which ἄρχων is translated ‘prince.’ In one, Ephesians 2:2, ‘the prince of the power of the air’ (ὁ ἄρχων τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος), the reference is plainly to Satan. ἐξουσία is here used collectively to denote the whole array of the hosts of evil. These are conceived as having their dwelling in the air, i.e. midway between heaven and earth (cf. Ephesians 6:12, τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις). The other passage is 1 Corinthians 2:6; 1 Corinthians 2:8. There is difference of opinion as to who are ‘the princes of this world’ (RV_ ‘rulers of this world,’ RVm_ ‘age’) here referred to. There are some who see merely a reference to those who through birth, culture, and power hold a high place in the esteem of their fellows. But others find in the passage an allusion to the evil spirits to which there was a tendency in later Judaism to assign part at least of the government of the world. These spirits are represented as having brought about the death of Christ in their blind ignorance of the Divine wisdom. Had they known the Lord of glory, they would never have committed such a fatal mistake.
Literature.-H. Lietzmann’s Handbuch zum NT, 1912, comm. on 1 Corinthians 2:6; W. Bousset, Die Religion des Judentums im neutest. Zeitalter2, 1906, p. 371 ff.; F. H. Chase, The Credibility of the Acts, 1902, p. 129 f.; HDB_, art._ ‘Prince.’
G. Wauchope Stewart.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Prince'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/p/prince.html. 1906-1918.
