noun · masculine
archierevos
Strong’sG749
high priest, chief priest
stem archierev-122 times in the New Testamentin 6 of 27 books8 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
The word denotes the high priest, the chief religious official among the Jews, and by extension is applied to Christ in this same role 124. LSJ notes that at Jerusalem this is the established sense of the term 3.
In the plural, the word also refers to the chief priests, a wider group made up of the ruling priestly class, including former high priests and members of high-priestly families 1.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
ἀρχ-ιερεύς, -έως, ὁ,
[in LXX for כֹּהֵן, הַגָּדוֹל כּ״, הָרֹאשׁ כּ״;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G749 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidar-khee-er-yuce'
the high-priest (literally, of the Jews, typically, Christ); by extension a chief priest
King Jameschief (high) priest, chief of the priests.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
Ionic dialect ἀρχῐέρεως, εω, Refs 5th c.BC+:— arch-priest, chief-priest, [same places], frequently in Inscrr., νήσουRefs 1st c.AD+, etc.:—at Rome, = pontifex, Refs 1st c.AD+; ἀ. μέγιστος, = pontifex maximus, Refs:—at Jerusalem, high-priest, LXX+NT
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | archierevos28×ἀρχιερεὺς | archierevois40×ἀρχιερεῖς |
| object accusative | archierevon9×ἀρχιερέα | archierevoin10×ἀρχιερεῖς |
| direct address vocative | archierevor | archierevoir |
| of, belonging to genitive | archierevou16×ἀρχιερέως | archierevoiu10×ἀρχιερέων |
| to, for dative | archierevo3×ἀρχιερεῖ | archierevoi6×ἀρχιερεῦσιν |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
archierevo is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
122 occurrences, 100 of them printed here — the rest are in the reader
archierevos“high priest”subjectnominative singular28×, 23 shown
Matthew 26:62kai anastēarantos tos archierevos legata auto; Oudenem apokrinosō? tinem houtois …So the high priest stood up and asked Him, “Have …
Matthew 26:63tos de Iēsus siōpate. kai tos archierevos legata auto; Exorkizamō sin kata tou …But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You …
Matthew 26:65tote tos archierevos diarrēgata teim himatieim autou legarōntos; Blasfēmata; …At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He …
Mark 14:60kai anastēarantos tos archierevos eis mesem eperōtata ton Iēsun legarōntos; …So the high priest stood up before them and questioned …
Mark 14:61… kai ouk apokrineta oudenem. palin tos archierevos eperōtate auton kai legatō auto; Sis …… and made no reply. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ …
Mark 14:63tos de archierevos diarrēgarantos toin chitōnoin autou legatō; Tinem …At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “Why …
John 11:49henos de tinos ek autoiu Kaiafos, archierevos arōntos tou eniautou ekeinou, legata autoi; …… of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You …
John 11:51… de apo heautou ouk legata, alla archierevos arōntos tou eniautou ekeinou profēteuata hoti …… this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that …
John 18:13… gar pentheros tou Kaiafou, hos ate archierevos tou eniautou ekeinou;… was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
John 18:19Tos oun archierevos erōtata ton Iēsun peri toiu mathētoiu …Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and …
Acts 4:6kai Hannos tos archierevos kai Kaiafos kai Iōannos kai Alexandros …along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others …
Acts 5:17Anastēarantos de tos archierevos kai pantois tois sun auto, tas …Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged …
Acts 5:21… hierem kai didaskale. Paragenerantos de tos archierevos kai tois sun auto sunkalala tem …… to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they convened …
Acts 5:27… te sunedrie. kai eperōtata autoin tos archierevos… stand before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest interrogated them.
Acts 7:1Legata de tos archierevos; Ei houteim houtōs echatō?Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
Acts 22:5hōs kai tos archierevos marturatō mi kai pantem tem presbuteriem; …as the high priest and the whole Council can testify …
Acts 23:2tos de archierevos Hananios epitassata toi parastēarēntoi auto tuptarō …At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul …
Acts 23:5… Paulos; Ouk oidamelē, adelfoir, hoti atō archierevos; grafotē gar hoti Archonton tou laou …… not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not …
Acts 24:1Meta de pente hēmerain katabainata tos archierevos Hananios meta presbuteroiu tinoiu kai rētōrou …Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders …
Hebrews 2:17… homoiira, hina eleēmonos geneteia kai pistos archierevos teim pros ton theon, eis tem …… might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order …
Hebrews 5:1Pantos gar archierevos ek anthrōpoiu laborōntos huper anthrōpoiu katastēotō …Every high priest is appointed from among men to …
Hebrews 5:10prosagoreuirantos hupo tou theou archierevos kata tan taxian Melchisedek.and was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:20… eiserchata Iēsus, kata tan taxian Melchisedek archierevos generantos eis ton aiōnon.… our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
archierevon“high priest”objectaccusative singular9×
Matthew 26:57… ton Iēsun apagala pros Kaiafon ton archierevon, hopou tois grammatevois kai tois presbuterois …… to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had …
Mark 14:53Kai apagala ton Iēsun pros ton archierevon, kai sunercholō pantois tois archierevois kai …They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders …
John 18:24… tos Hannos dorēnton pros Kaiafon ton archierevon.… Him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
Acts 23:4tois de parastēarēntois legala; Ton archierevon tou theou loidorasō?… said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”
Hebrews 3:1… epouranau metochoir, katanoavar ton apostolon kai archierevon tau homologiau nu Iēsun,… focus on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
Hebrews 4:14Echarōntois oun archierevon megon diercharēnton toin ouranoin, Iēsun ton …Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens …
Hebrews 4:15ouk gar echanō archierevon mē dunorōnton sumpathara tai astheniai nu, …For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with …
Hebrews 5:5… tos Christos ouk heauton doxazata genira archierevon, alla tos lalarantos pros auton; Huios …… Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the …
Hebrews 8:1… de epi tei legorōntei, toiouton echanō archierevon, hos kathizata en dexa tou thronou …… this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right …
archierevou“high priest”of, belonging togenitive singular16×
Matthew 26:3… tou laou eis tan aulan tou archierevou tou legorōntou Kaiafou,… assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
Matthew 26:51… autou kai pataxarantos ton doulon tou archierevou afairata autou tem ōtiem.… and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
Matthew 26:58… apo makrothen heōs tau aulau tou archierevou, kai eisercharantos esō kathote meta toiu …… up to the courtyard of the high priest. And he went in and sat …
Mark 2:26“high priest”… ton oikon tou theou epi Abiathar archierevou kai toin artoin tau prothesiau esthiata, …… priesthood of Abiathar, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which was lawful only for the priests. And …
Mark 14:47… tan machairan paiata ton doulon tou archierevou kai afairata autou tem ōtariem.… and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
Mark 14:54… heōs esō eis tan aulan tou archierevou kai ate sunkathorōntos meta toiu hupēretoiu …… right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the officers …
Mark 14:66… aula erchotō henas taiu paidiskaiu tou archierevou,… of the servant girls of the high priest came down
Luke 3:2epi archierevou Hannou kai Kaiafou, geneta rēmem theou …during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word …
Luke 22:50… pataxata henos tinos ek autoiu tou archierevou ton doulon kai afairata tem ouem …… them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
Luke 22:54“high priest’s”… kai eisagala eis tan oikian tou archierevou; tos de Petros akolouthate makrothen.… Him away, and took Him into the house of the high priest. And Peter followed at a distance.
John 18:10“high priest’s”… helkata autan kai paiata ton tou archierevou doulon kai apokoptata autou tem ōtariem …… Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s …
John 18:15… to Iēso eis tan aulan tou archierevou,… Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.
John 18:16… mathētos tos allosos tos gnōstos tou archierevou kai legata ta thurōra kai eisagata …… disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the …
John 18:26“high priest”legatō henos ek toiu douloiu tou archierevou, sungenos arōntos hou apokoptata Petros tem …One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?”
Acts 19:14ale de tinou Skevou Ioudaiou archierevou hepta huiois houtem poiarōntois.Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
Hebrews 13:11… hamartau eis teim hagieim dia tou archierevou, houteiu teim sōmeim katakaiotō exō tau …Although the high priest brings the blood of animals into …
archierevo“high priest”to, fordative singular3×
John 18:15… de mathētos ekeinos ate gnōstos to archierevo kai suneiserchata to Iēso eis tan …… that disciple was known to the high priest, he also went with Jesus into …
John 18:22… to Iēso legarantos; Houtōs apokrinosō to archierevo?… Is this how You answer the high priest?”
Acts 9:1… toin mathētoin tou kuriou, prosercharantos to archierevo… of the Lord. He approached the high priest
archierevois“chief priests”subjectnominative plural40×, 23 shown
Matthew 21:15horarantois de tois archierevois kai tois grammatevois teim thaumasieim heim …But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they …
Matthew 21:23… tem hierem proserchala auto didaskarōnto tois archierevois kai tois presbuterois tou laou legarōntois; …… courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came …
Matthew 21:45Kai akouarantois tois archierevois kai tois Farisaiois tain parabolain autou …When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they …
Matthew 26:3Tote sunagila tois archierevois kai tois presbuterois tou laou eis …At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled …
Matthew 26:59tois de archierevois kai tem sunedriem holem zētale pseudomarturian …Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking …
Matthew 27:1… de generantau sumbouliem labala pantois tois archierevois kai tois presbuterois tou laou kata …When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired …
Matthew 27:6tois de archierevois labarantois teim argurieim legala; Ouk exestinatō …The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver …
Matthew 27:20Tois de archierevois kai tois presbuterois peithala toin ochloin …But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to …
Matthew 27:41homoiōs kai tois archierevois empaizarōntois meta toiu grammatevoiu kai presbuteroiu …In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying,
Matthew 27:62… atō meta tan paraskevan, sunagila tois archierevois kai tois Farisaiois pros Pilaton… the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate.
Mark 11:18kai akouala tois archierevois kai tois grammatevois, kai zētale pōs …When the chief priests and scribes heard this, they looked …
Mark 11:27… peripatarōntou autou ercholō pros auton tois archierevois kai tois grammatevois kai tois presbuterois… in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to …
Mark 14:1… meta duo hēmerain. kai zētale tois archierevois kai tois grammatevois pōs auton en …… were two days away, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a …
Mark 14:53… ton archierevon, kai sunercholō pantois tois archierevois kai tois presbuterois kai tois grammatevois.… the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders, and scribes assembled.
Mark 14:55tois de archierevois kai holem tem sunedriem zētale kata …Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking …
Mark 15:1Kai euthuos prōi sumbouliem poiarantois tois archierevois meta toiu presbuteroiu kai grammatevoiu kai …Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin …
Mark 15:3kai katēgorale autou tois archierevois polleim.And the chief priests began to accuse Him of many …
Mark 15:10… hoti dia fthonon paradōalelē auton tois archierevois.… was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over.
Mark 15:11tois de archierevois anaseiala ton ochlon hina mallon ton …But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have …
Mark 15:31homoiōs kai tois archierevois empaizarōntois pros allēloin meta toiu grammatevoiu …In the same way, the chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves …
Luke 19:47… hēmeran en te hiere; tois de archierevois kai tois grammatevois zētale auton apolara …… the temple every day, but the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people …
Luke 20:1… te hiere kai euangelizorōntou epistēala tois archierevois kai tois grammatevois sun toi presbuteroi,… courts and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders …
Luke 20:19kai zētala tois grammatevois kai tois archierevois epibalara epi auton tain cheirain en …When the scribes and chief priests realized that Jesus had spoken this …
archierevoin“chief priests”objectaccusative plural10×
Matthew 2:4kai sunagarantos pantoin toin archierevoin kai grammatevoin tou laou punthanote para …… when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he …
Matthew 26:14… tos legorōntos Ioudos Iskariōtos, pros toin archierevoin… called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
Mark 14:10… henos toiu dōdeka aperchata pros toin archierevoin hina auton paradōateia autoi.… of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.
Luke 22:52… Iēsus pros toin paragenerantoin epi auton archierevoin kai stratēgoin teu hiereu kai presbuteroin; …Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple officers, and elders who had …
Luke 23:4tos de Pilatos legata pros toin archierevoin kai toin ochloin; Oudenem heuriskamō aitiem …Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no …
Luke 23:13Pilatos de sunkalerantos toin archierevoin kai toin archontoin kai ton laonThen Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,
John 7:45Erchala oun tois hupēretois pros toin archierevoin kai Farisaioin, kai legala autoi ekeinois; …Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why …
Acts 9:21… hina dorēntoin autoin agateia epi toin archierevoin?… take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”
Acts 22:30… luata auton, kai keleuata sunerchara toin archierevoin kai pantem tem sunedriem, kai katagarantos …… Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble …
Hebrews 7:28tos nomos gar anthrōpoin katastēatō archierevoin echarōntoin asthenian, tos logos de tau …For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the …
archierevoiu“chief priests”of, belonging togenitive plural10×
Matthew 16:21… polleim paschara apo toiu presbuteroiu kai archierevoiu kai grammatevoiu kai apoktenira kai ta …… at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must …
Matthew 26:47… meta machairaiu kai xuleiu apo toiu archierevoiu kai presbuteroiu tou laou.… swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Matthew 27:12… en te katēgororō auton hupo toiu archierevoiu kai presbuteroiu oudenem apokrineta.… when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.
Mark 8:31… apodokimazira hupo toiu presbuteroiu kai toiu archierevoiu kai toiu grammatevoiu kai apoktenira kai …… and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must …
Mark 14:43… meta machairaiu kai xuleiu para toiu archierevoiu kai toiu grammatevoiu kai toiu presbuteroiu.… swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, scribes, and elders.
Luke 9:22… kai apodokimazira apo toiu presbuteroiu kai archierevoiu kai grammatevoiu kai apoktenira kai ta …… must be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and He must be …
John 18:3… labarantos tan speiran kai ek toiu archierevoiu kai ek toiu Farisaioiu hupēretoin erchotō …… of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. They arrived at the …
Acts 9:14kai hōde echatō exousian para toiu archierevoiu dara pantoin toin epikalorōntoin tem onomem …… is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on …
Acts 26:10… en fulakai katakleiama tan para toiu archierevoiu exousian labarantos, anairorōntoiu tē autoiu kataferama …… in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints …
Acts 26:12… meta exousiau kai epitropau tau toiu archierevoiu… the authority and commission of the chief priests.
archierevoi“chief priests”to, fordative plural6×
Matthew 20:18… tos huios tou anthrōpou paradōiti toi archierevoi kai grammatevoi, kai katakrinali auton thanato,… will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him …
Matthew 27:3… metamelirantos strefata teim triakonta argurieim toi archierevoi kai presbuteroi… thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.
Matthew 28:11… ercharantois eis tan polan apangelala toi archierevoi hapanteim teim generanteim.… the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.
Mark 10:33… tos huios tou anthrōpou paradōiti toi archierevoi kai toi grammatevoi, kai katakrinali auton …… will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him …
Luke 22:4kai apercharantos sullalata toi archierevoi kai stratēgoi tem pōs autoi paradōateia …… Judas went to discuss with the chief priests and temple officers how he might …
Acts 23:14hotinois prosercharantois toi archierevoi kai toi presbuteroi legala; Anatheme anathematizana …They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have …