Lexical Summary
archisunagógos: Ruler of the synagogue, synagogue leader
Original Word:ἀρχισυνάγωγος
Part of Speech:Noun, Masculine
Transliteration:archisunagógos
Pronunciation:ar-khee-soo-nag'-o-gos
Phonetic Spelling:(ar-khee-soon-ag'-o-gos)
KJV: (chief) ruler of the synagogue
NASB:synagogue official, leader of the synagogue, synagogue officials
Word Origin:[fromG746 (ἀρχή - beginning) andG4864 (συναγωγή - synagogue)]
1. a ruler of a gathering
2. (specially, Jewish) a director of the "synagogue" services
3. (specially, Christian) a presiding elder of a gathering
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
chief ruler of the synagogue.
Fromarche andsunagoge; director of the synagogue services -- (chief) ruler of the synagogue.
see GREEKarche
see GREEKsunagoge
HELPS Word-studies
752arxisynágōgos (fromarxi, "first" and4684/spataláō, "synagogue") – properly, the chief elder (overseer) presiding over a local synagogue; a "ruler of a synagogue,an administrative officer, supervising the worship" (Abbott-Smith), i.e. the president ("chief") amongst other elders-overseers serving in a particular synagogue.
[Note the parallel withlocal church government in the NT. Like the ancient Jewishsynagogue, a local NT church needs to be shepherded by ateam ("plurality")of elders.See 4245/presbyteros ("elder").]
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
archó and
sunagógéDefinitionruler of a synagogue
NASB Translationleader of the synagogue (2), synagogue official (5), synagogue officials (2).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 752: ἀρχισυνάγωγοςἀρχισυνάγωγος,
ἀρχισυναγώγου,
ὁ (
συναγωγή),
ruler of a synagogue,הַכְּנֶסֶתרֹאשׁ:
Mark 5:22, 35f, 38;
Luke 8:49;
Luke 13:14;
Acts 13:15;
Acts 18:8, 17. It was his duty to select the readers or teachers in the synagogue, to examine the discourses of the public speakers, and to see that all things were done with decency and in accordance with ancestral usage; (cf. Alex.'s Kitto under the word Synagogue). (Not found in secular writings; (yet
Schürer (Theol. Literatur-Zeit., 1878, p. 5) refers to Corp. Inscriptions Grace. no 2007 f. (Addenda ii., p. 994), no. 2221{c} (ii., p. 1031), nos. 9894, 9906; Mommsen, Inscriptions Regni Neap. no. 3657; Garrucci, Cimitero degli antichi Ebrei, p. 67;
Lampridius, Vita Alexandr. Sever c. 28;
Vopiscus, Vit. Saturnin c. 8; Codex Theodos. 16:8, 4, 13, 14; also Acta Pilat. in
Tdf.s Ev. Apocr. edition 2, pp. 221, 270, 275, 284;
Justin Martyr, dialog contra Trypho,
c. 137;Epiphanius haer. 30, 18;Eusebius,h. e. 7, 10, 4; see fully in his Gemeindeverfassung der Juden in Rom in d. Kaiserzeit nach d. Inschrften dargestellt (Leips. 1879), p. 25f).)
Topical Lexicon
Definition and FunctionStrong’s Greek 752 designates the archisynagōgos, the “synagogue ruler.” In first-century Judaism this person (often more than one per congregation,Acts 13:15) exercised overall responsibility for the local synagogue: supervising Scripture readings, arranging teachers, maintaining order, administering discipline, caring for the building and finances, and representing the assembly before civic authorities. The office blended administrative oversight with spiritual guardianship, anticipating many features later seen in Christian elder-ship.
Old Testament Roots and Synagogue Development
While synagogues do not appear by name in the Hebrew Scriptures, their structures drew on earlier patterns: elders at the city gate (Deuteronomy 21:19), Levitical instruction (2 Chronicles 17:7-9), and appointed overseers (2 Kings 12:11). After the Exile, communal gatherings for reading the Law (Nehemiah 8) crystallized into the synagogue system that flourished by the time of Jesus. The archisynagōgos thus inherited a venerable tradition of guiding God’s people in the Word and in worship.
Occurrences in the New Testament
Nine uses spotlight the role in varied settings:
•Mark 5:22, 35-38;Luke 8:49 – Jairus, a synagogue ruler of Capernaum, implores Jesus to heal his dying daughter, demonstrating faith amid crisis.
•Luke 13:14 – A ruler objects to a Sabbath healing, illustrating how legalism can eclipse compassion: “Indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the crowd…”.
•Acts 13:15 – In Pisidian Antioch, “the rulers of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, ‘Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.’” Their invitation becomes Paul’s platform to proclaim Christ from the Law and the Prophets.
•Acts 18:8 – “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household”. His conversion anchors the Corinthian church and underscores the Gospel’s reach to Jewish leadership.
•Acts 18:17 – Sosthenes, another ruler, suffers mob violence; yet1 Corinthians 1:1 later greets “Sosthenes our brother,” suggesting eventual faith and highlighting God’s redemptive pursuit.
Portraits of Response to Jesus and the Apostles
1. Receptive Faith – Jairus and Crispus model leaders who recognize Jesus’ authority, laying aside status to seek mercy (Mark 5:22;Acts 18:8).
2. Hesitant Legalism – The unnamed ruler inLuke 13:14 resists the liberating purpose of Sabbath, reminding readers that position without compassion breeds hardness of heart.
3. Providential Opposition – Sosthenes’ initial hostility (Acts 18:17) sets the stage for his possible later conversion, illustrating how persecution can become a pathway to grace.
Historical Significance for Early Christian Mission
Synagogue rulers controlled who addressed the assembly; their invitations (Acts 13:15) provided Paul strategic access to proclaim Christ city after city. Conversely, when rulers opposed the message, they often stirred organized resistance (Acts 18:12-17). Thus the archisynagōgos stood at a pivotal junction where Jewish tradition met emerging Christian proclamation.
Ministry Lessons for Today
• Stewardship of Worship – Like the synagogue ruler, church leaders ensure orderly, Scripture-centered gatherings (1 Corinthians 14:40).
• Humble Authority – Jairus teaches that genuine leadership bends the knee to Jesus, especially in personal crisis.
• Guarding Against Formalism –Luke 13:14 warns that zeal for regulation must never overshadow mercy and the life-giving intent of God’s commands.
• Openness to God’s New Work – Crispus and Sosthenes affirm that seasoned leaders can embrace fresh revelation, becoming pillars in the church (compare1 Corinthians 1:14).
Christological and Ecclesiological Implications
The archisynagōgos typifies leadership under the Law, while Jesus embodies the ultimate Shepherd who fulfills the Law and welcomes all who believe. As synagogue rulers believed, they transitioned naturally into the New Covenant model of elder-oversight, showing continuity between Israel’s congregational life and the church’s pastoral ministry.
Contemporary Application
Modern congregations, whether of Jewish or Gentile origin, still need spiritually mature stewards who:
• prioritize public reading of Scripture (1 Timothy 4:13),
• invite Christ-centered exhortation,
• balance doctrinal fidelity with compassion,
• and lead households to faith as Crispus did.
Strong’s 752 therefore challenges every era’s leaders to shepherd God’s people with integrity, hospitality to the Gospel, and unwavering allegiance to the Lord of the synagogue, Jesus Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
αρχισυναγωγοι αρχισυνάγωγοι ἀρχισυνάγωγοι αρχισυναγωγον αρχισυνάγωγον ἀρχισυνάγωγον αρχισυναγωγος αρχισυνάγωγος ἀρχισυνάγωγος αρχισυναγωγου αρχισυναγώγου ἀρχισυναγώγου αρχισυναγωγω αρχισυναγώγω ἀρχισυναγώγῳ αρχισυναγωγων αρχισυναγώγων ἀρχισυναγώγων αρχισωματοφύλακα αρχισωματοφύλακες αρχιτεκτονείν αρχιτεκτονίας ηρχιτεκτόνησε archisunagogo archisunagōgō archisunagogoi archisunagōgoi archisunagogon archisunagōgon archisunagōgōn archisunagogos archisunagōgos archisunagogou archisunagōgou archisynagogo archisynagōgō archisynagogoi archisynagōgoi archisynagṓgoi archisynagṓgōi archisynágogoi archisynágōgoi archisynagogon archisynagōgon archisynagōgōn archisynagṓgon archisynagṓgōn archisynágogon archisynágōgon archisynagogos archisynagōgos archisynágogos archisynágōgos archisynagogou archisynagōgou archisynagṓgouLinks
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