Untitled Sermon (5)

Throughout the Bible, God, people, and angelic powers exercise authority. The most common Hebrew terms for authority in the ot are the verb מָלַךְ (mālak, “to rule”; e.g., Gen 36:21; Judg 9:8) and the related noun מֶלֶךְ (melek, “king”; e.g., Exod 1:8; 2 Sam 2:4).

This word, occurring over 3,000 times in the ot, is the fourth-most common word in the Hebrew ot.

The Hebrew term melek is mirrored by the Greek word ἄρχων (archōn), which means “ruler” or “lord” (e.g., Matt 9:34; Rom 13:3). Other relevant Hebrew terms include שַׁר (šar; e.g., Exod 2:14; Isa 9:6), which often refers to a prince, and רֹאשׁ (rōʾš), which denotes the head authority or figure of a group. The responsibilities of various authorities in the ot include exercising oversight (פָּקַד, pāqad; Gen 39:4–5) and administering justice (שָׁפַט, šāpaṭ; Exod 18:13; 2 Chr 19:8). The nt concept of authority is shaped by terms that describe the potential to exercise authority (δύναμις, dynamis; Luke 22:69; Acts 1:8) and the right to administer it (ἐξουσία, exousia).