King James Bible Dictionary

GOV'ERN, verb transitive [Latin guberno. The Latin guberno seems to be a compound.]

1. To direct and control, as the actions or conduct of men, either by established laws or by arbitrary will; to regulate by authority; to keep within the limits prescribed by law or sovereign will. Thus in free states, men are governed by the constitution and laws; in despotic states, men are governed by the edicts or commands of a monarch. Every man should govern well his own family.

2. To regulate; to influence; to direct. This is the chief point by which he is to govern all his counsels and actions.

3. To control; to restrain; to keep in due subjection; as, to govern the passions or temper.

4. To direct; to steer; to regulate the course or motion of a ship. The helm or the helmsman governs the ship.

5. In grammar, to require to be in a particular case; as, a verb transitive governs a word in the accusative case; or to require a particular case; as, a verb governs the accusative case.

GOV'ERN, verb intransitive To exercise authority; to administer the laws. The chief magistrate should govern with impartiality.

1. To maintain the superiority; to have the control.

GOV'ERNABLE, adjective That may be governerned, or subjected to authority; controllable; manageable; obedient; submissive to law or rule.

GOV'ERNANCE,noun Government; exercise of authority; direction; control; management, either of a public officer, or of a private guardian or tutor.

GOV'ERNANT, noun A lady who has the care and management of young females; a governess. [The latter is more generally used.]

GOV'ERNED, participle passive Directed; regulated by authority; controlled; managed; influenced; restrained.

GOV'ERNESS, noun A female invested with authority to control and direct; a tutoress; an instructress; a woman who has the care of instructing and directing young ladies.

GOV'ERNING, pr. Directing; controlling; regulating by laws or edicts; managing; influencing; restraining.

1. Holding the superiority; prevalent; as a governing wind; a governing party n a state.

2. Directing; controlling; as a governing motive.

Miscellany of minor sub-topics

Paternal functions of
Genesis 41:25-57

Civil service school provided by
Daniel 1:3-20

Maintains a system of public instruction
2 Chronicles 17:7-9

Executive departments in
Cabinet; King; Ruler

Judicial department in
Court; Judge; Justice; Levite; Priest

Mosaic

Administrative and Judicial System
Exodus 18:13-26; Numbers 11:16-17; Numbers 11:24-25; Deuteronomy 1:9-17

Popular, by a national assembly, or its representatives

Accepted, and agreed to, the law given by Moses
Exodus 19:7-8; Exodus 24:3; Exodus 24:7; Deuteronomy 29:10-15

Refused to make conquest of Canaan
Numbers 14:1-10

Chose, or ratified, the chief ruler
Numbers 27:18-23; 1 Samuel 10:24; 1 Samuel 8:4-22; 1 Samuel 11:14-15; 2 Samuel 3:17-21; 2 Samuel 5:1-3; 1 Chronicles 29:22; 2 Chronicles 23:3

Possessed veto power over the king's purposes
1 Samuel 14:44-45

Possessed veto power over the court in certain capital cases
Numbers 35:12; Numbers 35:24-25

The Delegated, Senatorial Council, closely associated with Moses and subsequent leaders
Exodus 3:16; Exodus 3:18; Exodus 4:29-31; Exodus 12:21; Exodus 17:5-6; Exodus 18:12; Leviticus 9:1; Numbers 16:25; Deuteronomy 5:23; Exodus 19:7-8; Exodus 24:1; Exodus 24:14; Leviticus 4:15; Numbers 11:16-18; Numbers 11:30; Deuteronomy 1:13-15; Deuteronomy 27:1; Deuteronomy 29:10-15; Deuteronomy 31:9; Deuteronomy 31:28; Joshua 7:6; Joshua 8:10; Joshua 8:32-33; Joshua 23:2-3; Joshua 23:6; Joshua 24:1; Joshua 24:24-25; Judges 21:16-25; Acts 5:17-18; Acts 5:21-41

Miscellany of facts relating to the senate:

Demands a king
1 Samuel 8:4-10; 1 Samuel 8:19-22

Saul pleads to be honored before
1 Samuel 15:30

Chooses David as King
2 Samuel 3:17-21; 2 Samuel 5:3; 1 Chronicles 11:3

Closely associated with David
2 Samuel 12:17; 1 Chronicles 15:25; 1 Chronicles 21:16

Joins Absalom in his usurpation
2 Samuel 17:4

David upbraids
2 Samuel 19:11

Assists Solomon at the dedication of the temple
1 Kings 8:1-3; 2 Chronicles 5:2-4

Counsels King Rehoboam
1 Kings 12:6-8; 1 Kings 12:13

Counsels King Ahab
1 Kings 20:7-8

Josiah assembles to hear the law of the Lord
2 Kings 23:1; 2 Chronicles 34:29; 2 Chronicles 34:31

Legislates with Ezra in reforming certain marriages with the heathen
Ezra 9:1; Ezra 10:8-14

Legislates in later times
Matthew 15:2; Matthew 15:7-9; Mark 7:1-13

Sits as a court
Jeremiah 26:10-24

Constitutes, with priests and scribes, a court for the trial of both civil and ecclesiastical causes
Matthew 21:23; Matthew 26:3-5; Matthew 26:57-68; Matthew 27:1-2; Mark 8:31; Mark 14:43-65; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:52-71; Acts 4:1-21; Acts 6:9-15; Acts 7:1-59

Unfaithful to the city
Lamentations 1:19

Seeks counsel from prophets
Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 14:1; Ezekiel 20:1; Ezekiel 20:3; Joel 1:14; Joel 2:16

Corrupt
1 Kings 21:8-14; Ezekiel 8:11-12; Matthew 26:14-15; Matthew 27:3-4

A similar senate existed among:

The Egyptians
Genesis 50:7; Genesis 41:37-38; Exodus 10:1; Exodus 10:7; Exodus 12:30; Exodus 14:5

The Midianites and Moabites
Numbers 22:4; Numbers 22:7

The Gibeonites
Joshua 9:11

Executive officers of tribes and cities, called Princes or Nobles, members of the National Assembly
Numbers 1:4-16; Numbers 1:44; Numbers 7:2-3; Numbers 7:10-11; Numbers 7:18; Numbers 7:24; Numbers 7:54; Numbers 7:84; Numbers 10:4; Numbers 16:2; Numbers 17:2; Numbers 17:6; Numbers 27:2; Numbers 31:13-14; Numbers 32:2; Numbers 34:18-29; Numbers 36:1; Joshua 9:15-21; Joshua 17:4; Joshua 22:13-32; 1 Kings 21:11-13; Nehemiah 3:9; Nehemiah 3:12; Nehemiah 3:16; Nehemiah 3:18-19

The Mosiac Judicial System
Court; Judge; Priest; Levite; Ruler; Sanhedrin; Synagogue

Forms and facts of government after the death of Moses and the princes who survived Moses
Israel, 3, History of; Israel, 4, History of; Israel, 5, History of

Constitutional
Constitution

Ecclesiastical
Church, The Collective Body of Believers, Government of, Mosaic and Christian; Priest

Imperial
Genesis 14:1; Joshua 11:10; Esther 1:1; Daniel 4:1; Daniel 6:1-3; Luke 2:1

Monarchical

Tyranny in, instances of:

By Saul
1 Samuel 22:6; 1 Samuel 22:12-19

By David
2 Samuel 1:13-16; 2 Samuel 4:9-12; 2 Samuel 11:14-17

By Solomon
1 Kings 2:23-25; 1 Kings 2:28-34; 1 Kings 2:36-46; 1 Kings 12:1-16; 1 Kings 21:7-16; 1 Kings 12:10

By Ahasuerus
1 Kings 17:2

By Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel 1:10; Daniel 2:5-13; Daniel 5:19

By Herod
Mark 6:27-28
Israel, 3, History of; Israel, 4, History of; Israel, 5, History of; Assyria; Babylon; Chaldea; Syria

Limited
Constitution

Municipal, devolving on a local senate and executive officers
Deuteronomy 19:12; Deuteronomy 21:2-8; Deuteronomy 21:18-21; Deuteronomy 22:13-21; Deuteronomy 25:7-9; Joshua 20:4; Judges 8:14-16; Judges 11:5-11; Ruth 4:2-11; 1 Samuel 11:3; 1 Samuel 16:4; 1 Samuel 30:26; 1 Kings 21:8-14; 2 Kings 10:1-7; Ezra 10:8; Ezra 10:14; Nehemiah 3:9; Nehemiah 3:12; Nehemiah 3:16; Nehemiah 3:18-19; Lamentations 5:14

Provincial

General references
Ezra 4:8-9; Ezra 5:3; Ezra 5:6; Ezra 6:6; Ezra 8:36; Nehemiah 2:7; Nehemiah 2:9; Nehemiah 5:14; Daniel 6:1-3; Matthew 27:2; Matthew 28:14; Luke 3:1; Acts 24:1
Herod; Pilate

Representative

General references
Deuteronomy 1:13-15; Joshua 9:11
Government, Mosaic, The Delegated, Senatorial Council; Elder

Theocratic

General references
Exodus 19:3-8; Deuteronomy 26:16-19; Deuteronomy 29:1-13; 1 Samuel 8:6-7
Government, God in; Rulers; Judge; Elder; Church, The Collective Body of Believers, Church and State

Corruption in

General references
1 Kings 21:5-13; Proverbs 25:5; Micah 3:1-4; Micah 3:9-11
Church, The Collective Body of Believers, Corruption in; Court, Corrupt

Instances of:

Pilate, in delivering Jesus to death to please the clamoring multitude
John 19:12-16; Matthew 27:24

Felix, who expected money from Paul
Acts 24:26
Rulers, Wicked, Instances of

Duty of citizens to

General references
Matthew 22:17-21; Luke 20:25; Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17
Citizens

God in:

God in:
1 Samuel 9:15-17; 1 Samuel 10:1

Saul's rejection
1 Samuel 15:26-28; Acts 13:22

Appointment of David
1 Samuel 16:1; 1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 7:13-16; Psalms 89:19-37; Acts 13:22

Counseling Solomon
1 Kings 9:2-9

Magnifying him
1 Chronicles 29:25

Denouncing Solomon's wickedness
1 Kings 11:9-13

Raising adversaries against Solomon
1 Kings 11:14; 1 Kings 11:23

Rending the Jewish nation in twain
1 Kings 11:13; 1 Kings 12:1-24; 2 Chronicles 10:15; 2 Chronicles 11:4; 2 Chronicles 22:7

Blotting out the house of Jeroboam
1 Kings 14:7-16; 1 Kings 15:27-30

Appointment of kings
1 Kings 14:14; 1 Kings 16:1-4; 1 Chronicles 28:4-5; 1 Chronicles 29:25; Psalms 22:28; Proverbs 8:15-16; Daniel 2:20-21; Daniel 2:37; Daniel 5:20-24

Destruction of nations
Amos 9:8
Government, Theocratic; God, Sovereign

Unclassified scriptures relating to God in

General references
Psalms 22:28; Proverbs 8:15-16; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 1:9-10; Jeremiah 18:6-10; Jeremiah 25:12-33; Ezekiel 21:25-27; Ezekiel 29:19-20; Daniel 2:20-21; Daniel 2:37; Daniel 4:17; Daniel 5:18-28; Daniel 10:13; Hosea 8:4; Amos 9:8; Haggai 2:21-22; John 19:10-11
God, Sovereign; Jesus, The Christ, Kingdom of

GOV'ERNMENT, noun Direction; regulation. These precepts will serve for the government of our conduct.

1. Control; restraint. Men are apt to neglect the government of their temper and passions.

2. The exercise of authority; direction and restraint exercised over the actions of men in communities, societies or states; the administration of public affairs, according to established constitution, laws and usages, or by arbitrary edicts. Prussia rose to importance under the government of Frederick II.

3. The exercise of authority by a parent or householder. Children are often ruined by a neglect of government in parents.

Let family government be like that of our heavenly Father, mild, gentle and affectionate.

4. The system of polity in a state; that form of fundamental rules and principles by which a nation or state is governed, or by which individual members of a body politic are to regulate their social actions; a constitution, either written or unwritten, by which the rights and duties of citizens and public officers are prescribed and defined; as a monarchial government or a republican government

Thirteen governments thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone, without the pretence of miracle or mystery, are a great point gained in favor of the rights of mankind.

5. An empire, kingdom or state; any territory over which the right of sovereignty is extended.

6. The right of governing or administering the laws. The king of England vested the government of Ireland in the lord lieutenant.

7. The persons or council which administer the laws of a kingdom or state; executive power.

8. Manageableness; compliance; obsequiousness.

9. Regularity of behavior. [Not in use.]

10. Management of the limbs or body. [Not in use.]

11. In grammar, the influence of a word in regard to construction, as when established usage required that one word should cause another to be in a particular case or mode.

See PROVIDENCE.

GOVERNMENT'AL, adjective Pertaining to government; made by government.

(1 Corinthians 12:28), the powers which fit a man for a place of influence in the church; "the steersman's art; the art of guiding aright the vessel of church or state."

1. Heb. nagid, a prominent, conspicuous person, whatever his capacity- as, chief of the royal palace (2 Chronicles 28:7; comp. 1 Kings 4:6), chief of the temple (1 Chronicles 9:11; Jeremiah 20:1), the leader of the Aaronites (1 Chronicles 12:27), keeper of the sacred treasury (26:24), captain of the army (13:1), the king (1 Samuel 9:16), the Messiah (Daniel 9:25).

2. Heb. nasi, raised; exalted. Used to denote the chiefs of families (Numbers 3:24, 30, 32, 35); also of tribes (2:3; 7:2; 3:32). These dignities appear to have been elective, not hereditary.

3. Heb. pakid, an officer or magistrate. It is used of the delegate of the high priest (2 Chronicles 24:11), the Levites (Nehemiah 11:22), a military commander (2 Kings 25:19), Joseph's officers in Egypt (Genesis 41:34).

4. Heb. shallit, one who has power, who rules (Genesis 42:6; Ezra 4:20; Ecclesiastes 8:8; Daniel 2:15; 5:29).

5. Heb. aluph, literally one put over a thousand, i.e., a clan or a subdivision of a tribe. Used of the "dukes" of Edom (Genesis 36), and of the Jewish chiefs (Zechariah 9:7).

6. Heb. moshel, one who rules, holds dominion. Used of many classes of rulers (Genesis 3:16; 24:2; 45:8; Psalms 105:20); of the Messiah (Micah 5:2); of God (1 Chronicles 29:12; Psalms 103:19).

7. Heb. sar, a ruler or chief; a word of very general use. It is used of the chief baker of Pharaoh (Genesis 40:16); of the chief butler (40:2, etc. See also Genesis 47:6; Exodus 1:11; Daniel 1:7; Judges 10:18; 1 Kings 22:26; 20:15; 2 Kings 1:9; 2 Samuel 24:2). It is used also of angels, guardian angels (Daniel 10:13, 20, 21; 12:1; 10:13; 8:25).

8. Pehah, whence pasha, i.e., friend of the king; adjutant; governor of a province (2 Kings 18:24; Isaiah 36:9; Jeremiah 51:57; Ezekiel 23:6, 23; Daniel 3:2; Esther 3:12), or a perfect (Nehemiah 3:7; 5:14; Ezra 5:3; Haggai 1:1). This is a foreign word, Assyrian, which was early adopted into the Hebrew idiom (1 Kings 10:15).

9. The Chaldean word segan is applied to the governors of the Babylonian satrapies (Daniel 3:2, 27; 6:7); the prefects over the Magi (2:48). The corresponding Hebrew word segan is used of provincial rulers (Jeremiah 51:23, 28, 57); also of chiefs and rulers of the people of Jerusalem (Ezra 9:2; Nehemiah 2:16; 4:14, 19; 5:7, 17; 7:5; 12:40).

In the New Testament there are also different Greek words rendered thus.

1. Meaning an ethnarch (2 Corinthians 11:32), which was an office distinct from military command, with considerable latitude of application.

2. The procurator of Judea under the Romans (Matthew 27:2). (Comp. Luke 2:2, where the verb from which the Greek word so rendered is derived is used.)

3. Steward (Galatians 4:2).

4. Governor of the feast (John 2:9), who appears here to have been merely an intimate friend of the bridegroom, and to have presided at the marriage banquet in his stead.

5. A director, i.e., helmsman; Lat. gubernator, (James 3:4).

In the Authorized Version this one English word is the representative of no less than ten Hebrew and four Greek words.

1. The chief of a tribe or family.
2. A ruler in his capacity of lawgiver and dispenser of justice.
3. A ruler consider especially as having power over the property and persons of his subjects. (Genesis 24:2; Joshua 12:2; Psalms 100:20) The "governors of the people," in (2 Chronicles 23:20) appear to have been the king's body-guard; cf. (2 Kings 11:19)
4. A prominent personage, whatever his capacity. It is applied to a king as the military and civil chief of his people, (2 Samuel 5:2; 6:21; 1 Chronicles 29:22) to the general of an army, (2 Chronicles 32:21) and to the head of a tribe. (2 Chronicles 19:11) It denotes an officer of high rank in the palace, the lord high chamberlain. (2 Chronicles 28:7) It is applied in (1 Kings 10:15) to the petty chieftains who were tributary to Solomon, (2 Chronicles 9:14) to the military commander of the Syrians, (1 Kings 20:24) the Assyrians, (2 Kings 18:24; 23:8) the Chaldeans, (Jeremiah 51:23) and the Medes. (Jeremiah 51:38) Under the Persian viceroys, during the Babylonian captivity, the land of the Hebrews appears to have been portioned out among "governors" (pachoth) inferior in rank to the satraps, (Ezra 8:30) like the other provinces which were under the dominion of the Persian king. (Nehemiah 2:7,9) It is impossible to determine the precise limits of their authority or the functions which they had to perform. It appears from (Ezra 6:8) that these governors were intrusted with the collection of the king's taxes; and from (Nehemiah 5:18; 12:26) that they were supported by a contribution levied upon the people, which was technically termed "the bread of the governor" comp. (Ezra 4:14) They were probably assisted in discharging their official duties by A council. (Ezra 4:7; 6:6) The "governor" beyond the river had a judgment-seat beyond Jerusalem, from which probably he administered justice when making a progress through his province. (Nehemiah 3:7) At the time of Christ Judea was a Roman province, governed by a procurator (governor) appointed by Rome.

GOV'ERNOR, noun He that governs, rules or directs; one invested with supreme authority. The Creator is the rightful governor of all his creatures.

1. One who is invested with supreme authority to administer or enforce the laws; the supreme executive magistrate of a state, commmunity, corporation or post. Thus, in America, each state has its governor; Canada has its governor

2. A tutor; one who has the care of a young man; one who instructs him and forms his manners.

3. A pilot; one who steers a ship. James 3:4.

4. One possessing delegated authority. Joseph was governor over the land of Egypt. Obadiah was governor over Ahab's house. Damascus had a governor under Aretas the king.

GOV'ERNORSHIP, noun The office of a governor.