King James Bible Dictionary

RU'LER, noun

1. One that governs, whether emperor, king, pope or governor; any one that exercises supreme power over others.

2. One that makes or executes laws in a limited or free government. Thus legislators and magistrates are called rulers.

3. A rule; an instrument of wood or metal with straight edges or sides, by which lines are drawn on paper, parchment or other substance. When a ruler has the lines of chords, tangents, sines, etc. it is called a plane scale.

Appointed and removed by God
Government, God in

Chastised

General references
Hosea 27:4
Nation

Monarchical
King

Patriarchal
Genesis 27:29; Genesis 27:37

Instances of Patriarchal:

Nimrod
Genesis 10:8-10

Abraham
Genesis 14:13-24; Genesis 17:6; Genesis 21:21-32

Melchizedek
Genesis 14:18

Isaac
Genesis 26:26-31

Judah
Genesis 38:24

Heads of families
Exodus 6:14

Ishmael
Genesis 17:20

Esau, and the dukes of Edom
Genesis 1:36

Theocratic
Government

Character and qualifications of
Genesis 41:33; Exodus 18:21-22; Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 1:13; Deuteronomy 16:18-20; Deuteronomy 27:19; 2 Samuel 23:3-4; Ezra 7:25; Psalms 2:10-11; Psalms 72:1-17; Proverbs 16:10; Proverbs 16:12-13; Proverbs 17:7; Proverbs 19:12; Proverbs 20:8; Proverbs 20:26; Proverbs 20:28; Proverbs 21:1; Proverbs 24:23-26; Proverbs 25:2-3; Proverbs 25:5; Proverbs 28:2; Proverbs 28:16; Proverbs 29:2; Proverbs 29:4; Proverbs 29:14; Proverbs 31:4-5; Proverbs 31:8-9; Ecclesiastes 8:4; Ecclesiastes 10:16-17; Isaiah 5:22-23; Isaiah 16:5; Isaiah 28:6; Isaiah 60:17; Jeremiah 13:18; Romans 12:8; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Duties of
Exodus 18:16; Exodus 18:20-21; Exodus 23:3; Exodus 23:6-7; Exodus 23:9; Leviticus 19:15; Leviticus 24:22; Numbers 27:16-17; Deuteronomy 1:16-17; Deuteronomy 16:18-20; Deuteronomy 17:16-20; Deuteronomy 19:18-19; Deuteronomy 24:16; Deuteronomy 25:1; Joshua 1:7-8; 2 Chronicles 9:8; 2 Chronicles 19:6-7; Ezra 7:25-26; Psalms 82:2-4; Psalms 148:11; Psalms 148:13; Isaiah 58:6; Jeremiah 22:1-3; Jeremiah 21:12; Zech 7:9-10; Zech 8:16; Romans 13:3; 1 Timothy 2:2; 1 Peter 2:14

Righteous, instances of:

Pharaoh, in his treatment of Abraham
Genesis 12:15-20

Abimelech, in his treatment:

Of Abraham
Genesis 1:20

Of Isaac
Genesis 26:6-11

Joseph, in his conduct of the affairs of Egypt
Genesis 41:37-57

Pharaoh, in his treatment of Jacob and his family
Genesis 47:5-10; Genesis 50:1-6

Moses, in his administration of the affairs of the children of Israel
Numbers 16:15
Government, Mosaic

Samuel, in not taking reward for judgment
1 Samuel 12:3-4

Saul, after the defeat of the Ammonites
1 Samuel 11:12-13

Solomon:

In his judgment between the two women who claimed the same child
1 Kings 3:16-28

According to the testimony of the queen of Sheba
1 Kings 10:6-9

Asa, in abolishing sodomy and other abominations of idolatry
1 Kings 15:11-15; 2 Chronicles 14:2-5

Jehoshaphat, in walking in the ways of the Lord
1 Kings 22:41-46; 2 Chronicles 17:3-10; 2 Chronicles 19:1-11; 2 Chronicles 20:3-30

Hezekiah, in his fear of the Lord
2 Kings 18:3; 2 Kings 20:1-11; 2 Kings 14:30

Josiah, in repairing the temple and in other good works
2 Kings 12:22; 2 Kings 14:34

Cyrus, in emancipating the Jews
Ezra 1:1-11

Darius, in advancing the rebuilding of the temple
Ezra 6:1-12

Artaxerxes, in commissioning Ezra to restore the forms of worship at Jerusalem
Ezra 15:7; Ezra 16:2; Nehemiah 5:14

Nehemiah
Nehemiah 16:4

Daniel
Daniel

King of Nineveh, in repenting, and proclaiming a fast
Jonah 3:6-9

Wicked
Genesis 15:13-14; Exodus 3:9; Deuteronomy 27:19; 1 Samuel 8:10-18; 2 Chronicles 28:19; Nehemiah 5:7-9; Nehemiah 9:34-37; Job 24:22; Job 24:24; Job 35:9; Psalms 10:17-18; Psalms 12:5; Psalms 12:8; Psalms 49:20; Psalms 58:1-2; Psalms 82:2; Psalms 94:20-21; Psalms 110:5; Proverbs 17:15; Proverbs 17:26; Proverbs 28:15-16; Proverbs 28:28; Proverbs 29:2; Proverbs 29:4; Proverbs 29:12; Proverbs 30:21-22; Ecclesiastes 3:16-17; Ecclesiastes 4:1; Ecclesiastes 4:13-14; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Ecclesiastes 8:9; Ecclesiastes 10:5-7; Ecclesiastes 10:16-17; Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 3:12; Isaiah 3:14-15; Isaiah 5:7; Isaiah 10:1-3; Isaiah 14:4-20; Isaiah 28:14-15; Isaiah 29:20-21; Isaiah 30:33; Isaiah 33:1; Isaiah 40:23; Isaiah 52:5; Isaiah 59:14-15; Jeremiah 5:28-29; Ezekiel 21:25-26; Ezekiel 22:6; Ezekiel 22:27; Ezekiel 28:2; Ezekiel 34:2-4; Ezekiel 34:7-10; Ezekiel 45:9; Hosea 5:10; Hosea 7:3; Hosea 10:7; Amos 3:10-11; Amos 4:1-2; Amos 5:11-12; Amos 6:12-13; Micah 3:1-3; Micah 3:9-11; Micah 7:3-4; Habakkuk 1:4; Habakkuk 2:5-13; Zephaniah 1:8; Zephaniah 3:3; Acts 23:3; James 2:6; James 2:9

Wicked, instances of:

Potiphar, putting Joseph into prison
Genesis 39:20; Genesis 40:15

Pharaoh, oppressing the Israelites
Genesis 2:1

Adoni-Bezek, torturing seventy kings
Judges 1:7

Abimelech, slaying his seventy brothers
Judges 9:1-5

Eli's sons:

Desecrating the sacrifices
1 Samuel 2:12-17

Debauching themselves and the worshipers
1 Samuel 2:22

Samuel's sons, taking bribes
1 Samuel 8:1-5

Saul:

Sparing Agag and the best of the booty
1 Samuel 15:8-35

In jealousy plotting against David
1 Samuel 18:8-29

Seeking to slay David
1 Samuel 9:19

Slaying Ahimelech and the priests
1 Samuel 22:7-19

Hanun, maltreating David's servants
2 Samuel 10:4; 1 Chronicles 19:2-5

David, numbering Israel and Judah
2 Samuel 24:1-9; 1 Chronicles 21:1-7; 1 Chronicles 27:23-24

Solomon:

Luxurious and idolatrous
1 Kings 11:1-13

Oppressing the people
1 Kings 12:4; 1 Kings 4:7-23

Rehoboam, making the yoke heavy
1 Kings 12:8-11; 2 Chronicles 10:1-15

Jeroboam:

Perverting the true worship
1 Kings 12:26-33; 1 Kings 13:1-5; 1 Kings 14:16

Exalting debased persons to the priesthood
1 Kings 12:31; 1 Kings 13:33; 2 Kings 17:32; 2 Chronicles 11:14-15; Ezekiel 44:7; Numbers 3:10

Abijam, walking in the sins of Rehoboam
1 Kings 15:3

Nadab, walking in the ways of Jeroboam
1 Kings 15:26

Baasha, walking in the ways of Jeroboam
1 Kings 15:33-34

Asa, imprisoning the seer, and oppressing the people
2 Chronicles 16:10

Zimri, walking in the ways of Jeroboam
1 Kings 16:19

Omri, walking in the ways of Jeroboam
1 Kings 16:25-29

Ahab:

Serving Baal
1 Kings 16:30-33; 1 Kings 21:21-26

Confiscating Naboth's vineyard
1 Kings 11:21; 1 Samuel 8:14; 1 Kings 22:38; 2 Kings 9:26

Jehoram, cleaving to the sins of Jeroboam
2 Kings 3:2-3

Hazael, committing rapine
2 Kings 8:12; 2 Kings 10:32; 2 Kings 12:17; 2 Kings 13:3-7

Jehoram, walking in the ways of the kings of Israel
2 Kings 8:18; 2 Chronicles 21:13

Jehu, departing not from the sins of Jeroboam
2 Kings 10:29

Jehoahaz, in following the sins of Jeroboam
2 Kings 13:1-2

Jehoash, in following the wicked example of Jeroboam
2 Kings 13:10-11

Jeroboam II, not departing from the sins of Jeroboam
2 Kings 14:23-24

Zachariah, Menahem, Pekahiah, and Pekah:

Following the sins of Jeroboam
2 Kings 15:9; 2 Kings 15:18; 2 Kings 15:24; 2 Kings 15:28

Conspiring against and slaying Pekahiah
2 Kings 15:25

Hoshea:

Who conspired against Pekah
2 Kings 15:30

In permitting Baal-worship
2 Kings 17:1-2; 2 Kings 17:7-18

Ahaz, burning his children in idolatrous sacrifice
2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chronicles 28:2-4

Manasseh, who committed the abominations of the heathen
2 Kings 21:1-17; 2 Chronicles 33:2-7

Amon, who followed the evil example of Manasseh
2 Kings 21:19-22

Jehoahaz, who followed in the ways of his fathers
2 Kings 23:32

Jehoiakim, in walking in the ways of his fathers
2 Kings 23:37

Jehoiachin, walking in the ways of his fathers
2 Kings 24:9

Zedekiah:

Following the evil example of Jehoiakim
2 Kings 24:19; 2 Chronicles 36:12-13

Persecuting Jeremiah
Jeremiah 38:5-6

Joash, slaying Zechariah
2 Chronicles 24:2; 2 Chronicles 24:17-25

Ahaziah, doing evil after the house of Ahab
2 Chronicles 22:1-9

Amaziah, worshiping the gods of Seir
2 Chronicles 25:14

Uzziah, invading the priest's office
2 Chronicles 26:16

Ahasuerus and Haman, decreeing the death of the Jews
Esther 3:1-15

Nebuchadnezzar:

Commanding to destroy the wise men
Daniel 2:1-13

Committing the three Hebrews to the furnace
Daniel 3:1-23

Belshazzar, in drunkenness and committing sacrilege
Daniel 5:22-23

Darius, in deifying himself
Daniel 6:7; Daniel 6:9

The princes, conspiring against Daniel
Daniel 6:1-9

Herod the Great, slaying the children in Bethlehem
Matthew 2:16-18

Herod Antipas:

In beheading John the Baptist
Matthew 14:1-11

In craftiness and tyranny
Luke 13:31-32; Luke 23:6-15

Herod Agrippa, persecuting the church
Acts 12:1-19

Pilate, delivering Jesus for crucifixion
Matthew 27:11-26; Mark 15:15

Chief priests, elders, and all the council, seeking false witness against Jesus
Matthew 26:59

Ananias, commanding to smite Paul
Acts 23:2
Government; Judges; King