"a priest, one who performs sacrificial rites, Mt. 8:4; Lk. 1:5; Jn. 1:19"
Definition and meaning
a priest, one who performs sacrificial rites, Mt. 8:4; Lk. 1:5; Jn. 1:19
In the original Greek the word is written: ἱερεύς
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of hiereus (G2409) across the King James Bible.
And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
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Common questions
Strong's G2409 (hiereus) is a Greek word that means: a priest, one who performs sacrificial rites, Mt. 8:4; Lk. 1:5; Jn. 1:19 It appears 30 times in the King James Bible.
The word hiereus (G2409) appears 30 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2409 is hiereus, a Greek word defined as: a priest, one who performs sacrificial rites, Mt. 8:4; Lk. 1:5; Jn. 1:19. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
hiereus is a Greek word found in the New Testament.