What does נָשִׂיא (nāšiyʾ) mean in the Bible?
נָשִׂיא (nāšiyʾ): One exalted above others through office or position; leader bearing authority and responsibility
Hebrew · H5387
נָשִׂיא
Properly, an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik ; also a rising mist
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
נָשִׂיא H5387
Pronunciation nāšiyʾ
What does נָשִׂיא (nāšiyʾ) mean in the Bible?
נָשִׂיא (nāšiyʾ): One exalted above others through office or position; leader bearing authority and responsibility
Full entry for נָשִׂיא (H5387) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5387?
The BSB source-word alignment has 134 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include The leader (25), the leaders (11), the prince (11), a leader (9), and the leaders (7).
Where does נָשִׂיא (nāšiyʾ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 17:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Numbers (62), Ezekiel (37), Joshua (13), 1 Chronicles (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It The leader 25× Numbers 2:3, Numbers 2:5, Numbers 2:7, Numbers 2:10
the leaders 11× Exodus 16:22, Exodus 34:31, Exodus 35:27, Numbers 1:16
the prince 11× Genesis 34:2, Ezra 1:8, Ezekiel 7:27, Ezekiel 12:12
a leader 9× Leviticus 4:22, Numbers 34:22, Numbers 34:23, Numbers 34:24
and the leaders 7× Numbers 4:34, Numbers 4:46, Numbers 7:2, Numbers 32:2
. . . 5× Numbers 7:11, Numbers 34:18, Joshua 22:14, 2 Chronicles 5:2
leader 5× Numbers 7:11, Numbers 25:18, Numbers 34:18, Joshua 22:14
prince 5× Ezekiel 21:25, Ezekiel 22:6, Ezekiel 38:2, Ezekiel 38:3
the princes 4× Ezekiel 19:1, Ezekiel 21:12, Ezekiel 26:16, Ezekiel 27:21
He causes the clouds 3× Psalms 135:7, Jeremiah 10:13, Jeremiah 51:16
leaders 3× Numbers 1:44, Numbers 7:2, Numbers 7:3
and the chiefs 2× Joshua 13:21, Joshua 22:30
and the leader 2× Numbers 3:24, Numbers 3:30
of the leaders 2× Numbers 3:32, Numbers 17:6
to the prince 2× Ezekiel 46:17, Ezekiel 48:22
- 1× Ezekiel 48:22
[and] 1× Numbers 7:10
[concerns] the prince 1× Ezekiel 12:10
[Like] clouds 1× Proverbs 25:14
[were] the leaders 1× 1 Chronicles 4:38
a prince 1× Ezekiel 30:13
among the leaders 1× 1 Chronicles 7:40
and family leaders 1× 1 Kings 8:1
And My princes 1× Ezekiel 45:8
and princes 1× Ezekiel 32:29
as leaders 1× Numbers 16:2
chiefs 1× Joshua 22:14
chosen one 1× Genesis 23:6
for the prince 1× Ezekiel 45:16
from the leader 1× Numbers 17:2
from the leaders 1× Numbers 7:84
He 1× Ezekiel 48:21
Now the prince 1× Ezekiel 45:7
O princes 1× Ezekiel 45:9
of the princes 1× Ezekiel 39:18
of their leaders 1× Numbers 17:6
Only the prince 1× Ezekiel 44:3
princes 1× Genesis 25:16
ruler 1× 1 Kings 11:34
rulers 1× Genesis 17:20
The chief 1× Numbers 3:32
the prince’s [part] 1× Ezekiel 45:17
the ruler 1× Exodus 22:28
then the leaders 1× Numbers 10:4
They 1× Joshua 9:21
together with the [other] leaders 1× Joshua 22:32
was a leader 1× 1 Chronicles 5:6
When the prince 1× Ezekiel 46:8
who is a leader 1× Numbers 13:2
will be a prince 1× Ezekiel 34:24
will be their prince 1× Ezekiel 37:25
will belong to the prince 1× Ezekiel 48:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 17:20 נְשִׂיאִם֙ to rulers Noun - masculine plural Genesis 23:6 נְשִׂ֨יא to chosen one Noun - masculine singular construct Genesis 25:16 נְשִׂיאִ֖ם to princes Noun - masculine plural Genesis 34:2 נְשִׂ֣יא to the prince Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 16:22 נְשִׂיאֵ֣י to the leaders Noun - masculine plural construct Exodus 22:28 וְנָשִׂ֥יא to the ruler Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 34:31 הַנְּשִׂאִ֖ים to the leaders Article | Noun - masculine plural Exodus 35:27 וְהַנְּשִׂאִ֣ם to The leaders Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural Leviticus 4:22 נָשִׂ֖יא to a leader Noun - masculine singular Numbers 1:16 נְשִׂיאֵ֖י to the leaders Noun - masculine plural construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 17:20
Aligned rows 134
Books represented 13
Genesis 4 Exodus 4 Leviticus 1 Numbers 62 Joshua 13 1 Kings 2 1 Chronicles 4 2 Chronicles 2 Ezra 1 Psalms 1 Proverbs 1 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 37
Source forms
וְנָשִׂיא֙ 13x wə·nā·śî Numbers 2:3, Numbers 2:5, Numbers 2:7, Numbers 2:10
נָשִׂ֖יא 12x nā·śî Leviticus 4:22, Numbers 7:24, Numbers 7:30, Numbers 7:36
נְשִׂיאֵ֣י 12x nə·śî·’ê Exodus 16:22, Numbers 3:32, Numbers 7:2, Numbers 7:84
נָשִׂ֑יא 7x nā·śî Numbers 34:22, Numbers 34:23, Numbers 34:24, Numbers 34:25
נָשִׂ֥יא 4x nā·śî Numbers 13:2, Numbers 34:18, 2 Chronicles 1:2, Ezekiel 37:25
נְשִׂיאֵ֥י 4x nə·śî·’ê Numbers 16:2, Numbers 31:13, Numbers 32:2, Ezekiel 39:18
וְנָשִׂ֥יא 3x wə·nā·śî Exodus 22:28, Numbers 34:18, Ezekiel 30:13
לַנָּשִׂ֖יא 3x lan·nā·śî Ezekiel 45:16, Ezekiel 48:22
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 30x Leviticus 4:22, Numbers 7:11, Numbers 7:24, Numbers 7:30
Noun - masculine plural construct 21x Exodus 16:22, Numbers 1:16, Numbers 3:32, Numbers 7:2
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 16x Exodus 22:28, Numbers 2:3, Numbers 2:5, Numbers 2:7
Article | Noun - masculine plural 13x Exodus 34:31, Numbers 7:3, Numbers 7:10, Numbers 10:4
Article | Noun - masculine singular 11x Ezra 1:8, Ezekiel 12:10, Ezekiel 44:3, Ezekiel 45:17
Noun - masculine singular construct 10x Genesis 23:6, Genesis 34:2, Numbers 7:18, Numbers 25:14
Noun - masculine plural 8x Genesis 17:20, Genesis 25:16, Joshua 22:14, 1 Chronicles 4:38
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular 6x Ezekiel 45:16, Ezekiel 46:17, Ezekiel 48:21, Ezekiel 48:22
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. One exalted above others through office or position; leader bearing authority and responsibility
Source Gloss
properly, an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik ; also a rising mist
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
One exalted above others through office or position; leader bearing authority and responsibility
properly, an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik; also a rising mist BDB: rising mist Usage: captain, chief, cloud, governor, prince, ruler, vapour.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
tribal leaders or rulers descended from Ishmael, political authority figures
a leader or governor who makes offerings for communal sin, administrative authority
rising mist or vapor, metaphorical reference to the meteorological sense of the term
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 134 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נָשִׂיא is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain