Reference: Elders
Morish
This term occurs first in Ge 50:7, where it applies to the Egyptians of the house of Pharaoh and to the elders of Egypt. In Nu 22:7 we read also of the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian, so that the term was not confined to Israel. The word is saqen which implies 'aged man;' they were no doubt also men of repute, including heads of houses of each tribe, without having any official place such as was given to the seventy appointed by God to work with Moses: these were chosen from among the elders. Nu 11:16-17,24-25.
Elders would be found in every city, and could act in all matters of the common weal as the responsible members of the community. They could be called on any emergency. For instance, when a dead man was found in a field, and it was not known who had slain him, the elders of the city to which it was nearest, must assemble, and, with their hands over a heifer, beheaded for the occasion, must solemnly declare that they had no knowledge of the murder. The 'judges ' are here named as distinct from the elders. De 21:1-9. In any ratification as to the redemption of an inheritance the elders were called together to be witnesses. Ru 4:1-12. The elders being heads of houses and related by blood to the people, Israel must have been in a dire condition when the elders were not honoured. La 4:16; 5:12.
In the N.T. the elders of Israel are often referred to and their traditions spoken of. Mr 7:3,5. Such took a prominent part in the condemnation of the Lord, and are mentioned as distinct from the Sanhedrim. Mt 26:59. 'All the elders' in Mt 27:1 would include the Sanhedrim: cf. also Ac 6:12. The elders continued their opposition as long as there was any open testimony in Jerusalem. Ac 4:23; 24:1; 25:15.
ELDER IN THE CHURCH. The word is ???????????, and signifies 'aged person.' There were elders at Jerusalem, though we do not read of their appointment, Ac 11:30; 15:2-23; 21:18; but the choice of elders in the Gentile assemblies was by apostolic authority, either direct or delegated. Paul and Barnabas chose, or appointed, elders in every city. Ac 14:23: cf. Jas 5:14; 1Pe 5:1. Titus was delegated by Paul to establish elders in every city in Crete. Tit 1:5. In Tit 1:7 they are called bishops, or overseers; so in Acts 20 Paul called for the elders of Ephesus, to whom he said that the Holy Ghost had made them bishops, or overseers, showing that those appointed as elders and bishops were the same persons. Ac 20:28. See BISHOP.
It is important to note the distinction between 'gift' and 'office.' The former is direct from the Lord; the latter by human appointment. Gift needed no human authority for its exercise, and was held in immediate responsibility to the Head. Elders were such by apostolic authority, direct or delegated. Their appointment was not to preach or teach (though if they took the lead well, and had the gift of teaching, they were worthy of double honour, 1Jo 5:17), but 'to shepherd' the assembly of God, Ac 20:28, and to maintain it in order in the locality where they lived. Their authority was over the unbroken local assembly. There can be now no such elders either in the source of their authority, or in the sphere of its exercise.
ELDERS IN HEAVEN. The four and twenty elders seen by John in heaven are frequently referred to in the Revelation. They were seen round about the throne, sitting on thrones (not seats), clothed in white raiment, with crowns of gold on their heads, and they worship God. Re 4:4,10. In the O.T, when all was in order there were twenty-four courses of the priesthood, each course having an elder as head or chief, 1Ch 24:7-18; and the elders in the Revelation being twenty-four in number may be in allusion to them. The elders in heaven have harps and golden vials full of odours, "which are the prayers of saints," showing that they act as priests, Re 5:8; and in Re 5:9 they celebrate redemption in a song. They are doubtless the redeemed, including both Old and New Testament saints. Re 7:11,13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
So Joseph went up to bury his father. And all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, went up with him,
And Yahweh said to Moses, "Gather for me seventy men from the elders of Israel whom you know [are] elders of the people and their officials; take them to the tent of assembly, and they will stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there; I will take away from the spirit that [is] on you, and I will place [it] on them; and they will bear the burdens of the people with you; you will not bear it alone.
So Moses went out, and he spoke the words of Yahweh to the people, and he gathered [together] seventy men from the elders of the people, and he {made them stand} all around the tent. Then Yahweh went down in the cloud and spoke to him, and he took away the spirit that [was] on him, and he {put it} on the seventy elders. And as soon as the spirit was resting on them they prophesied, but they did not do it again.
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went [with] a fee for divination in their hand; they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him.
"If someone slain is found in the land that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you to take possession of it [and] [is] lying in the field, [and] it is not known who {killed him}, then your elders and your judges shall go out and shall measure [the distance] to the cities that [are] around the slain one. read more. {And then} the nearest city to the slain one, the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd that has not been worked with [in the field], that has not pulled a yoke, and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a {wadi that flows with water all year} and [that] has not been plowed and has not been sown; [then] {there they shall break the neck of the heifer in the wadi}. Then the priests, the descendants of Levi, shall come near, for Yahweh your God has chosen them to bless in the name of Yahweh, and every legal dispute and every [case of] assault will be {subject to their ruling}. And all of the elders of that city nearest to the slain person shall wash their hands over the heifer [with] the broken neck in the wadi. And they shall declare, and they shall say, 'Our hands did not shed this blood, and our eyes did not see [what was done]. Forgive your people, Israel, whom you redeemed, Yahweh, and [do] not {allow} the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, and let them be forgiven [with regard to] blood.' And [so] you shall purge the innocent blood from your midst, because you must do the right thing in the eyes of Yahweh.
And Boaz had gone up [to] the [city] gate and sat there. And look, the redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken [was] passing by. And he said, "Come over here to sit, {friend}." And he came over and sat. And he took ten men from the elders of the city and said, "Sit here." And they sat. read more. And he said to the redeemer, "Naomi, who returned from the countryside [of] Moab, is selling the tract of land which [was] for our brother Elimelech. And I thought {I would tell you} and say, '{Buy it in the presence of} those sitting and before the elders of my people,' if you want to redeem [it], redeem [it]. But if you do not want to redeem, tell me so that I may know, for there is no one except you to redeem [it], and I [am] after you." And he said, "I want to redeem [it]." And Boaz said, "On the day of your acquiring the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the dead [man], [in order] to raise up [for] the name of the dead his inheritance." And the redeemer said, "I am not able to redeem for myself, lest I ruin my inheritance. You redeem for yourself my kinsman-redemption, for I am not able to redeem [it]." (Now this {was the custom in former times} in Israel concerning the kinsman-redemption and transfer of property: to confirm the matter, a man removed his sandal and gave [it] to his fellow countryman. This [was] the manner of attesting in Israel.) So the redeemer said to Boaz, "Acquire [it] for yourself," and he removed his sandal. And Boaz said to the elders and all of the people, "You [are] witnesses today that I have acquired all that [was] for Elimelech and that [was] for Kilion and Mahlon from the hand of Naomi. And also Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired as a wife, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance, so that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his relatives and from the gate of his [birth] place. You [are] witnesses today." And all of the people who [were] at the gate and the elders said, "[We are] witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman coming into your house as Rachel and as Leah, who {together} built the house of Israel. May you have strength in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem. And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah from the offspring that Yahweh will give to you from this young woman."
And the first lot went out to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, read more. the fifth to Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin, the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shekaniah, the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Ha-Pizzez, the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Ezekiel, the twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul, the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
The presence of Yahweh has scattered them, he will no longer watch over them; {they did not honor the priests}, they did not show mercy [to] elders.
They hang princes by their hand; they do not show respect before elders.
Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order that they could put him to death.
Now [when it] was early morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus in order to put him to death.
(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands {ritually}, [thus] holding fast to the traditions of the elders.
And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unclean hands?"
And [when they] were released, they went to their own [people] and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
And they incited the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came up [and] seized him and brought [him] to the Sanhedrin.
which they also did, sending [the aid] to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
And [when they] had appointed elders for them in every church, [after] praying with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.
And [after] there was no little strife and debate by Paul and Barnabas against them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this issue. So they were sent on their way by the church, [and] passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers. read more. And [when they] arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and reported all that God had done with them. But some of those who had believed from the party of the Pharisees stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to command [them] to observe the law of Moses!" Both the apostles and the elders assembled to deliberate concerning this matter. And [after] there was much debate, Peter stood up [and] said to them, "Men [and] brothers, you know that in the early days God chose among you through my mouth [that] the Gentiles should hear the message of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them [by] giving [them] the Holy Spirit, just as he also [did] to us. And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. So now why are you putting God to the test [by] placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe [we] will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in {the same} way those also [are]." And the whole group became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Men [and] brothers, listen to me! Simeon has described how God first concerned himself to take from among the Gentiles a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: 'After these [things] I will return and build up again the tent of David that has fallen, and the [parts] of it that had been torn down I will build up again and will restore it, so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles {who are called by my name}, says the Lord, who makes these [things] known from of old.' Therefore I conclude we should not cause difficulty for those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, but we should write a letter to them to abstain from the pollution of idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. For Moses has those who proclaim him in every city from ancient generations, [because he] is read aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath." Then it seemed best to the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, to send men chosen from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas--Judas who was called Barsabbas and Silas, men [who were] leaders among the brothers-- writing [this letter] {to be delivered by them}: The apostles and the elders, brothers. To the brothers [who are] from among the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. Greetings!
Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has appointed you [as] overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he obtained through the blood of his own [Son].
Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has appointed you [as] overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he obtained through the blood of his own [Son].
And on the next [day] Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, all of whom brought charges against Paul to the governor.
concerning whom [when] I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented evidence, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.
On account of this, I left you behind in Crete, in order that what remains may be set in order and you may appoint elders in every town, as I ordered you.
For it is necessary [for] the overseer to be blameless as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain,
Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the elders of the church and they should pray over him, anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord.
All unrighteousness is sin, and [there] is a sin not [leading] to death.)
And around the throne [were] twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones [were] twenty-four elders dressed in white clothing, and on their heads [were] gold crowns.
the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives {forever and ever}, and put down their crowns before the throne, saying,
And when he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one of whom had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they were singing a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and bought [people] for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation,
And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
And one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are dressed [in] the white robes--who are [they], and from where have they come?"
And the twenty-four elders [who are] seated on their thrones before God fell down on their faces and worshiped God,
And they were singing [something] like a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, and no one was able to learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who had been bought from the earth.
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, "Amen! Hallelujah!"
Watsons
ELDERS, a name given to certain laymen in the Presbyterian discipline, who are ecclesiastical officers, and in conjunction with the ministers and deacons compose the kirk sessions in Scotland. The number of elders is proportioned to the extent and population of the parish, and is seldom less than two or three, but sometimes exceeds fifty. They are laymen in this respect, that they have no right to teach, or to dispense the sacraments; and on this account they form an office in the Presbyterian church inferior in rank and power to that of pastors. They generally discharge the office which originally belonged to the deacons, of attending to the interests of the poor. But their peculiar business is expressed by the name ruling elders; for in every jurisdiction within the parish they are the spiritual court, of which the minister is officially moderator; and in the presbytery, of which the pastors of all the parishes within its bounds are officially members, lay elders sit as the representatives of the several sessions or consistories.
ELDERS OF ISRAEL. By this name we understand the heads of tribes, or rather of the great families in Israel, who, before the settlement of the Hebrew commonwealth, had a government and authority over their own families, and the people. When Moses was sent into Egypt to deliver Israel, he assembled the elders of Israel, and told them that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had appeared to him, Ex 3:15; 4:29, &c. Moses and Aaron treat the elders of Israel as the representatives of the nation. When God gave the law to Moses, he said, "Take Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, his sons, and the seventy elders of Israel, and worship ye afar off," Ex 24:1,9-10. They advanced only to the foot of the mountain. On all occasions afterward, we find this number of seventy elders. But it is credible, that as there were twelve tribes, there were seventy-two elders, six from each tribe, and that seventy is set down, instead of seventy-two; or rather, that Moses and Aaron should be added to the number seventy, and that, exclusive of them, there were but four elders from the tribe of Levi. After Jethro's arrival in the camp of Israel, Moses made a considerable change in the governors of the people. He established over Israel heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, that justice might be readily administered to applicants; only difficult eases were referred to himself, Ex 18:24-25, &c. But this constitution did not continue long; for on the murmuring of the people at the encampment called the Graves of Lust, Nu 11:24-35, Moses appointed seventy elders of Israel, to whom God communicated part of that legislator's spirit; they began to prophesy, and ceased not afterward. This, according to the generality of interpreters, was the beginning of the sanhedrim; but, to support this opinion, many things must be supposed, whereby to infer, that this court of justice was constantly in being during the Scripture history. It seems that the establishment of the seventy elders by Moses continued, not only during his life, but under Joshua likewise, and under the judges. The elders of the people and Joshua swore to the treaty with the Gibeonites, Jos 9:15. A little before his death, Joshua renewed the covenant with the Lord, in company with the elders, the princes, the heads, and officers of Israel, Jos 23; 24:1,28. After the death of Joshua, and the elders who survived him, the people were several times brought into bondage, and were delivered by their judges. We do not see distinctly what authority the elders had during this time, and still less under the kings who succeeded the judges.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And God said again to Moses, "So you must say to the {Israelites}, 'Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This [is] my name forever, and this [is] my remembrance from generation [to] generation.'
And Moses and Aaron went, and they gathered all of the elders of the {Israelites}.
And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said. And Moses chose men of ability from all Israel, and he appointed them [as] heads over the people, [as] commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens.
And to Moses he said, "Go up to Yahweh--you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel--and you will worship at a distance.
And Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel went up. And they saw the God of Israel, and [what was] under his feet [was] like sapphire tile work and like the very heavens for clearness.
So Moses went out, and he spoke the words of Yahweh to the people, and he gathered [together] seventy men from the elders of the people, and he {made them stand} all around the tent. Then Yahweh went down in the cloud and spoke to him, and he took away the spirit that [was] on him, and he {put it} on the seventy elders. And as soon as the spirit was resting on them they prophesied, but they did not do it again. read more. But two men were left in the camp; the name of one [was] Eldad, and the name of the second [was] Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those who were written [down], but they did not go out to the tent, so they prophesied in the camp. So a boy ran and told Moses and said, "Eldad and Medad [are] prophesying in the camp." And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from time of his youth, answered, "Moses, my lord, stop them." But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that he give all Yahweh's people prophets, that Yahweh put his spirit on them!" Then Moses and the elders of Israel were gathered to the camp. Then a wind set out from Yahweh, and it drove quails from the west, and he spread [them] out on the camp about a day's journey on one side and about a day's journey on the other, all around the camp, about two cubits on the surface of the land. And so the people {worked} all day and all night and all the next day, and they gathered the quail (the least of the ones collecting gathered ten homers). While the meat [was] still between their teeth, before it was consumed, Yahweh was angry with the people, and Yahweh struck a very great plague among the people. And he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah because they buried the people that {were greedy}. From Kibroth Hattaavah the people set out [to] Hazeroth; and they stayed in Hazeroth.
And Joshua made peace with them, and {he made a covenant with them} to allow them to live happily, and the leaders of the congregation swore [an oath] to them.