Several Hebrew words can be translated both “chief” as well as “noble” and “prince”. The ones that appear most frequently are the following:
Na·ghídh, meaning “leader,” is applied to Saul and David as kings of Israel and Hezekiah as king of Judah, and is related to the responsibility of shepherding God’s people. (1Sa 9:16; 25:30; 2Sa 5:2; 2Ki 20:5) David’s royal dynasty came from the tribe of Judah, whom Jehovah selected as “leader” of the twelve tribes of Israel. (1Ch 28:4; Ge 49:10; Jg 1:2)
At Daniel 9:25 and Isaiah 55:4, Jesus is referred to as “Messiah the Leader” and a “leader and commander to national groups.” Jesus advised his disciples: † œNeither be called † ˜leaders † ™, because his Leader is one, the Christ †. (Mt 23:10) In the Christian congregation, Jesus Christ alone is worthy of the title “Leader,” for no imperfect human can be a leader of true Christians; they follow Christ. Even those who “take the lead” in the service of God are not given the title of “leader” or called by that name, and their example is only to be followed to the extent that they imitate that of Christ. (1Co 11:1; Heb 13:7)
Na dhív, meaning “noble,” “willing,” “generous,” is used in Numbers 21:18 parallel to the term “princes” to refer to those willing Israelites who dug a well in the desert. It is also used with reference to those who contributed voluntarily to the construction of the tabernacle. (Ex 35:5) At Job 12:21 it implies positions of importance and power. (See also Ps 83:9-11.)
The Hebrew word cho·rʹim, meaning “noble ones,” is used to designate certain men of influence who were in a city of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel (1Ki 21:8, 11), as well as to refer to the Jews who had authority under the Persian Empire. (Ne 5:7; 13:17) In 617 B.C. CE Nebuchadnezzar took many of the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem, including Daniel and his companions, to Babylon, and executed others in 607 B.C. CE (Jer 27:20; 39:6; Da 1:3, 6)
Sar, which means “prince”, “chief”, is derived from a verb whose meaning is “to exercise dominion”. (Jg 9:22, ftn) Although it is often translated “prince,” it does not necessarily apply in all instances to the son of a king or to a person of royal rank. The tribal heads of Israel were called “princes” (1Ch 27:22), and those in high office under the Pharaoh of Egypt and the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar were also given that title. (Ge 12:15; Jer 38:17, 18, 22; Es 3:12) An army commander might be called sar. (Ne 2:9) At Daniel 8:11, 25 Jehovah is called the “Prince of the army” and the “Prince of princes.” The archangel Michael is “the great prince” who stands in favor of the children of Daniel’s people. (Da 12:1) At Daniel 10:13, 20 mention is made of the invisible demon princes who ruled the world powers of Persia and Greece. (Compare Eph 6:12.)
In Psalm 45, whose verses 6 and 7 the apostle Paul applied to Christ Jesus (Heb 1:8, 9), it is said: “In place of your forefathers there will come to be your sons, whom you will appoint princes in all the earth.” . (Ps 45:16) Of Christ’s ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it is written: “In faith all these died, although they did not get the fulfillment of the promises, but they saw them from afar and welcomed them.” (Heb 11:8-10, 13) Christ’s government not only has subordinate kings and priests in heaven (Re 20:6), but also “princely” representatives on earth who carry out the orders of the king. (Compare Heb 2:5, 8.) The words of Isaiah 32:1, 2 are clearly part of a Messianic prophecy, describing the benefits that such “princes” will bestow under Kingdom rule. (See HEAD; RULER; PRINCIPAL.)
Source: Dictionary of the Bible