Boy New Testament Rare
Archelaus
the prince of the people
Ἀρχέλαος Archelaos
Archelaus (Greek: Ἀρχέλαος, Archelaos) means “the prince of the people”, by traditional interpretation. It appears once, at Matthew 2:22. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Herod in Matthew 2.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
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Archelaus
son of Herod
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 1 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- New
- Era
- Gospels
- Hapax
- Yes occurs exactly once
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Matthew 2:22 |
| Cross-references | 24 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
Origin & meaning
Ἀρχέλαος, -ου, ὁ
Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, King of Judma, Samaria and Idumæa: Mat.2:22.†
(AS)
Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, Ethnarch over Judea, causing Joseph to fear returning there with Mary and the child Jesus.
The biblical story
Archelaus was the son of Herod the Great, who ruled as king over Judea at the time of Jesus' birth. After Herod's death, his kingdom was divided among his sons, with Archelaus receiving the rule over Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. However, Archelaus' reign was marked by cruelty and tyranny, leading to his eventual banishment by the Roman emperor.
In the context of Jesus' early life, Archelaus is mentioned in Mat.2.22. After the visit of the magi and the family's flight to Egypt, Joseph was warned in a dream not to return to Judea because Archelaus was ruling there in place of his father Herod. Fearing for the child's safety, Joseph instead took Mary and Jesus to the region of Galilee, settling in Nazareth. This decision, guided by divine intervention, led to the fulfillment of the prophecy that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene.
Key verses
Archelaus appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
Matthew 2:22
Show all 1 reference
Matthew (1)
- Matthew 2:22