Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
Sect. 8. First, Who these Elders were. The word [Elders] in its primary and original sense, relates to Age, and denotes, either such as lived a great while; even till they came to be old; or, such as lived a great while ago; those of former times; as Deut. 32. 7. Heb. 11. 2. and so ’tis the same with …, Matth. 5. 21. and thence it’s derived to signify most commonly, both Dignity and Authority; and so we find both in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and English (to name no more) the words importing Age or Eldership, viz. …, Senatus, Aldermen, do denote both Honour and Power. And
(1) This sense is very frequent both in the Old and New Testament. I shall mention but a few places of the chief; as Deut. 22. 15.——the Elders of City in the gate (the place of Judicature). And they are sometimes called, Elders of the people, i. e. such who had authority over the people; as Elders of a City, are they that are in power in that City. Thus Matth. 26. 3. Then assembled together the chief Priests, and Scribes, and Elders of the people. So c. 27. 1. When the morning was come, all the chief Priests, and Elders of the people took counsel, &c. ...
For more, see Vincent Alsop on the elders of the Jewish church.
(1) This sense is very frequent both in the Old and New Testament. I shall mention but a few places of the chief; as Deut. 22. 15.——the Elders of City in the gate (the place of Judicature). And they are sometimes called, Elders of the people, i. e. such who had authority over the people; as Elders of a City, are they that are in power in that City. Thus Matth. 26. 3. Then assembled together the chief Priests, and Scribes, and Elders of the people. So c. 27. 1. When the morning was come, all the chief Priests, and Elders of the people took counsel, &c. ...
For more, see Vincent Alsop on the elders of the Jewish church.