κριτής

κριτής — kritḗs

κριτής, κριτοῦ, ὁ (κρίνω) (from Aeschylus and Herodotus down), the Sept. chiefly for שֹׁפֵט; a judge;

1. universally, one who passes, or arrogates to himself, judgment on anything: with the genitive of the object, Jas 4:11; with the genitive of quality (see διαλογισμός, 1), Jas 2:4; in a forensic sense, of the one who tries and decides a case (cf. δικαστής, at the end): Mat 5:25; Luk 12:14 L T Tr WH, 58; (xviii. 2); with the genitive of quality (cf. Buttmann, § 132, 10; Winer's Grammar, § 34, 3b.), τῆς ἀδικίας, Luk 18:6; with the genitive of the object (a thing), an arbiter, Act 18:15; of a Roman procurator administering justice, Act 24:10; of God passing judgment on the character and deeds of men, and rewarding accordingly, Heb 12:23; Jas 4:12; also of Christ returning to sit in judgment, Act 10:42; 2Ti 4:8; Jas 5:9; in a peculiar sense, of a person whose conduct is made the standard for judging another and convicting him of wrong: with the genitive of the object (a person), Mat 12:27; Luk 11:19.

2. like the Hebrew שֹׁפֵט, of the leaders or rulers of the Israelites: Act 13:20 (Jdg 2:16; Jdg 2:18; Rth 1:1; Sir. 10:1f, 24, etc.).