A chief priest for and chief of the priests, A.V.; this for so, A.V. A chief priest ( ἀρχιερεύς); not, of course, in the sense of high priest, but in that wider sense of the word which comprised the chiefs of the twenty-four courses and the members of the Sanhedrim and all who had ever been high priests or who were of the kindred of the high priest (see Matthew 2:4; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 21:15; Matthew 23:1-39.
45, etc.; Luke 9:22; Luke 19:47, etc.; Acts 4:23; Acts 5:24; Acts 9:14, Acts 9:21, etc.). It is probable that the Eleazar mentioned in the preceding note was a priest, both from his name and because Josephus calls him one of his ὁμοφύλων, which may mean "fellow-tribesmen."
The name Sceva occurs nowhere else, nor is its meaning or etymology at all certain. Some identify it with the Latin Scaeva (Horace, 'Ep.,' 1. 17.1), "left-handed," l.q. Scaevola; or the Greek Sceuas, a proper name in Appian.
Simonis gives it an Aramean etymology.