The omitted citations.

Grudem wrote on gender blog,

In these texts the word kephalē is applied to many people in authority, but to none without governing authority:


• he king of Egypt is called "head" of the nation
• the general of an army is called the "head" of the army
• the Roman emperor is called the "head" of the people
• the god Zeus is called the "head" of all things
• David as king of Israel is called the "head" of the people
• the leaders of the tribes of Israel are called "heads" of the tribes
• the husband is the "head" of the wife
• Christ is the "head" of the church
• God the Father is the "head" of Christ

Grudem makes this look very authoritative. However, he does not give references nor does he supply citations. I have simply looked up the original citations for these quotes, to the extent that I could. Then I have made some comments in green.

• the king of Egypt is called "head" of the nation

"and, in a word, the whole family of the Ptolemies was exceedingly eminent and conspicuous above all other royal families, and among the Ptolemies, Philadelphus was the most illustrious; for all the rest put together scarcely did as many glorious and praiseworthy actions as this one king did by himself, being, as it were, the leader of the herd, and in a manner the head of all the kings." Philo Moses 2:30

It would be fair to say that Philadelphus is the head of all the kings in his own royal family in that he is the most illustrious.

• the general of an army is called the "head" of the army

Plutarch, Pelopidas 2.1.3: In an army, The light-armed troops are like the hands, the cavalry like the feet, the line of men-at-arms itself like chest and breastplate, and the general is like the head.

In Job 1:17 small raiding party is called the kephale, and in Arrian the right hand of a phalanx. This quote is a simile and does not refer to normal usage. The general is no more "called the 'head' of the army" than the cavalry is normally called the "feet."

• the Roman emperor is called the "head" of the people

Plutarch, Galba 4.3: Vindex . . . wrote to Galba inviting him to assume the imperial power, and thus to serve what was a vigorous body in need of a head.

This does not say that the emperor was '" called the 'head of the people."

• the god Zeus is called the "head" of all things

Zeus is the first. Zeus the thunderer, is the last.
Zeus is the head. Zeus is the middle, and by Zeus all things were fabricated.
Zeus is male, Immortal Zeus is female.
Zeus is the foundation of the earth and of the starry heaven.
Zeus is the breath of all things. Zeus is the rushing of indefatigable fire.
Zeus is the root of the sea: He is the Sun and Moon.
Zeus is the king; He is the author of universal life;

Orphic Fragments

My understanding is that Grudem agreed that here kephale meant "beginning."


• David as king of Israel is called the "head" of the people

2 Samuel 22:44

Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people,
thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen:
a people which I knew not shall serve me.

My main problem here is that Grudem misquoted it and gave the impression that David was the head of his own people. There seems to be some question of whether David was ever the ruler of the Gentile nations.

• the leaders of the tribes of Israel are called "heads" of the tribes

3 Kings (1 Kings) 8:1 (Alexandrinus): Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes.

This text is based on a variant which translates "heads of the tribes" in the Hebrew into
"heads of staffs" in Greek. Nowhere does the Greek expression kephalai twn phylwn (literally "heads of tribes") exist. The explanation can be found here. This example was invented by Grudem.

Overall, I do not feel that Grudem represented the citations with enough fidelity for anyone to use them as evidence. Some are clearly misquotes, others are of doubtful origin.

From these examples we can clearly see "preeminent," "beginning," and two live metaphors. There is a reason why "authority" does not appear as a meaning for kephale in the LSJ. This study is not terribly helpful in telling us the meaning of the Greek word kephale in the New Testament. This study is extremely helpful in giving us some idea how Wayne Grudem presents doctrinally significant material to the public, not word for word, in any case.