The Greek noun ethnarchēs (ἐθνάρχης) is a compound of ethnos (nation/people) and archēs (ruler) — literally 'ruler of a people' or ethnarch. It appears once in 2 Corinthians 11:32 in Paul's account of his escape from Damascus: 'the governor [ethnarchēs] under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.'
The ethnarch mentioned in 2 Corinthians 11:32 is the official of King Aretas IV of Nabatea (a powerful Arab kingdom), who controlled parts of Damascus and sought to arrest Paul. This historical detail anchors Paul's narrative in real political geography and confirms the accuracy of Acts 9:23–25. Paul's escape — lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall — is one of the most vivid scenes in Acts. Paul himself mentions it as the first of his sufferings and hardships for Christ (2 Corinthians 11:30–33). The ethnarch's role illustrates the political opposition to the early Gospel — the message of Christ threatened not just Jewish religious leaders but Gentile political power structures as well.