Jastrow: קְבַרְנִיט II

קְבַרְנִיט II m. (κυβερνήτης) steersman, pilot. Tanḥ. Sh’laḥ. 15 הושיט לו הק׳ וכ׳ the helmsman threw a rope to him, saying, hold to this rope &c.; Yalk. Num. 750. B. Bath. 91ᵃ sq. (on Abraham’s death) [read:] אוי לו … שאבד קְבַרְנִיטָהּ woe to the world whose leader is gone, woe to the ship whose helmsman is gone; a. e.—Trnsf. (cmp. רב החבל, Jon. I, 6, a. תּחְבּוּלָה) prudent manager. Pesik. Aḥăré, p. 176ᵃ (ref. to תחבלות, Prov. XXIV, 6) לעולם יעשה אדם עצמו ק׳ וכ׳ man should always be at the helm (to look out,) how to do good; Lev. R. s. 21; a. e.—Pl. קְבַרְנִיטִין. Ib. פתר קריא בק׳ interpreted the verse (Prov. l. c.) as referring to the art of the helmsmen. Pesik. R. s. 47 (ref. to Prov. l. c.) מה הספינה … אם אין לה ק׳ וכ׳ as the ship without a helmsman is bound to go down, so is Israel without leaders &c.