Meaning of GOVERNOR

There are almost a dozen Hebrew words that are translated like this, and they mean any authority, delegate, viceroy, etc., that was placed over the people.

So:
Joseph, the prime minister of Egypt, bore the title of governor (Gen. 42:6; 45:26), translated by the King James Version as "lord."

Nebuchadnezzar left Gedaliah as governor of defeated Judea (Jer. 40:5; 41:2 ff.).

With the Persian empire, Jewish governors were established over Jerusalem: Zerubbabel, Nehemiah, and others were officials of the king of Persia (Neh. 5:14, 18; Hag. 1:14).

In the NT we have:

(a) "ethnarches", ethnarch, translated "governor" (2 Cor. 11:32);

(b) "hëgemõn", "governor",
Pilate (Mt. 27:2, etc.);
Felix (Acts 23:24, etc.);
Festus (Acts 26:30), and
in general, of governors (Mt. 10:18; Mr. 13:9; 1 Pet. 2:14, etc.);

(c) "kosmokratõr", translated from spiritual powers, "rulers" (Eph. 6:12)
The governors (lat. "praeses" procurators) constituted the Roman authority in theoretically sovereign territories in which a monarch allied with Rome ruled but subject to a protectorate.

In Judea they had their official headquarters in Caesarea but during important festivals in Jerusalem, they moved there with a strong garrison, and took up residence in the palace of Herod the Great. They sometimes spent the winter there (Ant. 18:3, 1).