Lexical Summary Lusanias: Lysanias Original Word: Λυσανίας Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Lysanias. From lusis and ania (trouble); grief-dispelling; Lysanias, a governor of Abilene -- Lysanias. see GREEK lusis NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom luó and ania (trouble) Definition "ending sorrow," Lysanias, a governor of Abilene NASB Translation Lysanias (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3078: ΛυσανίαςΛυσανίας, Λυσανίου, ὁ, Lysanias; 1. the son of Ptolemy, who from 2. a tetrarch of Abilene (see Ἀβιληνή), in the days of John the Baptist and Jesus: Luke 3:1. Among the regions assigned by the emperors Caligula and Claudius to Herod Agrippa I. and Herod Agrippa II., Josephus mentions ἡ Λυσανίου τετραρχία (Antiquities 18, 6, 10, cf. 20, 7, 1), βασιλεία ἡ τοῦ Λυσανίου καλουμένῃ (b. j. 2, 11, 5), Ἀβιλα ἡ Λυσανίου (antt. 19, 5, 1); accordingly, some have supposed that in these passages Lysanias the son of Ptolemy must be meant, and that the region which he governed continued to bear his name even after his death. Others (as Credher, Strauss, Gfrörer, Weisse), denying that there ever was a second Lysanias, contend that Luke was led into error by that designation of Abilene (derived from Lysanias and retained for a long time afterward), so that he imagined that Lysanias was tetrarch in the time of Christ. This opinion, however, is directly opposed by the fact that Josephus, in Antiquities 20, 7, 1 and b. j. 2, 12, 8, expressly distinguishes Chalcis from the tetrarchy of Lysanias; nor is it probable that the region which Lysanias the son of Ptolemy governed for only six years took its name from him ever after. Therefore it is more correct to conclude that in the passages of Josephus where the tetrarchy of Lysanias is mentioned a second Lysanias, perhaps the grandson of the former, must be meant; and that he is identical with the one spoken of by Luke. Cf. Winer, RWB, under the word, Abilene; Wieseler in Herzog i., p. 64ff (especially in Beitrüge zur richtig. Würdigung d. Evang. as above with, pp. 196-204); Bleek, Synoptative Erklär. as above with i., p. 154f; Kneucker in Schenkel i., p. 26f; Schürer, Neutest. Zeitgesch. § 19 Anh. I, p. 313 (also in Riehm, under the word; Robinson in Bib. Sacra for 1848, pp. 79ff; Renan, La Dynastie des Lysanias d'Abilene (in the Memoires de l'Acad. des inscrip. et belles-lettres for 1870, Tom. xxvi., p. 2, pp. 49-84); BB. DD., under the word). Lysanias was a regional ruler, styled “tetrarch of Abilene,” whose name appears once in the New Testament (Luke 3:1). His territory lay northwest of Damascus in the Anti-Lebanon range. Luke’s placement of Lysanias alongside well-known figures—Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod Antipas, Philip, and Annas and Caiaphas—anchors the opening of John the Baptist’s ministry within a network of verifiable political authorities. Geographical Setting: Abilene Abilene derived its name from its chief city Abila, situated on the River Barada (the classical Abana). The region formed a natural corridor between the Beqaa Valley and the plain of Damascus. Control of this strategic district conferred taxation rights over commerce and agriculture, making its tetrarch an integral, if lesser-known, component in the patchwork of client rulers who maintained Rome’s eastern frontier. Chronological Significance in the Gospel Narrative Luke dates the prophetic emergence of John the Baptist to “the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3:1) and lists six contemporary officials, including Lysanias. This synchronism fixes the start of John’s ministry in A.D. 27–29. By tying salvation history to a precise historical moment, Luke underlines that the gospel unfolds within real time and space, not myth. Archaeological Corroboration For generations critics alleged that Luke fabricated this Lysanias, citing Josephus, who mentions an earlier Lysanias executed in 34 B.C. Yet modern discoveries vindicate Luke. A Greek inscription found at Abila (first century A.D.) honors a benefactor “freedman of Lysanias the tetrarch.” Another Latin inscription from adjacent Heliopolis (Baalbek) records the repair of a temple “lysanio tetra[rch]a,” again dating to the early first century. Together these findings confirm that a second Lysanias governed Abilene during Tiberius’ reign, precisely as Luke reports. Theological Observations 1. Reliability of Scripture: Luke’s incidental reference, once disputed, now stands affirmed by archaeology, illustrating that biblical accuracy extends even to seemingly peripheral details. Lessons for Ministry and Discipleship • Scripture teaches that no sphere—political, cultural, or geographic—lies outside God’s redemptive agenda. Modern believers may therefore engage confidently in public life, trusting the Lord who guided events in Luke 3 still governs today. Summary Lysanias, tetrarch of Abilene, provides a crucial chronological and geographical marker at the threshold of Christ’s public manifestation. His singular biblical mention, once criticized, now stands as a testament to the trustworthiness of the Scriptural record and as a reminder that the kingdom of God advances amid the ebb and flow of temporal powers. |
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