495. antipera
Lexical Summary
antipera: Opposite, over against, on the other side

Original Word: ἀντίπερα
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: antipera
Pronunciation: an-TEE-peh-rah
Phonetic Spelling: (an-tee-per'-an)
KJV: over against
NASB: opposite
Word Origin: [from G473 (ἀντί - instead) and G4008 (πέραν - other side)]

1. on the opposite side

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
over against, opposite

From anti and peran; on the opposite side -- over against.

see GREEK anti

see GREEK peran

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from anti and peran
Definition
on the opposite side
NASB Translation
opposite (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 495: ἀντιπέραν

ἀντιπέραν, or (according to the later forms from Polybius down) ἀντιπέρα (T WH), ἀντιπέρα (L Tr; cf. Buttmann, 321; Lob. Path. Elem. 2:206; Chandler § 867), adverb of place, over against, on the opposite shore, on the other side, with a genitive: Luke 8:26.

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 495, ἀντίπερα, describes something lying “opposite” or “across.” The sole New Testament occurrence appears in Luke 8:26, where the evangelist notes that Jesus and His disciples landed “across the lake from Galilee”. Though linguistically simple, the term frames a decisive moment in Jesus’ ministry that highlights His authority, His compassion for outsiders, and His intention to break spiritual and cultural barriers.

Scriptural Setting

Luke 8:22–39 recounts two back-to-back displays of Christ’s power—first over nature, then over the demonic realm. After stilling the storm, “they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.” The word ἀντίπερα sets a spatial contrast: the disciples have left familiar, predominantly Jewish territory for Gentile Decapolis lands. This crossing provides the backdrop for Jesus’ confrontation with the legion of demons and the liberation of a tormented man. The “opposite side” thus becomes a theater where the kingdom of God penetrates darkness beyond Israel’s conventional borders.

Historical and Geographical Context

The “region of the Gerasenes” (some manuscripts read Gadarenes) lay on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, within the largely Gentile Decapolis league of cities. First-century Jews regarded the Decapolis as a land of Hellenistic culture, pagan worship, and unclean practices—evident in the presence of swine herding (Luke 8:32–33). Traveling ἀντίπερα suggested more than mere geography; it marked a deliberate foray into territory considered spiritually and ceremonially defiled. Luke’s note underlines the radical reach of Jesus’ mission: the Messiah sails into the “opposite” world to reclaim what sin and Satan have enslaved.

Theological Significance

1. Sovereignty Without Borders: By commanding the elements en route and expelling demons upon arrival, Jesus demonstrates authority that transcends physical and spiritual domains.
2. Grace to the Nations: The Gerasene demoniac, a Gentile inhabitant of an unclean region, becomes an early trophy of grace, prefiguring the gospel’s expansion in Acts.
3. Reversal of Opposites: What lies ἀντίπερα to Galilee is not beyond God’s redemptive plan. The very word invites contemplation of how the gospel turns “opposite” people and places into arenas of divine blessing.

Ministry Implications

• Crossing Barriers: Disciples then and now must be willing to journey “across” comfort zones—ethnic, cultural, or ideological—to bring Christ’s freedom.
• Spiritual Warfare: Ministry on the “other side” often entails direct confrontation with entrenched evil, requiring reliance on the Lord’s power rather than human strength.
• Testimony as Mission: Jesus sends the delivered man back to his own towns to declare “how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39). Local witness becomes the best evangelistic strategy in an “opposite” culture.

Connections to Wider Biblical Themes

• Old Testament Crossings: Like Israel crossing the Jordan into Canaan (Joshua 3–4) and Elijah crossing the Jordan before his ascent (2 Kings 2:8), Jesus’ crossing prefaces a mighty display of divine power.
• Fulfillment of Prophecy: Isaiah foresaw a light shining “in Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 9:1). Luke’s ἀντίπερα episode broadens that light into full Decapolis territory.
• The Great Commission: “You will be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The first step toward those ends occurs when the Master Himself ventures ἀντίπερα.

Reflection for Today

Believers are called to discern where their own contemporary “opposite shores” lie—locations or people groups implicitly deemed unreachable. Jesus’ deliberate voyage challenges the church to venture boldly, trusting His presence amid storms and His authority over hostile spiritual powers. The single use of ἀντίπερα in Luke’s Gospel thus serves as a perpetual summons: the gospel is never meant to remain on one side of the lake.

Forms and Transliterations
αντιπερα ἀντιπέρα ἀντίπερα αντιπέραν antipera antípera
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Luke 8:26 Adv
GRK: ἥτις ἐστὶν ἀντίπερα τῆς Γαλιλαίας
NAS: which is opposite Galilee.
KJV: which is over against Galilee.
INT: which is opposite Galilee

Strong's Greek 495
1 Occurrence


ἀντίπερα — 1 Occ.

494
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