Lexical Summary Aretas: Aretas Original Word: Ἀρέτας Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Aretas. Of foreign origin; Aretas, an Arabian -- Aretas. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition Aretas, an Arabian king NASB Translation Aretas (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 702: ἈρέταςἈρέτας (WH ἀρετάς, see their Introductory § 408), Ἁρέτα (cf. Winers Grammar, § 8, 1; (Buttmann, 20 (18))), ὁ, Aretas (a name common to many of the kings of Arabia Petraea or Nabathaean Arabia (cf. B. D. under the word Topical Lexicon Name and Historical Identity Aretas in 2 Corinthians 11:32 refers to Aretas IV Philopatris, king of the Nabateans from approximately 9 BC to AD 40. His realm stretched from Petra in Edom through much of Transjordan and the northern Arabian frontier. Though never directly ruling Judah or Galilee, his influence reached into territories administered by Rome, including, for a time, Damascus. Political Landscape and Family Connections Aretas IV cemented alliances through marriage diplomacy. His daughter Phasaelis became the first wife of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. When Antipas divorced her to marry Herodias (Matthew 14:3-4), Aretas interpreted the move as political treachery. Hostilities broke out, with Aretas inflicting a heavy defeat on Antipas (Josephus, Antiquities 18.5.1). The Roman emperor Tiberius ordered the Syrian legate Vitellius to punish Aretas, but Tiberius’ death in AD 37 halted the campaign. The resulting power vacuum left Aretas free to extend his reach northward. Control over Damascus Either through alliance or outright annexation, Aretas gained enough sway in Damascus for his “ethnarch” (local governor) to exercise police powers. This arrangement likely occurred between AD 37 and 39. Roman tolerance of Nabatean jurisdiction in so strategic a city underscores both Aretas’ prowess and the fluidity of Near-Eastern borders under Rome. Encounter with the Apostle Paul Paul recalls: “In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me” (2 Corinthians 11:32). Luke details the same episode: “His disciples took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall” (Acts 9:25). The ethnarch’s pursuit shows that Paul’s preaching quickly drew opposition not only from Jewish leadership but also from Gentile authorities sympathetic to that leadership. The event forms one of Paul’s earliest persecutions after his conversion, marking the beginning of a life of suffering for the sake of Christ (Acts 9:16). Chronological Value for New Testament Studies The reference to Aretas provides a rare synchronism between Pauline biography and extra-biblical history. Since Aretas’ effective control of Damascus was limited to the late 30s, Paul’s escape fixes his early ministry within a narrow window, shortly after his three-year stay in Arabia and Damascus mentioned in Galatians 1:17-18. The detail corroborates the Acts narrative and assists in reconstructing a reliable timeline for Paul’s journeys. Theological and Ministry Implications 1. Sovereign Providence. God used political realities— even the changing jurisdiction of a Nabatean king— to advance the gospel. Paul’s escape by basket illustrates divine deliverance through ordinary means. Applications for Church Life Today • Historical Anchoring: Accurate knowledge of figures like Aretas strengthens confidence that biblical events occurred in verifiable space-time history. Forms and Transliterations Αρετα Ἁρέτα Areta Hareta HarétaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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