Lexicon Aretas: Aretas Original Word: Ἀρέτας
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Aretas
Pronunciation: ah-REH-tas
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-et'-as)
Definition: Aretas
Meaning: Aretas IV, King of the Nabataeans. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Aretas. Of foreign origin; Aretas, an Arabian -- Aretas. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin DefinitionAretas, an Arabian king NASB TranslationAretas (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 ); cf. Schürer, Neutest. Zeitgesch. § 17 b., p. 233f); an Arabian king who made war (A.D. 36) on his son-in-law Herod Antipas for having repudiated his daughter; and with such success as completely to destroy his army (Josephus, Antiquities 18, 5). In consequence of this, Vitellius, governor of Syria, being ordered by Tiberius to march an army against Aretas, prepared for the war. But Tiberius meantime having died (March 16, A.D. 37), he recalled his troops from the march, dismissed them to their winter quarters, and departed to Rome. After his departure Aretas held sway over the region of Damascus (how acquired we do not know), and placed an ethnarch over the city: 2 Corinthians 11:32. Cf. Winers RWB under the word; Wieseler in Herzog i., p. 488f; Keim in Schenkel i., p. 238f; Schürer in Riehm, p. 83f; (B. D. American edition under the word ; Meyer on Acts, Einl. § 4 (cf. ibid., Wendt edition)).
Topical Lexicon Word Origin: Of Arabic originCorresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There are no direct Hebrew equivalents for the Greek name Ἀρέτας, as it is of Arabic origin and pertains specifically to the Nabatean king mentioned in the New Testament. Usage: The name Aretas appears in the New Testament in reference to a king of the Nabateans. He is mentioned in the context of the Apostle Paul's experiences. Context: Aretas is a name associated with a line of kings who ruled over the Nabatean kingdom, an ancient Arab state located in present-day Jordan, southern Syria, and northwestern Saudi Arabia. The specific Aretas mentioned in the New Testament is Aretas IV, who reigned from 9 BC to AD 40. He is noted for his conflict with Herod Antipas, which was partly due to Herod's divorce of Aretas' daughter.
In the New Testament, Aretas is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 11:32-33, where the Apostle Paul recounts an incident during his ministry: "In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp." (BSB)
This passage highlights the political tensions of the time and provides insight into the challenges faced by early Christians. The reference to Aretas underscores the historical context of Paul's ministry, illustrating the intersection of Roman, Jewish, and Nabatean politics. 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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