Γαδαρηνός
Gadarēnós
G1046 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person or thing originating from or belonging to Gadara; specifically, an inhabitant or native of Gadara, a city located east of the Jordan River. Used in the New Testament as a geographic ethnonym indicating someone's association with the city or district of Gadara. In relevant narratives, indicates the regional identity rather than ethnic or religious affiliation.
Semantic Range
inhabitant of Gadara, native of Gadara, belonging to the region or district of Gadara, associated with Gadara (as an adjective)
Root / Etymology
Formed from the toponym Γάδαρα (Gadara) and the adjectival suffix -ηνός, which denotes origin or association to a place; thus, 'of Gadara.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Γαδαρηνός appears in the Synoptic Gospels (notably in Matthew 8:28 within some manuscript traditions) to describe people or things from Gadara, in the context of the well-known exorcism narrative often called that of the 'Gadarene demoniacs.' The use of the term reflects practices of Hellenistic and Roman geographical naming, where the suffix -ηνός was attached to cities to denote inhabitants or a belonging relationship. In the broader contemporary context, there could be confusion between variants such as Γερασηνός (of Gerasa) and Γεργεσηνός (of Gergesa), due to textual variation and uncertainties about the precise location referenced in the Gospel accounts. Gadara was a significant Hellenistic city in the Decapolis, with mixed Greco-Syrian and Semitic population; 'Gadarene' strictly refers to geographical provenance, not to religion or ethnicity. English Bible translations traditionally render Γαδαρηνός as 'Gadarene,' but this may obscure the precise local context and the debated textual variants.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from (a town east of the Jordan); a Gadarene or inhabitant of Gadara:--Gadarene.
Root Family
Γάδαρα (Gadarēnós) — to be from Gadara, to belong to or originate from Gadara
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1046-01 |
Γαδαρηνῶν | gadarenon | ADJ.S GEN M PL |
Gadarenes | of the Gadarenes | Gadarenes | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1046-01 |
Matthew 8:28 | Γαδαρηνῶν | gadarenon | ADJ.S GEN M PL |
Gadarenes | of the Gadarenes | Gadarenes |