Ἀρέτας
Arétas
G702 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name referring to an individual, specifically the Nabataean king Aretas IV, ruler of the Nabataean kingdom during the early 1st century CE. In the New Testament context, the name designates this particular political figure, not a general title or designation.
Semantic Range
Aretas (royal name of Nabataean king), used only as a proper noun for the Arabian ruler Aretas IV
Root / Etymology
Etymology uncertain; the name is of Nabataean (Northwest Semitic/Aramaic) origin and not native Greek. It is a transliteration into Greek characters from the original Semitic form, possibly related to Aramaic or Nabataean royal nomenclature.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ἀρέτας appears in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 11:32) as the name of the Nabataean king whose ethnarch in Damascus sought to arrest Paul. The name is well-attested in historical records and inscriptions relating to the Nabataean kingdom, especially in reference to Aretas IV Philopatris, who ruled from 9 BCE to 40 CE with Petra as his capital. In Greek texts of the period, such non-Greek names are often rendered with Hellenized endings. The LXX does not use this name, as the Nabataean dynasty belongs to a later period. The English rendering as 'Aretas' follows the Greek transcription. The name itself carried political and dynastic significance in its original context, and does not bear intrinsic semantic meaning in Greek beyond its function as a proper name.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign origin; Aretas, an Arabian:--Aretas.
Root Family
Ἀρέτας (Aretas) — proper name, Nabataean king
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G702-01 |
Ἁρέτα | areta | N GEN M SG |
Aretas | of Aretas | Aretas | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G702-01 |
2 Corinthians 11:32 | Ἁρέτα | areta | N GEN M SG |
Aretas | of Aretas | Aretas |