Topical Encyclopedia
The term "Greeks" in the Bible refers to both the people of Greek ethnicity and, more broadly, to Gentiles or non-Jews. The influence of Greek culture, known as Hellenism, was widespread during the time of the New Testament, affecting language, philosophy, and daily life in the regions surrounding the Mediterranean.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, the Greeks are mentioned in the context of trade and prophecy. The prophet Joel refers to the Greeks in
Joel 3:6, highlighting the selling of the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks: "You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, sending them far from their homeland." This indicates early interactions between the Israelites and the Greek world.
Intertestamental PeriodDuring the intertestamental period, the influence of Greek culture expanded significantly due to the conquests of Alexander the Great. This era saw the spread of the Greek language and customs, which played a crucial role in shaping the cultural and religious landscape of the time. The translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, known as the Septuagint, was a significant development, making the Scriptures accessible to the Greek-speaking world.
New Testament ContextIn the New Testament, the term "Greeks" often refers to Gentiles in general. The Apostle Paul, in his missionary journeys, frequently engaged with Greek-speaking audiences. The city of Corinth, a major Greek city, was home to a significant Christian community to whom Paul wrote two epistles. In
1 Corinthians 1:22-24, Paul contrasts the Jews and Greeks: "Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."
The Greeks are also mentioned in the context of the early church's expansion. In
Acts 11:20, some of the believers who were scattered by the persecution that arose over Stephen "went to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus." This highlights the inclusive nature of the Gospel message, reaching beyond the Jewish community to the broader Gentile world.
Cultural and Philosophical InfluenceGreek philosophy and thought had a profound impact on the intellectual environment of the New Testament era. The philosophical schools of thought, such as Stoicism and Epicureanism, are mentioned in
Acts 17:18, where Paul encounters philosophers in Athens. The Greeks' pursuit of wisdom and knowledge is acknowledged in the New Testament, yet it is contrasted with the wisdom of God revealed in Christ.
Theological SignificanceThe inclusion of Greeks in the early Christian community underscores the universal scope of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul emphasizes this in
Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." This unity in Christ transcends ethnic and cultural boundaries, affirming the message of salvation for all people.
The Greeks, therefore, represent both a specific ethnic group and a broader symbol of the Gentile world in the biblical narrative. Their inclusion in the account of redemption highlights the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his offspring (
Genesis 22:18).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
GRECIANS; GREEKSgre'-shanz, greks: In the Old Testament the word "Grecians" occurs but once (Joel 3 (4):6). For references to Greece in the Old Testament see JAVAN. In the King James Version of the Old Testament Apocrypha "Grecians" and "Greeks" are used without distinction, e.g. 1 Maccabees 1:10; 6:02; 8:09; 2 Maccabees 4:15, 36. Thus, in 1 Maccabees 1:1, Alexander the Great is spoken of as king of Greece, and in 1 Maccabees 1:10 the Macedonian empire is called "the kingdom of the Greeks" (basileia Hellenon). In 2 Maccabees 13:2 the army of Antiochus, king of Syria, is called "Grecian" (dunamis Hellenike), and in 2 Maccabees 6:8 the "Greek cities" (poleis Hellenides) are Macedonian colonies. Reference is made in 2 Maccabees 6:1 to an aged Athenian who was sent by Antiochus the king charged with the duty of Hellenizing the Jews; in 2 Maccabees 9:15 Antiochus vows that he will make the Jews equal to the Athenians; in 1 Maccabees 12-14, reference is made to negotiations of Jonathan, the high priest, with the Spartans, whom he calls brethren, seeking the renewal of a treaty of alliance and amity against the Syrians. With the spread of Greek power and influence, everything not specifically Jewish was called Greek; thus in 2 Maccabees 4:36; 11:02; 3 Maccabees 3:3, 1 the "Greeks" contrasted with the Jews are simply non-Jews, so called because of the prevalence of Greek institutions and culture, and "Greek" even came to be used in the sense of "anti-Jewish" (2 Maccabees 4:10, 15; 6:09; 11:24).
InIsaiah 9:12 the Septuagint reads tous Hellenas, for Pelishtim, "Philistines"; but we are not therefore justified in assuming a racial connection between the Philistines and the Greeks. Further light on the ethnography of the Mediterranean
basin may in time show that there was actually such a connection; but the rendering in question proves nothing, since "the oppressing sword" ofJeremiah 46:16 and 50:16 is likewise rendered in the Septuagint with "the sword of the Greeks" (machaira Hellenike). In all these cases the translators were influenced by the conditions existing in their own day, and were certainly not disclosing obscure relations long forgotten and newly discovered.
In the New Testament, English Versions of the Bible attempts to distinguish between (Hellenes), which is rendered "Greeks," and (Hellenistai), which is rendered "Grecians" or "Grecian Jews," or in the Revised Version, margin "Hellenists," e.g.Acts 6:1;Acts 9:29. These latter were Jews of the Dispersion, who spoke Greek (see HELLENISM; HELLENIST), as distinguished from Palestinian Jews; but since many of the latter also spoke Greek by preference, the distinction could in no sense be absolute. Indeed inJohn 7:35, "the Dispersion among (the Revised Version, margin, Greek "of") the Greeks," can hardly refer to any but "Grecian Jews" (Hellenistai), although Hellenes is used, and inJohn 12:20 the "Greeks" (Hellenes) who went up to worship at the feast of the Passover were almost certainly "Grecian Jews" (Hellenistai). Thus, while English Versions of the Bible consistently renders Hellenes with "Greeks," we are not by that rendering apprised of the real character of the people so designated. This difficulty is aggravated by the fact, already noted in connection with the Old Testament Apocrypha, that, in consequence of the spread of Hellenism, the term Hellenes was applied not only to such as were of Hellenic descent, but also to all those who had appropriated the language of Greece, as the universal means of communication, and the ideals and customs collectively known as Hellenism. The latter were thus in the strict sense Hellenists, differing from the "Grecians" of English Versions of the Bible only in that they were not of Jewish descent. In other words, Hellenes (except perhaps inJohn 7:35 and 12:20, as noted above) is, in general, equivalent to ta ethne, "Gentiles" (see GENTILES). The various readings of the manuscripts (and hence the difference between the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)) in1 Corinthians 1:23 well illustrate this. There is consequently much confusion, which it is quite impossible, with our limited knowledge of the facts in particular cases, to clear up. In general, it would seem probable that where "Greeks" are comprehensively contrasted with "Jews," the reference is to "Gentiles," as inActs 14:1;Acts 17:4;Acts 18:4; 19:10, 17; 20:21Romans 1:16;Romans 10:121 Corinthians 1:22-24 (the Revised Version (British and American) "Gentiles," representing ethnesin;Galatians 3:28Colossians 3:11. InMark 7:26 the woman of Tyre, called "a Greek (the Revised Version, margin "Gentile") a Syrophoenician," was clearly not of Hellenic descent. Whether Titus (Galatians 2:3) and the father of Timothy; (Acts 16:1, 3) were in the strict sense "Greeks," we have no means of knowing. InRomans 1:14, "I am debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians," there is an undoubted reference to Greeks strictly so called; possibly, though by no means certainly, the "Greeks" ofActs 21:28, alluding to Trophimus the Ephesian (Acts 21:29), are to be taken in the same sense. References to the Greek language occur inJohn 19:20 (Luke 23:38 is properly omitted in the Revised Version (British and American));Acts 21:37Revelation 9:11.
InActs 11:20 the manuscripts vary between Hellenistas, and Hellenas (the King James Version "Grecians," the Revised Version (British and American) "Greeks"), with the preponderance of authority in favor of the former; but even if one adopts the latter, it is not clear whether true Greeks or Gentiles are intended.
William Arthur Heidel
GREEKS
SeeGRECIANS.
Greek
3625. oikoumene -- the inhabited earth... 3625 () literally means " ()." It was "originally used by the
Greeks to denote the
land inhabited by , in contrast with countries; afterward, when the
Greeks...2203. Zeus -- Zeus, the greatest of the pagan Gk. gods
... a (probably cognate) name; Dis (deece), which is otherwise obsolete; Zeus or Dis
(among the Latins, Jupiter or Jove), the supreme deity of theGreeks -- Jupiter...
1404. drakon -- a dragon (a mythical monster)
... accomplishing his hellish agenda from ".". [The ancientGreeks classified
a "dragon" (1404 ) as a type of . 1404 ("a dragon") was...
2176. euonumos -- of good name, euph. for left
... From eu and onoma; properly, well-named (good-omened), ie The left (which was the
lucky side among the paganGreeks); neuter as adverbial, at the left hand...
4027. perikatharma -- that which is cleaned off, refuse
... [4027 () literally refers to the rubbish left-over after "cleansing all ." TheGreeks
used 4027 () "of criminals kept at the public expense, to be thrown into...
1672. Hellen -- a Greek, usually a name for a Gentile
... Word Origin from Hellas Definition a Greek, usually a name for a Gentile
NASB Word Usage Greek (9),Greeks (17). Gentile, Greek....
Strong's Hebrew
3125. Yevani -- descendant of Javan... Yevani. 3126 . descendant of Javan. Transliteration: Yevani Phonetic Spelling:
(yev-aw-nee') Short Definition:
Greeks.
... of Javan NASB Word Usage
Greeks (1).
...3120. Yavan -- a son of Japheth, also his desc. and their land
... Probably from the same as yayin; effervescing (ie Hot and active); Javan, the name
of a son of Joktan, and of the race (Ionians, ieGreeks) descended from him...
3794. Kitti -- a son of Javan, also his desc. and their land
... kit-tee-ee'}; patrial from an unused name denoting Cyprus (only in the plural);
a Kittite or Cypriote; hence, an islander in general, ie TheGreeks or Romans...
Library
Tatian's Address to theGreeks
Tatian's Address to theGreeks. <. Tatian's Address to theGreeks Tatian.
Translated by JE Ryland Table of Contents. Title Page. Introductory Note....
Justin's Hortatory Address to theGreeks
Justin's Hortatory Address to theGreeks. <. Justin's Hortatory Address
to theGreeks Justin Martyr. Translated by the Rev....
Discourse to TheGreeks Concerning Hades
Discourse to TheGreeks Concerning Hades. <. Discourse to TheGreeks Concerning
Hades Flavius Josephus. Produced by David Reed Table of Contents....
Reasons for Addressing theGreeks.
Justin's Hortatory Address to theGreeks. <.... Chapter I."Reasons
for addressing theGreeks. As I begin this hortatory...
Appeal to theGreeks.
Justin's Hortatory Address to theGreeks. <.... Chapter XXXV."Appeal
to theGreeks. The time, then, ye men of Greece, is...
Doctrines of the Christians andGreeks Respecting God Compared.
Tatian's Address to theGreeks. <.... Chapter XXI."Doctrines of
the Christians andGreeks Respecting God Compared. We...
TheGreeks Claim, Without Reason, the Invention of the Arts.
Tatian's Address to theGreeks. <.... Chapter I."TheGreeks Claim,
Without Reason, the Invention of the Arts. Be not, O...
A Warning Appeal to theGreeks.
Justin's Hortatory Address to theGreeks. <.... Chapter XIV."A warning
appeal to theGreeks. It is therefore necessary...
Errors of theGreeks About the Deluge.
... Theophilus to Autolycus: Book III. Chapter XVIII."Errors of theGreeks
About the Deluge. For Plato, as we said above, when he...
Justin's Discourse to theGreeks
Justin's Discourse to theGreeks. <. Justin's Discourse to theGreeks Justin
Martyr. Translated by the Rev. M. Dods, MA Table of Contents....
Thesaurus
Greeks (22 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia GRECIANS;
GREEKS. gre'-shanz, greks: In
the Old Testament the word "Grecians" occurs but once (Joel
...Non-greeks (1 Occurrence)
Non-greeks. Non-existent, Non-greeks. Nonimmersionist .
Multi-Version Concordance Non-greeks (1 Occurrence). Romans...
Grecians (4 Occurrences)
... of their own in Jerusalem. Joel 3:6 =Greeks. Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia. GRECIANS;GREEKS. gre'-shanz, greks: In the...
Tammuz (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A corruption of Dumuzi, the Accadian sun-god (the
Adonis of theGreeks), the husband of the goddess Ishtar....
Greek (19 Occurrences)
... The word "Grecians" in Acts 11:20 should be "Greeks," denoting the heathenGreeks
of that city, as rendered in the Revised Version according to the reading of...
Japheth (12 Occurrences)
... 10] has in his account of the sons of Japheth classed together the Cymry or Celts
(Gomer), the Medes (Madai), and the Ionians orGreeks (Javan), thereby...
Antioch (21 Occurrences)
... Seleucus Nicator had settled numbers of Jews in it, granting them equal rights with
theGreeks (Ant., XII, iii, 1). Syrians,Greeks, Jews, and in later days...
Hellenism
... 2. (n.) The type of character of the ancientGreeks, who aimed at culture, grace,
and amenity, as the chief elements in human well-being and perfection. Int....
Hellenist
... 1. (n.) One who affiliates withGreeks, or imitates Greek manners; esp., a person
of Jewish extraction who used the Greek language as his mother tongue, as did...
Javan (12 Occurrences)
... 19 Ezekiel 27:13 Septuagint Hellas, Greece); Daniel 8:21 m; 10:20; 11:02; Zechariah
9:13 Joel 3:6 (Hebrew 4:6) Septuagint hoi Hellenes, ie "Greeks"), "son" of...
Resources
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