Quick Definition
Aretas
Biblical Persons & Places
Aretas
King living at the time of the New Testament
A king living at the time of the New Testament, only mentioned at 2Co.11.32;
only referred to as Aretas (Ἀρέτας).
Strong's Definition
Aretas, an Arabian
Derivation: of foreign origin;
KJV Usage: Aretas
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
Ἀρέτας (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: 2Co_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)).
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
Ἁρέτας Haretas 1x
Aretas, pr. name, 2Co_11:32
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
Ἀρέτας
( WH , Ἀρ .; Intr., 313), -α , ὁ ,
Aretas , an Arabian king: 2Co_11:32 ( Deiss., BS , 183 f ., thinks the proper spelling Ἀρέθας was changed, as Schόrer suggests, "by desire to Hellenise a barbaric name by assimilation to ἀρετή ").†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
Ἁρέτας [page 75]
The form Ἁρέτας (for rough breathing see WH Intr. .2 p. 313) instead of Ἁρέθας may, as Deissmann ( BS p. 183 f.), following Schόrer Geschichte i. p. 738, has suggested, be due to a desire to Hellenize the barbaric name by assimilation to ἀρετή .
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
Ἀρέτας (WH, Ἀρ.; Intr., 313), -α, ὁ,
Aretas, an Arabian king: 2Co.11:32 (Deiss., BS, 183 f., thinks the proper spelling Ἀρέθας was changed, as Schürer suggests, "by desire to Hellenise a barbaric name by assimilation to ἀρετή").†
(AS)
