G1672 G1672
Greek, Hellene — a person of Greek culture or, more broadly in the NT, any non-Jewish Gentile
Hellen in its 25 New Testament occurrences has undergone a decisive semantic shift from its classical meaning. Where the term originally designated an ethnic Greek as opposed to a barbaros ('foreigner'), the NT consistently uses it as the functional counterpart to Ioudaios ('Jew'), meaning any non-Jewish person — a Gentile. Paul makes this binary foundational to his gospel: 'to the Jew first and also to the Greek' (Rom 1:16; 2:9-10), and 'there is neither Jew nor Greek' in Christ (Gal 3:28; Col 3:11). The 'Greeks' who come seeking Jesus at the Feast (John 12:20) may be ethnic Greeks or Hellenized Gentiles — John leaves the ambiguity productive. In Acts, Hellen describes God-fearing Gentiles who attend synagogues alongside Jews in diaspora cities like Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth, and Ephesus (Acts 14:1; 17:4; 18:4; 19:10, 17). Paul himself was 'apostle to the Gentiles,' and his companion Titus was a Hellen (Gal 2:3). Spanish 'Griego,' French 'Grec,' and German 'Grieche' all carry both the ethnic and the broader religious-cultural sense.
Senses
1. Greek, Hellene — A person of Greek identity or culture who, in NT usage, has come to represent Gentiles in general — the non-Jewish half of humanity in the Pauline binary 'Jew and Greek.' Paul builds his universalist soteriology on this pair: salvation comes 'to the Jew first and also to the Greek' (Rom 1:16; 2:9-10), and in Christ the distinction is abolished (Gal 3:28; Col 3:11). In Acts, Hellenes are the God-fearing Gentiles who populate diaspora synagogues (Acts 14:1; 17:4; 18:4; 19:10). John's 'Greeks' seeking Jesus (John 12:20) signal the approaching Gentile mission. Titus, Paul's uncircumcised companion, is identified as a Hellen (Gal 2:3), confirming the term's breadth beyond strict ethnicity. 25×
AR["اليونانِيِّ", "اليونانِيّونَ", "الْيُونَانِيِّينَ", "لِليونانِيّينَ", "لِلْيُونانِيِّ", "يونانيٌ", "يونانيّينَ", "يونانِيٌّ", "يونانِيٍّ", "يونانِيِّينَ", "يونانِيّينَ", "يُونَانِيُّونَ", "يُونَانِيِّينَ"]·ben["গ্রীক", "গ্রীক,", "গ্রীক;", "গ্রীক।", "গ্রীকদের", "গ্রীকদের,", "গ্রীকরা", "গ্রীকের।", "গ্রীকেরা"]·DE["Grieche"]·EN["Greek", "Greeks", "Hellēnes", "of-Hellenes", "to-Greek", "to-Greeks", "to-Hellēnes"]·FR["Grec"]·heb["הַיְּוָנִים", "יְוָנִי", "יְוָנִים", "יָוָנִי", "לִ-יְוָנִים", "לַיְּוָנִים"]·HI["युननि", "युननि;", "यूनानियों", "यूनानियों-को", "यूनानियों-ने", "यूनानियों-में", "यूनानी", "यूनानी-को"]·ID["bagi-orang-Yunani", "orang Yunani", "orang-Yunani", "orang-Yunani,", "orang-Yunani."]·IT["Greco", "ellenes", "ellēn"]·jav["Yunani", "dhateng-tiyang-Yunani,", "tiyang-Yunani", "tiyang-Yunani,", "tiyang-Yunani.", "tiyang-Yunani;"]·KO["그리스인들이", "헬라인", "헬라인;", "헬라인들", "헬라인들도", "헬라인들에게", "헬라인들에게도", "헬라인들은", "헬라인들을", "헬라인들의", "헬라인에게", "헬라인의", "헬라인이다"]·PT["Gregos", "Gregos.", "a-Gregos,", "a-grego", "a-gregos,", "de-gregos,", "grego", "grego,", "gregos", "gregos,"]·RU["Грек", "Грека", "Греков", "Еллин", "Еллины", "Эллинам,", "Эллинам.", "Эллинов", "Эллину", "Эллины,", "Эллины.", "эллин", "эллина", "эллинам", "эллины"]·ES["Griego", "Griegos", "Héllēn", "Héllēnes", "Héllēnos", "Héllēnōn", "a-griego", "a-griegos", "griego", "griegos"]·SW["Mgiriki", "Wagiriki", "Wagiriki,", "kwa-Myunani."]·TR["Grek", "Grekler", "Greklere", "Helen", "Helen'di", "Helenler", "Helenlerden", "Helenlere", "Helenleri", "Yunan'a", "Yunan'a.", "Yunanları"]·urd["یونانی", "یونانی-کو", "یونانیوں", "یونانیوں-نے", "یونانیوں-کو"]
John 7:35, John 7:35, John 12:20, Acts 14:1, Acts 16:1, Acts 16:3, Acts 17:4, Acts 18:4, Acts 19:10, Acts 19:17, Acts 20:21, Acts 21:28 (+13 more)
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
1. Hellen , son of Deucalion, 8th/7th c.BC 2. the Ἕλληνες of 8th/7th c.BC are the Thessalian tribe of which Hellen was the reputed chief (compare Ἑλλάς 1), 8th/7th c.BC 3. later, Ἕλληνες was the regularly name for Greeks , opposite to βάρβαροι, Refs 5th c.BC, etc. 4. later still, of Gentiles , Opp. to Jews, Refs 1st c.AD 5. as adjective = Ἑλληνικός, Refs 5th c.BC, etc.:—;even with a fem. Substantive, 6th/5th c.BC, Refs 5th c.BC (Middle Liddel)