G1675 G1675
Hellenists, Greek-speaking Jews; Jews from the diaspora whose primary language was Greek rather than Hebrew/Aramaic
The term Ἑλληνιστής (from Ἑλληνίζω 'to speak Greek') denotes Greek-speaking Jews, particularly diaspora Jews whose native language was Greek rather than Hebrew or Aramaic. In the early Jerusalem church this created a cultural-linguistic division from the 'Hebrews' (Aramaic-speaking Palestinian Jews). The Hellenists maintained Jewish faith and practice but expressed it through Greek language and often Hellenistic cultural forms, creating both richness and tension in the mixed community.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Acts 6:1 describes early church conflict: 'the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution'—linguistic/cultural groups in tension. Acts 9:29 reports Paul in Jerusalem: 'speaking and disputing against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him'—his Greek-speaking compatriots became opponents. Acts 11:20 (in some manuscripts) mentions believers from Cyprus and Cyrene 'speaking to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.' The German glosses (Ἑλληνιστάς, Ἑλληνιστῶν) preserve Greek forms while Spanish (Helenistas) and French (Grec) translate. The term captures a crucial fault line in early Christianity: between Palestinian Jewish Christianity and diaspora Jewish Christianity, the latter positioned to bridge to Gentile mission. Hellenists like Stephen and Philip became pioneers of cross-cultural gospel advance. 3×
AR["يُونَانِيِّينَ", "ٱلْيُونَانِيِّينَ"]·ben["গ্রীক-ভাষীদের"]·DE["Ἑλληνιστάς", "Ἑλληνιστῶν"]·EN["Hellenists"]·FR["Grec"]·heb["הֶלֵּנִיסְטִים", "יְוָנִים"]·HI["यूनानियों", "यूनानी-भाषी-यहूदियों", "यूनानीभाषियों"]·ID["orang-Helenis", "orang-Yunani"]·IT["Grecista"]·jav["tiyang-Yahudi-Yunani;", "tiyang-Yunani", "tiyang-Yunani,"]·KO["헬라파-유다인들-에게", "헬라파-유대인들-의", "헬라파-유대인들에게"]·PT["helenistas"]·RU["эллинистам", "эллинистами", "эллинистов"]·ES["Helenistas", "Hellēnistaí"]·SW["Wagiriki", "Wayahudi-wa-Kigiriki", "wa-Kiyunani,"]·TR["Helenistlere", "Helenistlerin", "Helenistlerle"]·urd["یونانی-بولنے-والوں", "یونانی-یہودیوں", "یونانیوں"]
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
one who uses the Greek language; i. e., in Refs 1st c.AD, a Hellenist, a Greek-Jew. (Middle Liddel)