G2957 G2957
Cyrene, North African Greek city in modern Libya
Luke notes that among the crowd at Pentecost were 'visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs' as well as people from Cyrene (Acts 2:10). Cyrene was a major Greek colony in North Africa (modern Libya), with a significant Jewish population. Simon of Cyrene carried Jesus' cross (Matthew 27:32); the church in Antioch included Cyrenian believers (Acts 13:1). The city's prominence in the Diaspora made it an important source of Hellenistic Jewish influence on early Christianity.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Acts repeatedly mentions Cyrene and Cyrenians in the early church's expansion. This North African Greek city had a substantial Jewish community that maintained strong Jerusalem connections. Luke's mention of Cyrenians at Pentecost, Simon carrying the cross, and Cyrenian leadership in Antioch all highlight this community's significance. All language witnesses transliterate the Greek name. Cyrene represents the Jewish Diaspora's role in spreading the gospel—believers from North Africa bringing Hellenistic perspectives to the Jerusalem faith. 1×
AR["قُيرِينَا"]·ben["কুরেণীর"]·DE["Κυρήνην"]·EN["Kyrēnē"]·FR["Cyrène"]·heb["קוּרֵנֵי"]·HI["भी"]·ID["Kirene,"]·IT["Cireneo"]·jav["Kiréné,"]·KO["그리고"]·PT["Cirene"]·RU["Киринее,"]·ES["Kyrḗnē"]·SW["Kirene"]·TR["Kirene'nin"]·urd["کرینے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Cyrene , a Greek colony in Africa, Refs 5th c.BC: —;the people were called Κυρηναῖοι, and the country ἡ Κυρηναία, Refs 5th c.BC (Middle Liddel)