Γεργεσηνός,
-ή,
-όν,
Gergesene, belonging to the city Gergesa, which is assumed to have been situated on the eastern shore of Lake Gennesaret:
Matthew 8:28 Rec. But this reading depends on the authority and opinion of Origen, who thought the variants found in his manuscripts Γαδαρηνῶν and Γερασηνῶν (see these words) must be made to conform to the testimony of those who said that there was formerly a certain city Gergesa near the lake. But Josephus knows nothing of it, and states expressly (Antiquities 1, 6, 2), that no trace of the ancient Gergesites [A. V. Girgashites, cf. B. D. under the word] (mentioned Genesis 15:20; Joshua 24:11) had survived, except the names preserved in the O. T.
Hence, in Matthew 8:28 we must read Γαδαρηνῶν [so T Tr WH] and suppose that the jurisdiction of the city Gadara extended quite to the Lake of Gennesaret; but that Matthew (Matthew 8:34) erroneously thought that this city was situated on the lake itself.
For in Mark 5:14; Luke 8:34, there is no objection to the supposition that the men came to Jesus from the rural districts alone.
[But for the light thrown on this matter by modern research, see B. D. American edition under the word Gadara; Thomson, The Land and the Book, ii. 34ff; Wilson in "The Recovery of Jerusalem" p. 286f.]
Related entry:
Γερασηνός,
-οῦ,
ὁ,
Gerasene, i. e. belonging to the ciry Gerasa (
τὰ Γέρασα, Josephus b. j. 3, 3, 3):
Matthew 8:28 [Lachmann]; Mark 5:1 [L T WH Tr text]; Luke 8:26 and Luke 8:37 [L Tr WH] according to very man manuscripts seen by Origen. But since Gerasa was a city situated in the southern part of Peræa (Josephus passage cited, cf. 4, 9, 1), or in Arabia (Orig. opp. iv. 140 ed. De la Rue), that cannot be referred to here; see Γαδαρηνός, and the next word.
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
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All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com
BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's
-
Genesis
-
15:20
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Joshua
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24:11
-
Matthew
-
8:28; 8:28; 8:34
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Mark
-
5:14
-
Luke
-
8:34
