Γεργεσηνός
Gergesēnós
G1086
SILEX Entry
Definition
Denoting an inhabitant of the district or city called Gergesa; used as a regional or ethnic designation for someone from or associated with Gergesa. The term primarily identifies geographic origin, but in some contexts refers to an ethnic group known from Hebrew traditions (the Girgashites).
Semantic Range
from Gergesa (inhabitant), native of Gergesa, pertaining to the region of Gergesa, descendant of the Girgashites (by tradition)
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew גִּרְגָּשִׁי (Girgāšī), an ethnonym for one of the Canaanite peoples in Hebrew tradition; in Greek, formed by addition of the ethnic adjectival suffix -ηνός to Γέργεσα (Gergesa), meaning 'of/from Gergesa.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Γεργεσηνός appears in the New Testament only in certain textual variants of the synoptic resurrection narratives (e.g., Matthew 8:28), usually in place of 'Gadarene' (Γαδαρηνός) or 'Gerazene' (Γερασηνός). The identification of Gergesa is debated among modern scholars, with most associating it with a region on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, but the historical existence of a city named Gergesa is uncertain. The term draws on the Hebrew Girgashite (גִּרְגָּשִׁי), one of several Canaanite groups described in Genesis and Joshua as inhabiting the land prior to Israelite settlement, but there is little historical evidence linking the New Testament term directly to this ancient group. English translations often use 'Gergesene,' but the term does not have a direct equivalent in modern place names and may refer more generally to perceived local inhabitants in the Gospel narrative. The term does not carry the ethnic or religious connotations that later English terms might convey and functions primarily as a geographical marker in the context it appears.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (גִּרְגָּשִׁי); a Gergesene (i.e. Girgashite) or one of the aborigines of Palestine:--Gergesene.
Word Forms
0 distinct forms
No word forms found for this Strong's number.
Occurrences in Scripture
0 occurrences
No occurrences found.