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Ἰαννῆς

Iannēs

G2389 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper noun referring to a figure named Jannes, traditionally identified as one of the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses before Pharaoh. The name functions solely as a personal designation and is not used to denote a type or class of person. In Second Temple and early Christian literature, Jannes is paired with Jambres as representative opponents of Moses, noted for magical or adversarial activity.

Semantic Range

Jannes (personal name); as a figure representing an opponent of Moses, magician associated with Pharaoh's court

Root / Etymology

Transliteration of a name likely of Egyptian origin; exact Egyptian form is debated. The Greek rendering Ἰαννῆς is a phonetic adaptation and appears in Jewish and later Christian sources. Etymology outside Greek is uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name Ἰαννῆς (Iannēs) appears in the New Testament at 2 Timothy 3:8, where Paul references Jannes and Jambres, associating them with opposition to Moses. The figures are not named in the canonical Hebrew Bible but feature in Jewish traditions preserved in targumic, pseudepigraphal, and rabbinic literature, often as archetypal magicians of Pharaoh's court. The use in 2 Timothy draws on this extra-biblical tradition, and the designation 'Jannes' does not imply ethnic, religious, or professional identity beyond the character's narrative role. In later Christian tradition and translation, the name is often rendered 'Jannes.' The pairing with Jambres became a standard reference to those who resist divine authority, especially in contexts of signs and wonders.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Egyptian origin; Jannes, an Egyptian:--Jannes.

Root Family

Ἰαννῆς (Iannēs) — personal name, traditional opponent of Moses

Root uncertain personal name, designation of a traditional opponent of Moses

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2389-01 Ἰάννης iannes N NOM M SG Jannes Jannes Jannes 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2389-01 2 Timothy 3:8 Ἰάννης iannes N NOM M SG Jannes Jannes Jannes
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