Ἰωαννᾶς
Iōannâs
G2490 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name: Iōannas, borne by a male figure in the New Testament. The lexical meaning is that of a proper noun designating a specific individual. The name ultimately conveys 'Yahweh is gracious' due to its Hebrew origins. The semantic range is singular, referring to this specific personage.
Semantic Range
personal name referring to a specific Judean/Israelite man; no wider semantic range beyond identification as a name
Root / Etymology
Ἰωαννᾶς is a Hellenized form derived from the Hebrew יֹוחָנָן (Yôḥānān) or its Aramaic form יוֹחָנָן (Yôḥānān), both meaning 'Yahweh is gracious.' In Greek, it appears as both Ἰωάννης (Iōannēs) and the variant Ἰωαννᾶς (Iōannâs), with the latter likely reflecting a dialectal or contextual adaptation for certain individuals.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ἰωαννᾶς occurs in Luke 3:27 in the genealogy of Jesus, designating a distinct individual among the ancestral line. It represents a Greek rendering of a widely used Hebrew personal name in Second Temple Judean and broader Israelite contexts. The variant spelling Ἰωαννᾶς, as opposed to the more common Ἰωάννης, may reflect differing transliteration practices or textual traditions but refers to the same underlying Semitic name. In Greek and Latin Christian tradition, both forms became established as personal names. English Bible translations typically render both as 'Joanna' (for the feminine) or 'Joanan/Joannas' (for the masculine), but these do not reflect the original pronunciation or etymological nuance. The name does not carry an occupation, title, or descriptive sense; it is solely a proper noun for a male individual. In post-biblical sources, it evolved separately into masculine (John, Johannes) and feminine (Joanna) forms across cultures.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a form of Ἰωάννης; Joannas, an Israelite:--Joannas.
Root Family
Ἰωαννᾶς (Iōannas) — personal name, Yahweh is gracious
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2490-01 |
Ἰωανὰν | ioanan | N GEN M SG |
Joanan | of Iōannas | Ioannas | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2490-01 |
Luke 3:27 | Ἰωανὰν | ioanan | N GEN M SG |
Joanan | of Iōannas | Ioannas |