Νηρεύς
Nēreús
G3517 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name, Nereus; refers to an individual identified as a member of the early assemblies of believers in Rome. The name does not carry an inherent lexical meaning in Koine Greek usage and is used strictly as a proper noun in New Testament texts. In wider Greek culture, it can refer to Nereus, a sea deity in Greek mythology, but in the New Testament it serves as a personal name with no mythological implication.
Semantic Range
personal name; Greco-Roman male name; in mythological contexts, name of a sea god; in biblical context, name of an early Roman Christ-follower
Root / Etymology
Name of uncertain etymology in the New Testament context; possibly related to the Greek sea god Νηρεύς (Nēreús), whose name has been connected to νήριτος (rich, vigorous), or possibly to ναῦς (ship) and the semantic field of 'wet, sea.' However, this connection remains speculative for the proper name, and in the context of the New Testament, its etymology is not emphasized.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the New Testament (Romans 16:15), Νηρεύς occurs as the name of a member of the assembly in Rome greeted by Paul. The name was common enough in the Greco-Roman world, sometimes associated with freedpersons and members of the imperial household. In classical Greek literature, Νηρεύς is known as a minor figure, often as a sea god and the father of the Nereids; however, in Roman and Hellenistic contexts, Nereus can simply be a personal name with no overt religious or mythological connotations. English translations render the name phonetically as 'Nereus.' There is no lexical content beyond its function as a proper name in the biblical text.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
apparently from a derivative of the base of ναῦς (meaning wet); Nereus, a Christian:--Nereus.
Root Family
Νηρεύς (Nēreus) — proper name, Nereus
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3517-01 |
Νηρέα | nerea | N ACC M SG |
Nereus | Nereus | Nereus | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3517-01 |
Romans 16:15 | Νηρέα | nerea | N ACC M SG |
Nereus | Nereus | Nereus |