Lexical Definition

‎Ἀλέξανδρος‎ Aléxandros (al-ex'-an-dros) Alexander ^N:N-M-P
from the same as (the first part of) ‎ἀλέκτωρ‎ and ‎ἀνήρ‎

Alexander.

• man-defender
• Alexander, the name of three Israelites and one other man

Abbott-Smith

Ἀλέξανδρος, -ου, ὁ,
Alexander
1. Son of Simon of Cyrene: Mk 15:21
2. A kinsman of the High Priest: Ac 4:6.
3. A certain Jew: Ac 19:33.
4. A coppersmith: I Ti 1:20.
5. Perh. = 4 (v. Ellic. on I Ti 1:20): II Ti 4:14.†

Abbott-Smith References

Profile

Male • Jew put forward by the crowd in Ephesus

Man living at the time of the New Testament

Alexander was a Jew whom the crowd put forward during the riot in Ephesus, but they shouted him down when they realized he was a Jew. (Act.19.33)

• A man living at the time of the New Testament, only mentioned at Act.19.33;
• only referred to as Alexander Ἀλέξανδρος.

Alexander is mentioned during the account of the riot in Ephesus, which was instigated by Demetrius, a silversmith who crafted shrines of Artemis. Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen felt threatened by Paul's preaching, which led many people to turn away from worshipping Artemis. (Act.19.23-27)

The riot escalated, and the crowd rushed into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions. Paul wanted to address the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. (Act.19.28-31).

In the midst of the confusion, some of the crowd put Alexander forward, possibly to speak on behalf of the Jews and dissociate themselves from Paul and the Christians. The Jews may have been concerned that they would be blamed for the disturbance caused by Paul's preaching. (Act.19.33)

However, when the crowd realized that Alexander was a Jew, they shouted him down, chanting "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" for about two hours. (Act.19.34)

The city clerk eventually managed to calm the crowd, dismissing the assembly and stating that any grievances should be settled through the proper legal channels. (Act.19.35-41)

Alexander's brief appearance in this narrative highlights the complex social and religious dynamics in Ephesus, where the spread of Christianity was perceived as a threat to the established religious and economic order.

All entries for Alexander: Ἀλέξανδρος