Timotheus
A “captain of the Ammonites,” 1 Macc. 5:6 who was defeated on several occasions by Judas Maccabaeus, B.C. 164. 1 Macc. 5:6,11,34-44. He was probably a Greek adventurer. In 2 Macc. a leader named Timetheus is mentioned as having taken part in the invasion of Nicanor, B.C. 166. 2 Macc. 8:30; 9:3. The Greek name of Timothy. (Acts 16:1; 17:14) etc.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Timotheus
Timotheus ti-mo'-the-us (Timotheos): ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia. (1) A leader of the children of Ammon who was on several occasions severely defeated by Judas Maccabeus (1 Macc 5:6 ff,34 ff; 2 Macc 8:30; 9:3; 10:24; 19:2,18 ff) in 165-163 BC. According to 2 Macc 10:37, he was slain at Gazara after having hidden in a cistern. But in 2 Macc 12:2 he is again at liberty as an opponent of the Jews, and in 12:24 f he falls into the hands of Dositheus and Sosipater, but by representing that many Jewish captives were at his mercy and likely to suffer if he were put to death, he is again released. These discrepancies are so great--though not unusual in 2 Maccabees--that some suppose another Timotheus is referred to in 12:2 ff. He is most probably the same person, the careless author of 2 Maccabees making a slip in saying Timotheus was killed at Gazara. He probably escaped by hiding in the cistern. The Greek name for an Ammonite leader is striking: (a) he may have been a genuine Ammonite with a Greek name, or (b) a Syro-Macedonian officer placed by Syrian authority…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Timotheus
1. A leader of the Ammonites w ho was defeated in many battles by Judas Maccaljieus ( 1 Mac 5'"'- »"f , 2 Mac S** 9= lO-*"'"). According to 2 Mac 10" he was .slain at the capture of Gazara by the forces of Jud.as. For the un- chronolo^ical setting of the narrative in 2 Mac. see vol. iii. [). 191''. 2. The AV form of the name Timothy everywhere in NT except 2 Co 1', 1 Ti V', 2 Ti 1-', Phileni 1, He 13^. TIMOTHY (Ti/i(59 tion of her in some MSS of the Western text as ' a widow,' and perhaps the use of vwfipxei (Ac 16^), make it probable that his fatlier was already dead. St. Paul was attracted l)y Timothy, and wislied to have him as a travel -com pun ion to take the place of John Mark, if not of Barnabas. If we 768 TIMOTHY TIMOTHY, FIRST EPISTLE TO may refer to this occasion the lang^iage of 1 Ti 1" 4'*, 2 Ti 1°, St. Paul was not left unaided in this decision. Prophetic utterances, perhaps those of Silas, who was himself a prophet (Ac 15''^), led Paul ♦o him : the local presbyters laid their hands upon him (cf. Ac 13') ; Paul joined in the formal setting ajiart of ' his son ' for the t…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia