Bible Word Study
Μνάσων
mnasōn · Mnason
Μνάσων
Mnason
Definition
Μνάσων (Mnason) is a proper noun referring to a specific early Christian individual. He is identified as a native of Cyprus and an early disciple, possibly one of the original followers of Jesus from the earliest days of the church. The single biblical reference (Acts 21:16) notes that he hosted Paul and his companions in his home, which was located at a village on the route between Caesarea and Jerusalem. His role is solely as a named host, providing lodging and fellowship to the apostolic party.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Acts 21:16. It functions strictly as a personal name, identifying a specific person within a narrative context. The usage provides a concrete historical detail, connecting the apostolic mission to a known individual and place, and illustrates the network of hospitality that supported early Christian travel and ministry.
Etymology
Μνάσων (Mnason) is a Greek personal name of uncertain etymology. It is not derived from a common Greek root with a known meaning. As a proper noun, it was simply a given name used in the Hellenistic world, and its significance in the biblical text comes entirely from the identity of the person who bore it, not from its linguistic components.
Semantic Range
The name Mnason reflects the Hellenistic (Greek-influenced) cultural context of the eastern Roman Empire, even among Jewish Christians from Cyprus. His role as a host was culturally significant, as providing hospitality (philoxenia) was a crucial virtue and practical necessity for traveling teachers and missionaries in the ancient world. His designation as an 'early disciple' (archaios mathētēs) may imply he was a believer of long standing, possibly from the Pentecost event (Acts 2), adding to his respected status within the community.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]