☀️
← Back to Lexicon
G690 · Greek · New Testament
Ἄραψ
Araps
Noun, masculine
Arab, Arabian person

Definition

The Greek Araps (Ἄραψ) means 'Arab' or 'Arabian' — a person from the region of Arabia. It appears in Acts 2:11 among the list of nations present at Pentecost who heard the disciples speaking in their own languages. The inclusion of Arabs in the Pentecost list is significant for the universal scope of the Spirit's outpouring.

Usage & Theological Significance

The list of nations at Pentecost in Acts 2 is a deliberate reversal of Babel. At Babel, one language was fractured into many as judgment; at Pentecost, many languages are unified in worship as redemption. Arabs are explicitly included — heirs of Ishmael, long-standing neighbors and sometimes rivals of Israel — now hearing 'the wonders of God' in their own tongue. The Spirit makes no ethnic exceptions. The gospel at Pentecost begins with a catholic (universal) sweep: Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Egyptians, Libyans, Romans, Cretans, and Arabs — all receive the first announcement of God's new-creation work in Christ. The Spirit is not the property of one nation but the gift to all flesh (Acts 2:17).

Key Bible Verses

Acts 2:11 Cretans and Arabs — we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!
Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:17 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Joel 2:28 And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Related Words

🌙
☀️