Encyclopedia entry
Aretas
The father-in-law of Herod Antipas, and king of Arabia Petraea. His daughter returned to him on the occasion of her husband’s entering into an adulterous alliance with Herodias, the wife of Herod-Philip, his half-brother (Luke 3:19, 20; Mark 6:17; Matt. 14:3). This led to a war between Aretas and Herod Antipas. Herod’s army was wholly destroyed (A.D. 36). Aretas, taking advantage of the complications of the times on account of the death of the Emperor Tiberius (A.D. 37), took possession of Damascus (2 Cor. 11:32; comp. Acts 9:25). At this time Paul returned to Damascus from Arabia.
In the Bible
1
Verses where Aretas is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 2 Corinthians 11:32
In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
Scripture on Aretas
5
Entries that reference Aretas
4
Sources · Hitchcock's Bible Names (1869) · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.