Greek word · G3530

Νικόδημος

nikodēmos

Nicodemus

A Greek personal name built from nikē ('victory') and dēmos ('people'). It means roughly 'victor among the people' or 'victory of the people'.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Νικόδημος, -ου, ὁ

Nicodemus: John 3:1, 4 3:9 7:50 19:39.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of John 3:1

Range of meaning

A Greek personal name built from nikē ('victory') and dēmos ('people'). It means roughly 'victor among the people' or 'victory of the people'.

Against the English

English simply transliterates it. Nothing is lost, except that readers may not realise it was a real name used by Jews of the time and not a symbolic invention.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josephus names a Nicodemus who was envoy of the Judean ruler Aristobulus II to Pompey (Ant. 14.37). The Babylonian Talmud tells of Naqdimon ben Gurion, one of the three richest men in Jerusalem before AD 70 (b. Ta'anit 19b–20a; b. Gittin 56a). Studies of Jewish names (e.g. Tal Ilan's Lexicon) show the name was in actual use among Palestinian Jews.

Where it appears

John · 5

  1. John 3:1 Νικόδημος Nicodemus

    Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.

    Here: A Greek personal name meaning roughly 'victory of the people'. Jews of the period used it, especially in leading Jerusalem families. Only John's Gospel names him.

  2. John 3:4 Νικόδημος· Nicodemus;

    “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”

    Here: A Pharisee and 'ruler of the Jews' (3:1), a member of the Jerusalem elite. His Greek name ('victory of the people') was common among Jews of his day. He shows up again in John 7:50 and 19:39.

  3. John 3:9 Νικόδημος Nicodemus

    “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

    Here: A Greek name meaning roughly 'victor over the people', borne by a Jew. He is a Pharisee and 'ruler of the Jews' (3:1). This is the last thing he says in the conversation. From here on Jesus does all the talking.

  4. John 7:50 Νικόδημος Nicodemus

    Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who himself was one of them, asked,

  5. John 19:39 Νικόδημος Nicodemus

    Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.

    Here: A Greek name (roughly "victor over the people") borne by Jews of the period. John has already introduced him as a Pharisee and "a ruler of the Jews" (3:1) who spoke up for Jesus in the council (7:50–51).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.