Greek word · G4008

πέραν

peran

other side

'On the far side of the Jordan.' In Jewish usage, viewed from the land west of the river, it means Transjordan: the land east of the river, including Perea and, more loosely, Batanea (old Bashan). In the Greek Old Testament it translates Hebrew ʿēber ha-yardēn.

Appears 23 times in 23 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

πέραν

adv., [in LXX for עֵבֶר and cognate forms ;]

on the other side, across (usually with the idea of water lying between);

(a) as in the older poets, as prep. with genitive: τ. θαλάσσης, John 6:1, 17 6:22, 25; τ. Ἰορδάνου, Matthew 4:15 (LXX), Matthew 4:25 19:1, Mark 3:8 10:1, John 1:28 3:26 10:40; τ. χειμάρρου τ. Κέδρων, John 18:1;

(b) τὸ π., the region beyond, the other side: Matthew 8:18, 28 14:22 16:5, Mark 4:35 5:21 6:45 8:13; τ. θαλάσσης, Mark 5:1; τ. λίμνης, Luke 8:22.†

(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 1:28

Range of meaning

'On the far side of the Jordan.' In Jewish usage, viewed from the land west of the river, it means Transjordan: the land east of the river, including Perea and, more loosely, Batanea (old Bashan). In the Greek Old Testament it translates Hebrew ʿēber ha-yardēn.

Against the English

'Beyond' (KJV, BSB, NASB, WEB), 'across' (ESV), 'on the other side of' (NIV) and 'east of' (NLT) all convey the sense correctly. 'East of' states the meaning outright, which is helpful, though it slightly narrows a phrase some scholars take more widely (see debates).

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek Old Testament uses it for Transjordan (e.g. Deut 1:1, 5; Josh 1:14; 9:10). Matthew 4:15 quotes Isaiah 9:1 with 'beyond the Jordan', and Josephus names the region Perea from the same root (Jewish War 3.44–47).

From the study of John 10:40

Range of meaning

'Across the Jordan.' Seen from Judea and Galilee, this was the standard name for the land east of the river. In Jesus' day most of it was the district of Perea, which Herod Antipas ruled under Rome. Antipas also ruled Galilee.

Against the English

KJV and WEB say 'beyond (the) Jordan'; BSB says 'back across the Jordan.' All are accurate. The modern state of Jordan has nothing to do with the phrase, but the place lies on the east bank, inside that modern country's territory.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) uses πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου for the Hebrew ʿēber hayyardēn, for example in Deut 1:1 and Josh 9:10. In the Hebrew Bible this phrase could mean either bank depending on where the speaker stood. Matt 4:15, 19:1 and Mark 10:1 use it of the region Jesus passed through on his last journey. Josephus describes Perea as the land beyond the Jordan (Jewish War 3.44–47).

From the study of Mark 4:35

Range of meaning

An adverb or preposition meaning 'beyond, on the other side of.' With the article (τὸ πέραν) it becomes a noun, 'the far side, the opposite shore.'

Against the English

Every major English version says 'the other side', and NLT adds 'of the lake'. The wording is accurate. The risk is in what modern readers take it to mean (see drift).

How it drifted

In modern English 'the other side' is also a common figure of speech for life after death, or for getting through a hard time. That meaning has no basis in this verse.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint uses πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου ('beyond the Jordan') for the land east of the river (e.g. Deut 1:1). Isaiah 9:1 (8:23 in Greek) pairs 'beyond the Jordan' with 'Galilee of the nations', and Matthew 4:15 quotes the line. Josephus calls the Transjordan region Peraia, 'the land beyond'. Mark uses 'the other side' as a fixed term for the opposite shore of the lake (4:35; 5:1, 21; 6:45; 8:13).

Where it appears

Matthew · 7

  1. Matthew 4:15 πέραν beyond

    “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—

    Here: 'Across, on the far side of.' In Isaiah it names a separate region, the land east of the Jordan (Gilead). Matthew keeps it as one item in the list of territories.

  2. Matthew 4:25 πέραν beyond

    Large crowds followed Him, having come from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

    Here: "Beyond." Seen from Judea and Galilee, this means the land east of the Jordan, the Jewish region later called Perea.

  3. Matthew 8:18 πέραν. other side.

    When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.

    Here: In the Gospels 'the other side' is a standard way of saying 'across the lake'. Here it means the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, the largely Gentile country of the Gadarenes reached in 8:28.

  4. Matthew 8:28 πέραν other side

    When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

    Here: The east side of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus ordered the crossing in 8:18. Seen from Capernaum, this was across the water and across a cultural line, into mostly non-Jewish land.

  5. Matthew 14:22 πέραν other side

    Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds.

    Here: The far shore of the Sea of Galilee. In v. 34 they land at Gennesaret, on the western shore.

  6. Matthew 16:5 πέραν other side

    When they crossed to the other side, the disciples forgot to take bread.

    Here: "The far side" of the Sea of Galilee. Matthew does not name the lake, since the boat trip from Magadan (15:39) makes it obvious.

  7. Matthew 19:1 πέραν beyond

    When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

    Here: 'Across' the Jordan. Seen from Judea and Galilee this means the east bank, the area later called Perea. How it fits with 'Judea' is debated (see debates).

Mark · 7

  1. Mark 3:8 πέραν beyond

    Jerusalem, Idumea, the region beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to Him when they heard what great things He was doing.

  2. Mark 4:35 πέραν. other side.

    When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”

    Here: 'The other side' of the Sea of Galilee. In Mark this is the eastern shore, which 5:1 identifies as the country of the Gerasenes, a mostly non-Jewish region.

  3. Mark 5:1 πέραν other side

    On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes.

    Here: 'The other side' of the lake, i.e. the eastern shore. In Mark this phrase repeatedly marks crossings from Jewish Galilee into largely Gentile territory (4:35; 5:21; 6:45; 8:13).

  4. Mark 5:21 πέραν other side

    When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea.

  5. Mark 6:45 πέραν other side

    Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd.

    Here: 'The far side' of the water from where they are. In Mark this can mean any crossing over the water, not only a full east–west crossing of the lake.

  6. Mark 8:13 πέραν. other side.

    And He left them, got back into the boat, and crossed to the other side.

    Here: The other side of the lake. Greek has no separate word for 'side' here, and Mark names neither the lake nor the destination. Readers learn only in verse 22 that the party reaches Bethsaida.

  7. Mark 10:1 πέραν beyond

    Then Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 8:22 πέραν other side

    One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side of the lake.” So He got into a boat with them and set out.

    Here: The far (eastern) shore. Verse 26 names it as the Gerasene country "opposite Galilee", a largely non-Jewish region.

John · 8

  1. John 1:28 πέραν across

    All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

    Here: Seen from Judea and Jerusalem, 'across the Jordan' means the east bank, the region later called Perea (from the same Greek root) or territory further to the northeast.

  2. John 3:26 πέραν beyond

    So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”

    Here: 'On the far side.' From the viewpoint of Judea, this is the east bank of the Jordan, where John had baptized at 'Bethany beyond the Jordan' (1:28).

  3. John 6:1 πέραν over

    After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).

    Here: With 'went away' it means he crossed the lake, most naturally by boat. The verse does not say which shore he started from.

  4. John 6:17 πέραν over

    got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them.

    Here: 'Across' the lake. Here it describes the crossing itself, not only where they arrive.

  5. John 6:22 πέραν on the other side

    The next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone.

    Here: Seen from where the narrative now stands (Capernaum on the northwest shore, v.17), 'the other side' is the far shore where the feeding happened (v.1).

  6. John 6:25 πέραν on the other side

    When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

  7. John 10:40 πέραν beyond

    Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and He stayed there.

    Here: 'Across' or 'beyond.' Seen from Jerusalem, it means the east bank of the Jordan, the region called Perea, which lay outside Judea.

  8. John 18:1 πέραν beyond

    After Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron Valley, where they entered a garden.

    Here: They cross over to the far side of the ravine, the eastern side, on the slope of the Mount of Olives.

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