Greek word · G4339

προσήλυτος

prosēlytos

proselyte

Literally 'one who has come toward', a newcomer. In the Septuagint it translates Hebrew gēr, the resident foreigner living among Israel. By the first century it had become the standard term for a non-Jew who had formally joined the Jewish people.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

προσήλυτος, -ον

(προοελαύνω), [in LXX for גֵּר ;]

1. one who has arrived, a stranger.

2. Of converts to Judaism, a proselyte (see DB, see word): Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:10 6:5 13:43.†

(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 Acts 13:43

Range of meaning

Literally 'one who has come toward', a newcomer. In the Septuagint it translates Hebrew gēr, the resident foreigner living among Israel. By the first century it had become the standard term for a non-Jew who had formally joined the Jewish people.

Against the English

'Proselytes' (KJV, WEB, YLT) keeps the technical term. 'Converts to Judaism' (BSB and others) makes it clear for modern readers, but 'convert' can suggest a purely inward change of belief. A proselyte had changed peoples: law, diet, Sabbath, and for men circumcision.

Used elsewhere in the period

Philo uses the word for those who have left their ancestral ways for the Jewish way of life (Special Laws 1.51–53). Matthew 23:15 speaks of travelling 'land and sea to make one proselyte'. Acts 2:10 has 'Jews and proselytes' in Jerusalem; Acts 6:5 names 'Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch'.

From the study of Acts 2:11

Range of meaning

Literally 'one who has come over'. In the Greek Old Testament it translates Hebrew ger, 'resident foreigner'. By the first century it had become the technical term for a gentile who had fully converted to Judaism: in men's case circumcision, and probably ritual immersion and an offering at the Temple.

Against the English

KJV and YLT 'proselytes'; BSB 'converts to Judaism'. The English verb 'proselytize' suggests pushy recruiting, so 'proselyte' can sound like 'target of recruitment' instead of 'full convert who belongs'.

How it drifted

English 'proselyte' and 'proselytize' picked up a negative sense of aggressive conversion. The Greek noun simply names a person who has joined Israel.

Used elsewhere in the period

LXX Exod 12:48–49 and Lev 19:34 (the resident foreigner). Philo, Special Laws 1.51–52, praises proselytes as those who left their ancestral gods. Matt 23:15 and Acts 6:5 ('Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch') and 13:43. Josephus describes conversions such as the royal house of Adiabene (Antiquities 20.17–48).

From the study of Acts 6:5

Range of meaning

Literally 'one who has come over / come toward'. In the Greek Old Testament it translates Hebrew ger, the resident foreigner living among Israel. By the first century it had become a technical term for a Gentile who had fully converted to Judaism. For men that meant circumcision. It probably also involved ritual immersion and an offering, and it meant taking on the whole Law.

Against the English

KJV/WEB/YLT/ESV/NASB 'proselyte', BSB/NIV 'a convert to Judaism'. 'Convert to Judaism' is clearer for modern readers. 'Proselyte' risks being heard through the modern verb 'proselytize'.

How it drifted

Modern 'proselytize' means pressuring others to switch religion, so 'proselyte' can sound like the one doing the recruiting. In the first century the proselyte was the one who had come over.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exodus 12:48–49 in the Greek Old Testament (rules for the prosēlytos at Passover). Matthew 23:15 ('to make one prosēlytos'). Acts 2:10 ('Jews and proselytes' at Pentecost) and Acts 13:43 ('devout proselytes'). Philo discusses proselytes as people who left their ancestral gods (Special Laws 1.51–53). Josephus says Antioch's Jews drew 'a great number of Greeks' into their worship (Jewish War 7.45).

Similar words

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 23:15 προσήλυτον, convert,

    Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

    Here: A Gentile who has fully joined Israel and taken on the Torah, including circumcision for men. This is more than an interested sympathizer.

Acts · 2

  1. Acts 6:5 προσήλυτον a convert

    This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, as well as Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

    Here: A non-Jew by birth who had fully converted to Judaism. Because only Nicolaus is labelled this way, the other six were evidently Jews by birth.

  2. Acts 13:43 προσηλύτων converts

    After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

    Here: Non-Jews who had joined the Jewish people, which for men normally meant circumcision. They were full members of the community, though not Jewish by birth.

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