Greek word · G959

Βερνίκη

bernikē

Bernice

A Macedonian-Greek name (from Pherenikē, "bringer of victory"), common among Ptolemaic and Herodian royal women. Elsewhere it is often spelled Berenikē.

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

What it means

Βερνίκη (elsewhere Βερενίκη), Macedonian form of Φερενίκη, cf. Veronica, Victoria), -ης, ἡ,

Bernice, Berenice, dau. of Herod Agrippa I: Acts 25:13, 23 26:3o.†

(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 25:13

Range of meaning

A Macedonian-Greek name (from Pherenikē, "bringer of victory"), common among Ptolemaic and Herodian royal women. Elsewhere it is often spelled Berenikē.

Against the English

Most versions just say "Bernice". The NLT adds that she was his sister, which is accurate and helpful context the Greek leaves unstated.

Used elsewhere in the period

She was born about AD 28, the daughter of Agrippa I and sister of Agrippa II and of Drusilla, the wife of Felix (Acts 24:24). Her first husband was Marcus Julius Alexander, of the wealthy Alexandrian family of the philosopher Philo. Her second was her uncle Herod of Chalcis. After his death she lived with her brother, and Josephus reports a rumour of an incestuous relationship (Ant. 20.145). The satirist Juvenal repeats it (Satires 6.156–160). She briefly married King Polemo of Cilicia and then left him. In AD 66 she stood barefoot before the governor Florus pleading for Jerusalem while under a Nazirite vow (War 2.310–314). Later she became the mistress of Titus, the future emperor, in Rome (Tacitus, Histories 2.2; Suetonius, Titus 7; Cassius Dio 66.15).

Where it appears

Acts · 3

  1. Acts 25:13 Βερνίκη Bernice

    After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

    Here: Agrippa's sister (also spelled Berenice), a widowed princess with considerable influence of her own. Luke names her without explaining who she is, which assumes readers either knew of her or did not need to be told.

  2. Acts 25:23 Βερνίκης Bernice

    The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium, along with the commanders and leading men of the city. And Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.

    Here: Agrippa's sister Julia Berenice. She was a widow living at his court, a powerful and much-talked-about royal woman who shared his public appearances.

  3. Acts 26:30 Βερνίκη Bernice

    Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.

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