Neighbor (Near) (4139) (plesion)

Neighbor (Near) (4139) (plesion from pélas = near, near to or from plesios = close by) literally means near (literal use only in Jn 4:5), quite near, nearby = position quite close to another position. Figuratively, plesion means to be near someone and thus be a neighbor. Generally, plesion refers to a fellow man, any other member of the human family. TDNT explains that "Ho plesion" is the "neighbor," the person next to one" then more generally the “fellow human being.” Eight of 17 uses of plesion occur in a citation of or allusion to Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor (plesion, Septuagint) as yourself” (Mt 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mk 12:31; Luke 10:27; Ro 13:9; Gal 5:14; Jas 2:8). It should be noted that the TDNT entry states that "there is allusion to Lev. 19:18 in 12 instances." Lawrence Richards - Jesus told of the good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37), who, upon passing a Jewish stranger who had been stripped and beaten by robbers, took pity on him. The Samaritan stopped, helped him to the nearest inn, and took responsibility to pay for his care. After establishing the fact that the neighbor was one who had mercy on the needy stranger, Jesus told his questioner, "Go and do likewise" (Lk 10:37). The story extends rather than narrows the concept of neighbor. In the story, the injured man was a Jew, someone traditionally hostile to Samaritans. There was no bond of personal relationship between the two. They were simply two human beings, one in need and the other able to meet the need. Jesus' message was clear for those who heard him then, and it is clear for us today. Our neighbor is any person we may come in contact with who has a need. And to love one's neighbor means to be moved by compassion to reach out and seek to meet that need. (Expository Dictionary) Webster (1828) - Neighbor - 1. One who lives near another. In large towns, a neighbor is one who lives within a few doors. In the country, a neighbor may live at a greater distance; and in new settlements, where the people are thinly scattered over the country, a neighbor may be distant several miles. Such is the use of the word in the United States. 2. One who lives in familiarity with another; a word of civility. Shak. 3. An intimate; a confidant. [Not used.] Shak. 4. A fellow being. Acts. 7. 5. One of the human race; any one that needs our help, or to whom we have an opportunity of doing good. Youngblood - The Abrahamic Covenant (Ge 12:1–3) established moral obligations among the Israelites. They were commanded to show concern for their neighbors. The ninth and tenth commandments (Ex 20:16-17; Dt. 5:20-21) prohibited the defaming or slandering of a neighbor and condemned the envying of a neighbor’s wife, servant, livestock, or other possessions. (Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary) Freedman - A “neighbor” may simply be another person (Gen. 11:3), friend (or co-conspirator, 2 Sam. 13:3), an apparent rival (1 Sam. 28:17), lover (Jer. 3:1), or spouse (v. 20). Usually, the word does not describe one’s immediate family (however, cf. Jer. 9:4) but someone who lives or works nearby (Prov. 3:29). In many instances the word acquires the specific meaning “fellow Israelite” or “member of the covenant” (Jer. 31:34). (Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible: W. B. Eerdmans) American Tract Society - At the time of our Savior, the Pharisees had restrained the meaning of the word "neighbor" to those of their own nation, or to their own friends; holding, that to hate their enemy was not forbidden by the law, Matthew 5:43. But our Savior informed them that the whole world was neighbors; that they ought not to do to another what they would not have done to themselves; and that this charity extended even to enemies. See the beautiful parable of the Good Samaritan, the real neighbor to the distressed, Luke 10:29 . (Neighbor - American Tract Society Bible Dictionary) ISBE - In the New Testament, this limitation of moral obligation to fellow-countrymen is abolished. Christ gives a wider interpretation of the commandment in Leviticus 19:18 , so as to include in it those outside the tie of nation or kindred. This is definitely done in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), where, in answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus shows that the relationship is a moral, not a physical one, based not on kinship but on the opportunity and capacity for mutual help. The word represents, not so much a rigid fact, but an ideal which one may or may not realize (Luke 10:36 , "Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved (literally, became , not was ) neighbor," etc.). This larger connotation follows naturally as a corollary to the doctrine of the universal Fatherhood of God. The commandment to love one's neighbor as one's self must not be interpreted as if it implied that we are to hate our enemy (an inference which the jews were apt to make); human love should be like the Divine, impartial, having all men for its object (Matthew 5:43ff). Love to one's fellow-men in this broad sense to be placed side by side with love to God as the essence and sum of human duty ( Matthew 22:35-40 parallel Mark 12:28-31). Christ's apostles follow His example in giving a central position to the injunction to love one's neighbor as one's self (James 2:8 , where is is called the "royal law" i.e. the supreme or governing law; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14). (Neighbor - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) Vine - the neuter of the adjective plesios (from pelas, "near"), is used as an adverb accompanied by the article, lit., "the (one) near;" hence, one's "neighbor;" see refs. below. This and Nos. 1 (geiton) and 2 perioikos) have a wider range of meaning than that of the Eng. word "neighbor." There were no farmhouses scattered over the agricultural areas of Palestine; the populations, gathered in villages, went to and fro to their toil. Hence domestic life was touched at every point by a wide circle of neighborhood. The terms for neighbor were therefore of a very comprehensive scope. This may be seen from the chief characteristics of the privileges and duties of neighborhood as set forth in Scripture, (a) its helpfulness, e.g, 10" class="scriptRef">Proverbs 27:10; Luke 10:36; (b) its intimacy, e.g., Luke 15:6,9 (see No. 1); Hebrews 8:11; (c) its sincerity and sancitity, e.g., Exodus 22:7,10; Proverbs 3:29; 14:21; Romans 13:10; 15:2; Ephesians 4:25; James 4:12 . The NT quotes and expands the command in Leviticus 19:18 , "to love one's neighbor as oneself;" see, e.g., Matthew 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31,33; Luke 10:27; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8 . See also Acts 7:27 . (Neighbor - Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words ) Plesion is used 17 times in the NT - Usage: near(1), neighbor(16). Matthew 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' Matthew 19:19 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Matthew 22:39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' Mark 12:31 "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 33 AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." Luke 10:27 And he answered, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." 29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 36 "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" John 4:5 So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; Acts 7:27 "But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? Romans 13:9 For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 15:2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. Galatians 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. James 2:8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. James 4:12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? Plesion - About 7.22" class="scriptRef">225 uses in 9" class="scriptRef">9.14" class="scriptRef">14" class="scriptRef">145v in non-apocryphal Septuagint - 11" class="scriptRef">11.3" class="scriptRef">Ge 11:3, 7; 26" class="scriptRef">26.31" class="scriptRef">26:31; 13" class="scriptRef">13" class="scriptRef">13" class="scriptRef">Ex 2:13; 11:2; 12:4; 20.16-Exod.20.26" class="scriptRef">20:16f; 21:14, 8" class="scriptRef">8" class="scriptRef">18, 35" class="scriptRef">35; 22:7ff, 14, 26; 32:27; 34:3; Lev 6:2; 18:20; 19:11, 13, 15" class="scriptRef">15-Lev.19.37" class="scriptRef">15ff; 10" class="scriptRef">10" class="scriptRef">20:10; 24.19" class="scriptRef">24:19; 25:14f, 17" class="scriptRef">17; Num 33:37; Deut 1:1; 4:42; 5:20f; 30" class="scriptRef">11:30; 15:2; 19:4f, 11, 14; 22:24, 26; 23:24f; 24:10; 27:17, 24; Josh 8:30; 12:9; 15:46; 19:46; Judg 6:29; 7:13f, 22; 10:18; Ruth 3:14; 4:7; 1 Sam 10:11; 14:20; 15:28; 20:41; 28:16f; 30:26; 2 Sam 2:16; 5:23; 12:11; 1 Kgs 8:31; 12:24; 20:35; 2 Kgs 3:23; 7:3, 9; 1 Chr 14:14; 2 Chr 6:22; Esth 9:19; Job 16:21; Ps 12:2; 15:3f; 24:4; 28:3; 35:14; 38:11; 45:14; 101:5; 122:8; Prov 9:12; 26:27; Song 1:9, 15; 2:2, 10, 13; 4:1, 7; 5:2, 16; 6:4; Isa 3:5; 5:8; 19:2; 41:6; Jer 5:8; 6:21; 7:5; 9:4, 8, 20; 19:9; 22:8, 13; 23:27, 30, 35; 34:15, 17; 36:16; 46:16; Ezek 18:6, 8, 11, 15; 22:11; 40:9; 41:16f; Jonah 1:7; Mic 7:2; Hab 2:15; Zech 3:8, 10; 8:10, 16f; 11:6, 9; 14:13; Mal 3:16; 4:6; Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary - Ordinarily the Hebrew counterpart is a form of rea? (from a verb meaning “to have dealings,” “to associate.” Rea = covers the friend, lover, companion, neighbor, or fellow human being.), “neighbor, friend, companion.” But there are nine other expressions it replaces as well. The classical adverbial sense is reflected in some texts (e.g., Exodus 34:3). Most often, as a substantive plesion refers to “the neighbor.” Of course the neighbor becomes an important figure in Israel’s legal codes (e.g., Exodus 20:16,17; Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 22:24; 24:10). Fichtner notes the absence of precision in plesion’s meaning. It could describe a “friend, associate, lover, companion,” or simply a “fellowman” (Fichtner, “plesion,” Kittel, 3:313). However, he points out that rea? especially stood for the fellow member of the community, the fellow participant in the covenant relationship with God. “Strangers,” therefore, would not have been regarded as “neighbors” by the Israelite community; thus they would not have fallen under the covenant stipulations or safeguards. He notes further that the Septuagint translators were not bound by this feature of the Hebrew. Instead, they chose a term so broad and general as to not restrict plesion to members of the ethnic covenant community (ibid., 3:315).

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Neighbor (Near) (4139) (plesion)

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