Ἑρμᾶς (Hermas)
Hermas
Hermas
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The name Hermas appears only once in the New Testament, found in Romans 16:14 where Paul greets him as a fellow believer. The Greek form Ἑρμᾶς is a Doric variant of Ἑρμῆς, which means "Mercury," the name of the Roman god associated with communication and travel.
While the biblical text offers no further details about this individual, early Christian tradition identifies him as one of the seventy disciples appointed by Jesus. Later accounts suggest he became the bishop of Dalmatia around AD 55, though these historical claims extend beyond the scriptural record itself.
This single mention highlights the personal nature of Paul’s letter to the Romans, which lists numerous individuals by name. The inclusion of Hermas, bearing a name derived from pagan mythology, illustrates how early Christians adopted common cultural names while redefining their significance within the faith community.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When Paul wrote to the Romans, he did not address an abstract group of believers but a specific community of people with real names and histories. Among those listed is Hermas, a name that in the Roman world was associated with the god Mercury. This detail offers a gentle reminder that the early church was made up of ordinary individuals who carried their cultural backgrounds into their new faith.
Paul’s inclusion of Hermas shows that God values each person individually. The greeting extends beyond just the named leaders to include "the brothers who are with them," highlighting the importance of community and fellowship in Christian life. It invites us to see our own connections within the body of Christ as meaningful and cherished by God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Hermas1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- Ἑρμᾶν1×
Key Verses
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Romans 16:14
Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.
This verse uniquely identifies Hermas alongside other believers, illustrating Paul's personal concern for specific individuals within the Roman church.