Aretas

2 definitions found

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Aretas
     the father-in-law of Herod Antipas, and king of Arabia Petraea.
     His daughter returned to him on the occasion of her husband's
     entering into an adulterous alliance with Herodias, the wife of
     Herod-Philip, his half-brother (Luke 3:19, 20; Mark 6:17; Matt.
     14:3). This led to a war between Aretas and Herod Antipas.


     Herod's army was wholly destroyed (A.D. 36). Aretas, taking
     advantage of the complications of the times on account of the
     death of the Emperor Tiberius (A.D. 37), took possession of
     Damascus (2 Cor. 11:32; comp. Acts 9:25). At this time Paul
     returned to Damascus from Arabia.
     

From Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) [hitchcock]:

  Aretas, agreeable, virtuous