Mnason

MNASON (nā’sŏn, Gr. Mnason). A well-to-do Cypriot who had a house in Jerusalem, and who furnished hospitality for Paul and those with him on their return from the third missionary journey. He had been a Christian from the early days of the church (Acts.21.16).

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MNASON nā’ sən (Μνάσων, G3643). A friend of Paul mentioned only in Acts 21:16. Three facts about him are known. First, he was a Cypriot like Barnabas, and prob. a Jew, though bearing a common Gr. name. Second, he was “an early disciple,” converted perhaps at Pentecost or soon afterward. In its context this description may imply exemplary fidelity. Third, he was hospitable, welcoming Paul and his Hel. companions, including Luke, to his house at Jerusalem. The Western text locates the house at a village between Caesarea and Jerusalem, but this may be simply an attempt to account for the unusual construction of v. 16, so that it is possible to tr. either “bringing with them Mnason” or “bringing us to Mnason.” It also is possible that he was one of Luke’s authorities for the course of events in the early days of the church at Caesarea and Jerusalem.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

na’-son, m’-na’-son (Mnason): All that we know of Mnason is found in Ac 21:16.

(1) He accompanied Paul and his party from Caesarea on Paul’s last visit to Jerusalem;

(2) he was a Cyprian;

(3) "an early disciple," an early convert to Christianity, and

(4) the one with whom Paul’s company was to lodge.

The "Western" text of this passage is very interesting. Blass, following Codex Bezae (D), the Syriac, reads, for "bringing," etc., "And they brought us to those with whom one should lodge, and when we had come into a certain village we stayed with Mnason a Cyprian, an early disciple, and having departed thence we came to Jerusalem and the brethren," etc. Meyer-Wendt, Page and Rendell render the accepted text, "bringing us to the house of Mnason," etc. However, giving the imperfect transitive of anebainomen, "we were going up" to Jerusalem (21:15), we might understand that the company lodged with Mnason on the 1st night of their journey to Jerusalem, and not at the city itself. "Ac 21:15, they set about the journey; 21:16, they lodged with Mnason on the introduction of the Cesarean disciples; 21:17, they came to Jerus" (Expositor’s Greek Testament, in the place cited.).