Was Simeon called Niger in the Bible a black man?

Answer

Simeon was called Niger in the Bible. In Acts 13:1 it says he was also called Niger. This was not Simon Peter, but rather Simeon of Antioch.

Ÿ True, but there is no way to know the race of Simeon. Being referred to as "The Black" could mean a lot of things. My Aunt is referred to as "black" by her siblings as a nickname. She is a very white woman, but of black hair, while the whole family is red-headed. Hence, her siblings call her "black".

Ÿ Outside of Acts 13: 1 nothing is known of "Simeon that was called Niger".

It is interesting though that this person was given the Latin nickname of Niger (which of course means "black". The corresponding Greek word for black would be "melas" and likewise the Hebrew word would be "shachor").

As this is a nickname, this does not necessarily means that Simeon was black. His namesake, the apostle Simon was called Peter i.e. "rock" for his qualities, and the apostles John and James were called Boanerges i.e. "Sons of Thunder" possibly after an incident that took place.

What was Simeon's nationality? According to Josephus, Jews were encouraged to settle in Antioch and it is quite possible that he was a Jew as his name Simeon comes from the Hebrew root "to hear, or to listen". Of course, this does not necessarily make him a Hebrew either.

First answer by ID1130741021. Last edit by RudiBosbouer. Contributor trust: 19 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 54 [recommend question]