Bible Dictionary
Greek
In the New Testament, “Greek” may mean a person of Greek ancestry or, more broadly, a Gentile in contrast with a Jew. It is distinguished from “Grecian,” which commonly refers to a Greek-speaking foreign Jew.
Definition
In the New Testament, “Greek” may mean a person of Greek race or, more broadly, a Gentile in contrast with a Jew. It is distinguished from “Grecian,” which properly denotes a foreign Jew who speaks Greek.
Biblical Usage
The word identifies Greeks by race and Gentiles generally. In Acts 11:20, the supplied material indicates that “Greeks,” rather than “Grecians,” is the appropriate sense for the heathen Greeks of that city.
Historical Background
The distinction between Greek and Grecian is primarily one between Greek Gentiles and Greek-speaking foreign Jews. Both terms reflect the widespread use of Greek among peoples outside Palestine.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Found only in the New Testament, where a distinction is observed between “Greek” and “Grecian” (q.v.). The former is (1) a Greek by race (Acts 16:1-3; 18:17; Rom. 1:14), or (2) a Gentile as opposed to a Jew (Rom. 2:9, 10). The latter, meaning properly “one who speaks Greek,” is a foreign Jew opposed to a home Jew who dwelt in Palestine. The word “Grecians” in Acts 11:20 should be “Greeks,” denoting the heathen Greeks of that city, as rendered in the Revised Version according to the reading of the best manuscripts (“Hellenes”).