Bible Dictionaries
Demetrius

Holman Bible Dictionary

(dih mee' trih uhss) Personal name meaning, “belonging to Demeter, the Greek goddess of crops.” 1. A silversmith in Ephesus. He incited a riot directed against Paul because he feared that the apostle's preaching would threaten the sale of silver shrines of Diana, the patron goddess of Ephesus (Acts 19:24-41 ). Demetrius may have been a guild master in charge of producing small silver copies of Diana's temple with a figure of the goddess inside. 2. Apparently a convert from the worship of Demeter, the god worshiped in the mystery religion at Eleusis near Athens. John commended him, saying, he “hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself” (3 John 1:12 ). He may have carried 3John from John to its original readers.