Bible Dictionaries
Galilean

Holman Bible Dictionary

(gal ih lee' uhn) Person who lived in Galilee. Their speech distinguished them from Jews in Jerusalem and Judah, particularly their difficulty in distinguishing the sounds of the gutturals which are important in Hebrew and Aramaic. Peter's Galilean speech set him apart from the courtyard crowd during Jesus' trial (Mark 14:70; compare Acts 2:7 ). Jesus was identified as being from Galilee (Matthew 26:69 ). Pilate used this as an excuse to get Herod to hear Jesus' case (Luke 23:6-7 ). Galileans had a reputation for rebellion and disregard of Jewish law (Acts 5:37 ), so they could be regarded as sinners (Luke 13:2 ). Apparently, Pilate had killed some Galileans while they offered the Passover sacrifices in Jerusalem (Luke 13:1 ). On His return to Galilee from Judea and Samaria, Jesus received a warm welcome from the Galileans. This surprising statement is modified by the following story showing the welcome apparently depended on an expectation of miracles not on appreciation for who Jesus was or from faith in Him (John 4:43-54 ).