Samaritan
/səˈmarɪt(ə)n
/noun
1 (usually Good Samaritan) A charitable or helpful person (with reference to Luke 10:33): suddenly, miraculously, a Good Samaritan leaned over and handed the cashier a dollar bill on my behalf...
- The Belfast man and his wife Josephine were stranded for an hour in their car along the Ballydugan Road before a good Samaritan came to their rescue.
- Just before the police are called, a Good Samaritan, posing as a police officer, steps in to save him.
- A quick thinking Samaritan jumped over the wall and threw the drowning man a lifebuoy but he was unable to hold on due to the strong waves and cold water.
2A member of a people inhabiting Samaria in biblical times, or of the modern community claiming descent from them, adhering to a form of Judaism accepting only its own ancient version of the Pentateuch as Scripture.R. HaXohen instead groups contemporary non-orthodox Jews with the ancient Samaritans, a group of deviant Jews....
- Because the Samaritans recognized only the Pentateuch as authoritative, references later in the OT stipulating worship at the Jerusalem temple were not considered binding.
- The advantage the Jews had over the Samaritans was the Bible which instructed them in the acceptable way of approaching God.
3 [mass noun] The dialect of Aramaic formerly spoken in Samaria.
4 (the Samaritans) (In the UK) an organization which counsels the suicidal and others in distress, mainly through a telephone service: I began volunteer work for the Samaritans...
- People do get depressed and the Samaritans is an excellent organisation to help people through harder times.
- In the past, unpaid volunteers have made professional-level contributions to many charitable activities, such as the lifeboat service, the Samaritans, and care of the elderly.
- The work being done quietly and anonymously by the Samaritans organisation has a role to play in helping those going through crisis periods in their lives.
adjective
Relating to Samaria or the Samaritans: Jesus’s words to the Samaritan woman...
- According to Samaritan tradition, Mount Gerizim, at whose foot Jacob's well was located, was the mountain where Abraham had climbed to sacrifice Isaac.
- As an integral part of the Samaritan mission, Jesus witnesses to the disciples about true ministry and its inclusive nature, demonstrating that many of the same issues needed to be confronted with them as with the woman.
- According to Bruneau, the stelai were probably incorporated into this facade and would, therefore, allow us to identify the respective building as a second, Samaritan, synagogue.
Derivatives
Samaritanism
- Obviously I know not the circumstances of your life but I would vehemently disagree with you that Good Samaritanism is becoming obsolete.
- Good Samaritanism is contagious. Providing in the Lord's way humbles the rich, it exalts the poor, and sanctifies both.
Origin
From late Latin Samaritanus, from Greek Samareitēs, from Samareia 'Samaria'. The New Testament parable of the Good Samaritan reflects a proverbial hostility between Jews and Samaritans.