Bible Dictionary
Gennesaret
Gennesaret was both a fertile plain on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and a name associated with the lake itself. The region was known for its beauty and abundant agriculture and is mentioned in the ministry of Jesus.
Definition
Gennesaret refers to a fertile plain on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and, by extension, to the lake itself. The name is associated with the earlier Chinnereth and later Genezar.
Biblical Usage
The land of Gennesaret appears in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry. Its fertile setting has also been associated with the scenery of the parable of the sower.
Historical Background
The plain extended along the western shore of the lake from near Capernaum toward Magdala and was known for its beauty and fertility. It was called el-Ghuweir by the Arabs, meaning “the little Ghor.”
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
A garden of riches. (1.) A town of Naphtali, called Chinnereth (Josh. 19:35), sometimes in the plural form Chinneroth (11:2). In later times the name was gradually changed to Genezar and Gennesaret (Luke 5:1). This city stood on the western shore of the lake to which it gave its name. No trace of it remains. The plain of Gennesaret has been called, from its fertility and beauty, “the Paradise of Galilee.” It is now called el-Ghuweir. (2.) The Lake of Gennesaret, the Grecized form of CHINNERETH (q.v.). (See GALILEE, SEA OF.)
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(garden of the prince), Land of. It is generally believed that this term was applied to the fertile crescent-shaped plain on the western shore of the lake, extending from Khan Minyeh (two or three miles south of Capernaum (Tel-Hum) on the north to the steep hill behind Mejdel (Magdala) on the south, and called by the Arabs el-Ghuweir, “the little Ghor.” Mr. Porter gives the length as three miles, and the greatest breadth as about one mile. Additional interest is given to the land of Gennesaret, or el-Ghuweir, by the probability that its scenery suggested the parable of the sower. It is mentioned only twice in Scripture - (Matthew 14:34; Mark 6:53) Compare Luke 5:1