Acquainted

Lore & Background

In the New Testament, 'acquaintance' appears in the context of Jesus' family and followers. When the young Jesus is lost, his parents seek him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance (Luke 2:44). At the crucifixion, all his acquaintance stand afar off watching (Luke 23:49). In Acts, Paul is granted liberty to receive visits from his acquaintance (Acts 24:23).

Reader's Guide

The passages portray 'acquainted' as a term with two distinct but complementary meanings. In the biblical tradition, human acquaintance is fragile: it can be broken by suffering (Job 19:13; Psalms 88:8), fear (Psalms 31:11), or distance (Luke 23:49), but it can also be restored through comfort (Job 42:11) or practical cooperation (2 Kings 12:5). The Quranic usage does not describe human acquaintanceship, focusing instead on God's complete knowledge of human deeds.

Did You Know?

• In the Hebrew Bible, 'acquaintance' is often used in contexts of suffering and estrangement, appearing in four psalms of lament (Psalms 31:11; 55:13; 88:8, 18).
• In the Quran, the attribute 'Acquainted' (Khabir) appears 8 times in the source passages, always in the phrase 'Allah is Acquainted with what you do.'
• Isaiah 53:3 uniquely describes the suffering servant as 'acquainted with grief,' a phrase later interpreted in Christian tradition as referring to Jesus.