Acts 2:11

The term Arab (Hebrew ערב, ʿArab) appears in biblical and extra-biblical sources as a proper name designating a people and region east of Israel, traditionally associated with the desert steppes of North Arabia. Etymologically, it is linked to the root ערב (ʿārav), meaning "to grow dark," "to mix/mingle," or "to be evening," and by extension, figuratively, “sterility” or a barren land, reflecting the desert environment of the Arabian Peninsula (Brown-Driver-Briggs; Strong’s #6152, #6150). Note also עָרֹב arob plague of stinging flies, a.k.a. blood sucking mosquitos (Strong's #6157) and עֹרֵב oreb raven.

This root also connects to "place of sunset" the “evening” or “west,” (See מַעֲרָב ma`arab west, west side, setting, Strong's #4628)

The stereotype of the Κρῆτες (Cretans) in ancient Greek literature is encapsulated in the proverb ὁ Κρὴς τὸν πόντον ἀγνοεῖ (“the Cretan ignores the sea”), which implies that Cretans feign ignorance or pretend unawareness, particularly regarding maritime matters. This proverbial expression reflects a broader cultural image of Cretans as cunning or deceptive, prone to dissimulation and slyness. Such portrayals appear in various classical sources and suggest an ambivalent perception by mainland Greeks, often attributing to Cretans a reputation for craftiness and occasional mendacity. This stereotype, while possibly grounded in ethnographic observation, functions as a literary trope emblematic of Cretan character in Greek tradition.

Classical authors like Aristotle noted Cretans as somewhat quarrelsome and untrustworthy, while Euripides and others sometimes depicted them as cunning or sly.

"One from out of themselves, their own prophet of themselves, said, Cretans, ever liars, evil wild beasts, inactive bellies." (Titus 1:12 RBT)