A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY

Barnabas

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G921

Βαρνάβας

Barnabas — Barnabas

Βαρναβᾶς, -α, ὁ (Aram. בַּר, son, as prefix to another word interpreted in Act.4:36, τῆς παρακλήσεως, perh. נְבוּאָה, wh., however, should be rendered by προφητεία as in II Est.6:14, LXX. Deiss., BS, 309f., thinks Β. may be a variant of the name Βαρνεβοῦς, son of Nebo, found in a Syrian Inscr., altered with a view to disguising its origin; see also Milligan, NTD, iii; Dalman, Gr., 142), Barnabas: Act.4:36 9:27 11:22, 30 12:25 13-15, 1Co.9:6, Gal.2:1, 9 13, Col.4:10.† (AS)

27 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G652

ἀπόστολος

apostolos — apostle

ἀπόστολος, -ου, ὁ (ἀοστέλλω), [in LXX; 3Ki.14:6 A (שָׁלַח) * ;] 1. a fleet, an expedition (Dem.). 2. a messenger, one sent on a mission (Hdt., LXX, l.with, and π.; see M, Pr., 37 f.; MM, see word; M, Th., i, 2:7 and reff.): Jhn.13:16, 2Co.8:23 Php.2:25. 3. In NT, an Apostle of Christ (a) with special ref. to the Twelve: Mat.10:2, Mrk.3:14, Luk.11:49, Eph.3:5, Rev.18:20, al., equality with whom is claimed by St. Paul, Gal.1:1, 11 ff, 1Ti.2:7, a1.; (b) in a wider sense of prominent Christian teachers, as Barnabas, Act.14:14, apparently also Silvanus and Timothy, 1Th.2:6, and perhaps Andronicus and Junias (Junia?), Rom.16:7 (see ICC, in l); of false teachers, claiming apostleship: 2Co.11:5 11:13, Rev.2:2. (On the different uses of the term in NT, see Lit., Gal., 92-101; Cremer, 530; DB, i, 126; DCG, i, 105; Enc. Br., ii, 196 ff.) (AS)

78 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

Son of consolation, the surname of Joses, a Levite (Acts 4:36). His name stands first on the list of prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch (13:1). Luke speaks of him as a “good man” (11:24). He was born of Jewish parents of the tribe of Levi. He was a native of Cyprus, where he had a possession of land (Acts 4:36, 37), which he sold. His personal appearance is supposed to have been dignified and commanding (Acts 14:11, 12). When Paul returned to Jerusalem after his conversion, Barnabas took him and introduced him to the apostles (9:27). They had probably been companions as students in the school of Gamaliel. The prosperity of the church at Antioch led the apostles and brethren at Jerusalem to send Barnabas thither to superintend the movement. He found the work so extensive and weighty that he went to Tarsus in search of Saul to assist him. Saul returned with him to Antioch and laboured with him for a whole year (Acts 11:25, 26). The two were at the end of this period sent up to Jerusalem with the contributions the church at Antioch had made for the poorer brethren there (11:28-30). Shortly after they returned, bringing John Mark with them, they were appointed as missionaries to the heathen world, and in this capacity visited Cyprus and some of the principal cities of Asia Minor (Acts 13:14). Returning from this first missionary journey to Antioch, they were again sent up to Jerusalem to consult with the church there regarding the relation of Gentiles to the church (Acts 15:2: Gal. 2:1). This matter having been settled, they returned again to Antioch, bringing the decree of the council as the rule by which Gentiles were to be admitted into the church. When about to set forth on a second missionary journey, a dispute arose between Saul and Barnabas as to the propriety of taking John Mark with them again. The dispute ended by Saul and Barnabas taking separate routes. Saul took Silas as his companion, and journeyed through Syria and Cilicia; while Barnabas took his nephew John Mark, and visited Cyprus (Acts 15:36-41). Barnabas is not again mentioned by Luke in the Acts.

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Barnabas in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →