BARNABAS (riNtia) 11 ; Bapvcif3as). His name was originally 'Icoo-ijs, yeses, or 'Itoa110, Yoseph (Acts iv. 36); but he received from the apostles the surname of Barnabas, which signifies the Son of Prophecy. Luke interprets it by slam rapaAlio-cces, i. e., Son of Exhortation. The He brew terns and its cognates are used in the Old Testament with a certain latitude of meaning, and are not limited to that of foretelling future events. Thus Abraham is termed in Gen. xx. 7 Sept. as being a person admitted to intimate communion with the Deity, and whose intercession was deemed of superior efficacy. In Exod. vii. I, Jehovah declares to Moses, ' I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron, thy brother, shall be thy prophet,' IN'S), which Onkelos translates by thy interpreter (Buxtorf, Lex. Talmud.) In like manner 7rporpnrcla, in the New Testament, means not merely prediction, but ` includes the idea of declarations, exhortations, or warnings uttered by the prophets while under divine influ ence' (Dr. E. Robinson). ` Ile that prophesieth (6 rpoq57yreticov) speaketh unto men, unto edifica tion, and exhortation and comfort' (1 Cor. xiv. 3). Of Silas and Judas it is said, ` being prophets, they exhorted the brethren' (Acts xv. 32). It can hardly be doubted that this name was given to Joses to denote his eminence as a Christian teacher. In Acts xiii. 1, his name is placed first in the list of prophetS and teachers belonging to the church at Antioch. Chrysostom, however, understands the surname in the same way as the Auth. Vers., Son of Consola tion, and supposes that it was given to Barnabas on account of his mild and gentle disposition : ` This Barnabas was a mild and gentle person. His name means Son of Consolation : hence he became a friend of Paul ; and that he was very kind and easy of access is proved by the instance before us, and by the case of John (Mark). (In Act. Apost. Horn. xxi.) He is described by Luke as `a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith' (Acts xi. 24). Ile was a native of Cyprus, but the son of Jewish parents of the tribe of Levi. From Acts iv. 36, 37, it appears that he was pos sessed of land, but whether in Judxa or Cyprus is not stated. He generously disposed of the whole
for the benefit of the Christian community, and ` laid the money at the apostles' feet.' As this transaction occurred soon after the day of Pente cost, he must have been an early convert to the Christian faith. According to Clement of Alex andria (Strom. ii. c. 20, vol. ii. p. 192, ed. Klotz), Eusebius (IIist. Eccles. i. 12), and Epiphanius (Han xx. 4), he was one of the seventy disciples (Luke x. 7). It has been maintained that Barna bas is identical with Joseph Barsabas, whose name occurs in Acts i. 23. Most modern critics, how ever, embrace the contrary opinion, which they conceive is supported by the circumstantial manner in which Barnabas is first mentioned. However similar in sound, the meanings of the names are very different ; and if no further notice is taken of Barsabas (a circumstance which Ullman urges in favour of his identity with Barnabas), the same may be affirmed of Matthias. Chrysostom ob serves, on Acts iv. 36, ' This person is not, in my opinion, the same that is mentioned with Mat thias; for he was called Joses and Barsabas, and afterwards surnamed Justus ; but this man was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas, Son of Consola tion; and the name seems to have been given him from the virtue, inasmuch as he was competent and fit for such a purpose' (In Ad. Horn. xi. i).
When Paul made his first appearance in Jeru salem after his conversion, Barnabas introduced him to the apostles, and attested his sincerity (Acts ix. 27). This fact lends some support to an an cient tradition that they had studied together in the school of Gamaliel—that Barnabas had often attempted to bring his companion over to the Christian faith, but hitherto in vain—that meeting with him at this time at Jerusalem, not aware of what had occurred at Damascus, he once more re newed his efforts, when Paul threw himself weeping at his feet, informed him of `the heavenly vision,' and of the happy transformation of the persecutor and blasphemer into the obedient and zealous dis ciple (Acts xxvi. 16).