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Βαρθολομαῖος

Bartholomaîos

G918 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain (loanword; Aramaic בַּר- and תַּלְמַי) proper name, son of Tolmai

Definition

Proper name; Bartholomaios functions as a personal name meaning 'son of Tolmai.' The name itself does not carry semantic content beyond its status as a patronymic form, identifying an individual by reference to his father (Tolmai). In the Greek New Testament, this name refers to one of the principal followers of Jesus, traditionally counted among the Twelve. In all attested literary contexts, the word serves solely as a proper name, with no independently developed range of lexical senses.

Semantic Range

personal name 'son of Tolmai', Bartholomaios (Bartholomew); appellation for one of the Twelve in early Jesus movement texts

Root / Etymology

From Aramaic elements: בַּר (bar, 'son of') + תַּלְמַי (Tolmai or Talmai, a personal name). The Greek spelling Βαρθολομαῖος is a transliteration of the Semitic patronymic, with the typical Greek masculine ending -ος.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Βαρθολομαῖος (Bartholomaîos) appears in all major Greek New Testament lists of the Twelve close companions of Jesus—specifically in the synoptic Gospels and Acts (e.g., Matt 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). The name is not attested as a common given name outside the New Testament except as a Hellenized form of Semitic patronymics, and it does not appear with an associated Greek meaning outside personal identification. Unlike Greek names with broad semantic fields, Βαρθολομαῖος does not carry descriptive or virtue-naming content. LXX and non-biblical usage are extremely rare or absent; thus, understanding is primarily from its New Testament context. English tradition simply renders the name as "Bartholomew," but this transliteration does not translate its patronymic meaning for typical readers. The elements reflect a common Semitic practice of naming by patronymic, unlike most Greek personal names; the same bar ('son [of]') construction is seen in other names of Aramaic origin (e.g., Barabbas, Barnabas).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Chaldee origin (בַּר and תַּלְמַי); son of Tolmai; Bar-tholomæus, a Christian apostle:--Bartholomeus.

Root Family

Βαρθολομαῖος (Bartholomaios) — proper name, son of Tolmai

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G918-02 Βαρθολομαῖος bartholomaios N NOM M SG Bartholomew Bartholomaios 2
G918-01 Βαρθολομαῖον bartholomaion N ACC M SG Bartholomew Bartholomew 2

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G918-02 Matthew 10:3 Βαρθολομαῖος bartholomaios N NOM M SG Bartholomaios
G918-01 Mark 3:18 Βαρθολομαῖον bartholomaion N ACC M SG Bartholomew Bartholomew
G918-01 Luke 6:14 Βαρθολομαῖον bartholomaion N ACC M SG Bartholomew Bartholomew
G918-02 Acts 1:13 Βαρθολομαῖος bartholomaios N NOM M SG Bartholomew Bartholomaios
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