Bartholomew

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

BARTHOLOMEW ( Βαρθολομαῖος) appears as an apostle in all four lists of the Twelve ( Matthew 10:3,  Mark 3:18,  Luke 6:14,  Acts 1:13), always in the second of the three groups of four. In the Gospels he comes next after Philip (who in all four lists heads the second quaternion), and is followed by Matthew and Thomas: in Acts the order is ‘Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew.’ The name, as the first syllable indicates, is a patronymic, and it is commonly interpreted ‘son of Talmai.’ In the LXX Septuagint Talmai has many variants (Θολμί, Θολμεί, Θαλαμεί, Θολομεί, Θολμαίλημ): and in Josephus ( Ant. XX. i. 1) we have a bandit chief named Θολομαῖος. It is often assumed that ‘Talmai’ represents ‘Ptolemy,’ and that Bartholomew means ‘son of Ptolemy’; but the Θ is against this. Edersheim ( Messiah , i. p. 521) makes it mean ‘son of Telamyon.’ Bartholomew may be either a genuine patronymic used in addition to a proper name, like Simon Bar-jona; or it may have become an independent proper name, like Barnabas. If the apostle Bartholomew had no other name, we know nothing about him from Scripture, and the later traditions about him are very untrustworthy (Lipsius, Apokryphcn Apostelgeschiehten und Apostellegenden , iii. pp. 54–108). These traditions begin with Eusebius ( Historia Ecclesiastica v . x. 3), and ascribe to him widely different fields of missionary labour, with different apostles as his companions, and different forms of martyrdom. He is often made to be one of the Seventy.* [Note: On the possibility that there was another Bartholomew, identical with the apostle Matthias, among the Seventy, see note by Dr. Nestle in Expos. Times, ix. [1898] p. 566 f.]

But both by the early Church and by most modern writers Bartholomew is commonly identified with Nathanael. To treat this as almost certain (Schaff-Herzog) is to go beyond the evidence; to call it ‘the merest conjecture’ ( Encyc. Bibl. ) is to err in the opposite direction.

In favour of the identification are the following points. (1) Bartholomew being a patronymic, the bearer may easily have had another name; (2) the Synoptists never mention Nathanael, St. John never mentions Bartholomew; (3) the Synoptists in their lists place Bartholomew next to Philip, as James next to his probable caller John, and Peter (in Mt. and Lk.) next to his caller Andrew; (4) all the other disciples mentioned in  John 1:38-51 became apostles, and none of them is so commended as Nathanael; (5) all the companions of Nathanael who are named in  John 21:2 are apostles. But all these reasons do not make the identification more than probable. St. John nowhere calls Nathanael an apostle, and we are not obliged to find room for him among the Twelve. The conjecture that he is Matthew or Matthias (Hilgenfeld) is supported by no reasonable evidence; and that he is John himself under a symbolical name (Späth) is contradicted by  John 21:2, where the sons of Zebedee are mentioned in addition to Nathanael.

On the other hand, there is nothing against the identification: it creates no difficulty. To say that a Galilaean would have remembered  Isaiah 9:1, and therefore would not have asked whether any good could come out of Nazareth, is unsound criticism. A person with  Isaiah 9:1 in his mind, and convinced that rich blessings would come from Galilee, might nevertheless think that Nazareth was not a likely place to be the dwelling-place of the Messiah. And who can tell whether a particular Galilaean would or would not remember a particular text?

Literature.—In addition to the works cited above, reference may be made to artt. ‘Bartholomew’ and ‘Nathanael’ in Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible; and to Garrett Horder, The Poet’s Bible , NT, p. 102 ff.

A. Plummer.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("son of Tolmai or Talmai"), an Old Testament name,  Joshua 14:14. One of Christ's 12 apostles ( Matthew 10:3;  Mark 3:18;  Luke 6:14;  Acts 1:13). His own name probably was Nathanael ( John 1:45-51), just as Joses or Joseph is called Barnabas. The three synoptical Gospels never mention Nathanael, John never mentions Bartholomew; the two names belong probably to the same person. Brought by Philip to Jesus. It is in undesigned accordance with this that Philip is coupled with Bartholomew in the first three lists, as Philip is coupled with Nathanael in John 1. The place given him also in the fishing after the resurrection of the Lord ( John 21:2) implies his being one of the twelve. Thomas is put before him and after Matthew in  Acts 1:13 (See Apostle ), perhaps because of his taking a more prominent position spiritually after his doubts were removed.

Nathanael was of Cans in Galilee. India (i.e. Arabia Felix, as many think) is assigned to him as his subsequent sphere of missionary labors (Eusebius, H. E. 5:10). His prominent characteristics: narrowness of prejudice in him ("Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?") immediately gave place to conviction, when the Savior revealed Himself. Like Jacob, he wrestled alone with God in prayer under the fig tree. But, unlike that cunning supplanter, he was "an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile"; compare  Revelation 14:5. Adam and Eve vainly cloaked their shame under fig leaves. Nathanael bored his whole soul before God under the fig tree in simplicity and sincerity. Fearless candor made him avow his convictions as promptly as he reached them, "Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel."

His reward was according to his faith: "Whosoever hath, to him shall be given." "Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these: hereafter (from this time forth, Greek) ye (not merely thou alone, but all My disciples) shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man," the true ladder between earth and heaven, of which that in Jacob's dream was the type ( Genesis 28:12), and upon which angels delight to minister.

The "ascending" stands first, because the Lord was now below on earth, not above, as when Jacob saw Him; and from Him as their center they go up, and to Him they return: the communication between earth and heaven, closed by sin, is opened by Christ's making earth His home. His miracles and His teaching and His divine manifestation, of which Bartholomew had just a taste, were a sample and installment of a continually progressing opening of heaven to earth and earth to heaven ( Revelation 4:1;  Acts 7:56;  Hebrews 9:8;  Hebrews 10:19-20) wherein angels minister to and for Him ( Luke 2:9;  Luke 2:13;  Luke 22:43;  Acts 1:10); to be consummated when "the tabernacle of God shall be with men," and "the holy Jerusalem shall descend out of heaven from God" (Revelation 21;  1 Corinthians 13:12).

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

one of the twelve Apostles,  Matthew 10:3 , is supposed to be the same person who is called Nathanael, one of the first of Christ's disciples. This opinion is founded on the circumstance, that as the evangelist John never mentions Bartholomew in the number of the Apostles, so the other evangelists never mention Nathanael. And as in  John 1:45 , Philip and Nathanael are mentioned together as coming to Jesus, so in the other evangelists Philip and Bartholomew are constantly associated together. The supposition also acquires additional probability from considering, that Nathanael is particularly mentioned among the Apostles to whom Christ appeared at the sea of Tiberias, after his resurrection; Simon Peter, Thomas, and Nathanael, of Cana in Galilee; the sons of Zebedee, namely, James and John; with two other of his disciples, probably Andrew and Philip,  John 21:2 . It is an early tradition, that Bartholomew propagated the faith as far as India, and also in the more northern and western parts of Asia, and that he finally suffered martyrdom. But all the particulars respecting the life and labours of the Apostles, not mentioned in the New Testament, are exceedingly uncertain.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

One of the twelve apostles,  Matthew 10:3   Mark 3:18   Luke 6:14   Acts 1:13 . He is named in connection with Philip, and seems to have been the same person, whom John calls Nathanael,  John 1:45-51 , and mentions among the other apostles,  John 21:2 . Nathanael may have been his real name, and Bar-tholomew, that is, son of Tolmai, his patronymic and best-known name. See Apostle and Nathanael .

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Barthol'omew. (Son Of Tolmai). One of the twelve apostles of Christ .  Matthew 10:3;  Mark 3:18;  Luke 6:14;  Acts 1:13. It has been not improperly conjectured that, he is identical with Nathanael .  John 1:45. ff. He is said to have preached the gospel in India, that is, probably, Arabia Felix, and according to some in Armenia.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Bartholomew ( Bär-Thŏl'O-Mew ), Son Of Tolmai. One of the twelve apostles.  Matthew 10:3;  Mark 3:18;  Luke 6:11;  Acts 1:13. He is named in connection with Philip, and seems to have been the same person whom John calls Nathanael,  John 1:45-51, and mentions among the other apostles,  John 21:2.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

BARTHOLOMEW . One of the Twelve, mentioned only in the lists of the Apostles (  Matthew 10:3 =   Mark 3:18 =   Luke 6:14 ). Jerome says that he wrote a Gospel, preached to the Indians, and died at Albanopolis in Armenia. Bartholomew is really not a name, but a patronymic Bar Talmai = ‘son of Talmai’ (cf.   2 Samuel 13:37 ). See Nathanael.

David Smith.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

One of the twelve apostles, who is not referred to by name except in the lists of the twelve.  Matthew 10:3;  Mark 3:18;  Luke 6:14;  Acts 1:13 . Probably identical with Nathanael: cf.  John 1:45;  John 21:2 ,

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Mark 3:18 Matthew 10:2-4 Mark 3:16-19 Luke 6:14-16 Acts 1:13 John 1:43-51ApostlesDisciples

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Matthew 10:3 Acts 1:13 John 21:2 Acts 1:4,12,13 John 1:47

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

One of the apostles of Christ. His name signifies, a son of Tholomy, or, as some read, Ptolemy. Some are of opinion, that Bartholomew and Nathaniel are the same person. And in confirmation of this, it is remarkable, that where the one name is mentioned in Scripture the other is not.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( Βαρθολομαῖος , for Chald. תָּלְמִי בִּר , i.e. Son Of Tolmai; the latter being a name that occurs in  Joshua 15:14, Sept. Θολαμί and Θολμαϊ v; Auth. Vers. Talmai;  2 Samuel 13:37, Sept. Θολμί and Θολομαι . In Josephus we find Θολομαῖος , Ant. 20:1, 1. The Θολμαῖος in Ant. 14:8, 1, is called Πτολεμαῖος in War, 1:9, 3, not improbably by an error of the transcriber, as another person of the latter name is mentioned in the same sentence), one of the twelve apostles of Christ ( Matthew 10:3;  Mark 3:18;  Luke 6:14;  Acts 1:13), generally supposed to have been the same individual who in John's Gospel is called NATHANAEL (See Nathanael) (q.v.). The reason of this opinion is that in the first three gospels Philip and Bartholomew are constantly named together, while Nathanael is nowhere mentioned; on the contrary, in the fourth gospel the names of Philip and Nathanael are similarly combined, but nothing is said of Bartholomew (see Assemani, Biblioth. Orient. III, 1:306; 2:4 sq.; Nahr, De Nathan. a Bartholom. non diverso, Lips. 1740). Nathanael, therefore, must be considered as his real name, while Bartholomew merely expresses his filial relation (see Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr. p. 325). If so, he was a native of Cana in Galilee ( John 21:2). Bernard and Abbot Rupert were of opinion that he was the bridegroom at the marriage of Cana. (For traditions respecting his parentage, see Cotelerius, Patr. Apost. 372). He was introduced by Philip to Jesus, who, on seeing him approach, at once pronounced that eulogy on his character which has made his name almost synonymous with sincerity, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile" ( John 1:47). A.D. 26. He was one of the disciples to whom our Lord appeared after his resurrection, at the Sea of Tiberias ( John 21:2); he was also a witness of the ascension, and returned with the other apostles to Jerusalem ( Acts 1:4;  Acts 1:12-13). A.D. 29. On his character, see Niemeyer, Charakt. 1:111 sq. (See Apostle).

Of the subsequent history of Bartholomew, or Nathanael, we have little more than vague traditions. According to Eusebius (Hist. Eccles.v. 10), when Pantaenus went on a mission to the Indians (toward the close of the second century), he found among them the Gospel of Matthew, written in Hebrew, which had been left there by the Apostle Bartholomew. Jerome (De Vir. Illustr. c. 36) gives a similar account, and adds that Pantaenus brought the copy of Matthew's Gospel back to Alexandria with him. (See Gospel Of Matthew). But the title of "Indians" is applied by ancient writers to so many different nations that it is difficult to determine the scene of Bartholomew's labors. Mosheim (with whom Neander agrees) is of opinion that it was a part' of Arabia Felix, inhabited by Jews to whom alone a Hebrew gospel could be of any service. Socrates ( Hist. Eccles. 1, 19) says that it was the India bordering on Ethiopia; and Sophronius reports that Bartholomew preached the Gospel of Christ to the inhabitants of India Felix ( Ι᾿Νδοῖς Τοῖς Καλουμένοις Εὐδαίμοσιν ) . This apostle is said to have suffered crucifixion with his head downward at Albanopolis, in Armenia Minor (Assemani, Bibl. Orient. III, 2:20), or, according to the pseudo-Chrysostom ( Opp. 8:622, ed. Par. nov.), in Lycaonia; according to Nicephorus. at, Urbanopolis, in Cilicia (see Abdias, in Fabricius, Cod. Apocr. 2:685 sq.; Baronius, Ad Martyrol. Romans p. 500 sq.; Perionii Vitae Apostolor. p. 127 sq.). (See Bartholomew'S Day).

A spurious GOSPEL which bears his name is in the catalogue of apocryphal books condemned by Pope Gelasius (Fabric. Cod. Apocr. N.T. 1:341 sq.). (See Spurious Gospels).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bar - thol´ō̇ - mū ( Βαρθολομαῖος , Bartholomaı́os , i.e. "son of Tolmai or Tolmai"): One of the Twelve Apostles ( Matthew 10:3;  Mark 3:18;  Luke 6:14;  Acts 1:13 ). There is no further reference to him in the New Testament. According to the "Genealogies of the Twelve Apostles" (Budge, Contendings of the Apostles , II, 50) "Bartholomew was of the house of Naphtali. Now his name was formerly John, but our Lord changed it because of John the son of Zebedee, His beloved." A "Gospel of Bartholomew" is mentioned by Hieronymus ( Comm. Proem ad Matth .), and Gelasius gives the tradition that Bartholomew brought the Hebrew gospel of Matthew to India. In the "Preaching of Bartholomew in the Oasis" (compare Budge, II, 90) he is referred to as preaching probably in the oasis of Al Bahnâsâ, and according to the "Preaching of Andrew and Bartholomew" he labored among the Parthians (Budge, II, 183). The "Martyrdom of Bartholomew" states that he was placed in a sack and cast into the sea.

From the 9th century onward, Bartholomew has generally been identified with Nathanael, but this view has not been conclusively established. See Nathanael .

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Barthol´omew (the son of Tolmai,  2 Samuel 13:37) was one of the twelve Apostles, and is generally supposed to have been the same individual who in John's Gospel is called Nathanael. The reason of this opinion is, that in the three first Gospels Philip and Bartholomew are constantly named together, while Nathanael is nowhere mentioned; on the contrary, in the fourth Gospel the names of Philip and Nathanael are similarly combined, but nothing is said of Bartholomew. Nathanael therefore must be considered as his real name, while Bartholomew merely expresses his filial relation. He was a native of Cana in Galilee ( John 21:2). He was introduced by Philip to Jesus, who, on seeing him approach, at once pronounced that eulogy on his character which has made his name almost synonymous with sincerity: 'Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile' ( John 1:47). He was one of the disciples to whom our Lord appeared after his resurrection, at the Sea of Tiberias ( John 21:2); he was also a witness of the Ascension, and returned with the other Apostles to Jerusalem ( Acts 1:4;  Acts 1:12-13). Of his subsequent history we have little more than vague traditions.