"Bar-sabas, pr. name (1) Joseph, surnamed Justus, Acts 1:23 (2) Judas, Acts 15:22*"
Definition and meaning
Bar-sabas, pr. name (1) Joseph, surnamed Justus, Acts 1:23 (2) Judas, Acts 15:22*
In the original Greek the word is written: Βαρσαββᾶς
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of barsabbas (G923) across the King James Bible.
And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
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Common questions
Strong's G923 (barsabbas) is a Greek word that means: Bar-sabas, pr. name (1) Joseph, surnamed Justus, Acts 1:23 (2) Judas, Acts 15:22* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word barsabbas (G923) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G923 is barsabbas, a Greek word defined as: Bar-sabas, pr. name (1) Joseph, surnamed Justus, Acts 1:23 (2) Judas, Acts 15:22*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
barsabbas is a Greek word found in the New Testament.