Dictionary Article

Disciple of Jesus included in all four lists of the 12 apostles (Mt 10:2-4; Mk 3:16-19; Lk 6:14-16; Acts 1:13), though not otherwise mentioned in the NT. Nothing is told about him in any of the lists. Because the name means “son of Tolmai,” it has been speculated that he was known by another name in addition to his “patronymic” name. In the lists in Matthew, Mark, and Luke (the synoptic Gospels), Bartholomew is named immediately after Philip, suggesting the possibility that the Nathanael brought by Philip to Jesus (Jn 1:45-50)—who seems to be linked with some of the disciples (Jn 21:2)—was Bartholomew. It thus seems possible that the apostle Bartholomew is referred to in the fourth Gospel by another name; it is not certain, however, that John’s references to Nathanael were intended to identify him as one of the Twelve.

Show passage in OET: MAT 10:2–4

OET-RV MAT 10:2

2 These are the names of the twelve: Shim’on (Simon) (nicknamed Kefa (Peter; Grk. Petros)) and his brother Andreas, Ya’akov (James; Grk. Yakobos) and his brother Yohan (John; Grk. Yoannes) (Zavday’s (Grk. Zebedaios) sons),

OET-RV MAT 10:3

3 Filippos (Philip) and Bar -Talmay (Bartholomew; Grk. Bartholomaios), Toma (Thomas), and Matay (Matthew; Grk. Matthaios) the tax collector, Ya’akov (nicknamed Thaddaios (Thaddeus), Halfay’s (Grk. Halfaios) son),

OET-RV MAT 10:4

4 Shim’on (the member of the Kena’anim (Canaanites)), and Yehudah (Judas; Grk. Yudas) Iskariot (who eventually turned Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) in).

OET-LV MAT 10:2

2 And the of_the_twelve ambassadors the names is these:
first Simōn which being _called Petros, and Andreas the brother of _him, and Yakōbos/(Yaˊₐqoⱱ) the son of_ the _Zebedaios, and Yōannaʸs the brother of _him,

OET-LV MAT 10:3

3 Filippos and Bartholomaios, Thōmas and Matthaios the tax _collector, Yakōbos the son of_ the _Alfaios and Thaddaios,

OET-LV MAT 10:4

4 Simōn the member _of _Kananitaʸs and Youdas/(Yəhūdāh) the Iskariōtaʸs, who also having _given_ him _over.

Show passage in OET: MRK 3:16–19

OET-RV MRK 3:16

16 These are the twelve that he appointed: Shim’on (Simon) (but he appended the name “Kefa (Peter; Grk. Petros)”),

OET-RV MRK 3:17

17 Ya’akov (James; Grk. Yakobos) and his brother Yohan (John; Grk. Yoannes) who were Zavday’s (Grk. Zebedaios) sons (and he nicknamed them the “sons of thunder”),

OET-RV MRK 3:18

18 Andreas, Filippos (Philip), Bar -Talmay (Bartholomew; Grk. Bartholomaios), Matay (Matthew; Grk. Matthaios), Toma (Thomas), Ya’akov Halfay (Grk. Halfaios), Thaddaios (Thaddeus), Shim’on from Kena’an (Canaan),

OET-RV MRK 3:19

19 and Yehudah (Judas; Grk. Yudas) Iskariot who later betrayed him.

OET-LV MRK 3:16

16 And he _established the twelve:
and he _added _on the_name Petros to_ the _Simōn,

OET-LV MRK 3:17

17 and Yakōbos/(Yaˊₐqoⱱ) the son of _the Zebedaios, and Yōannaʸs the brother the of _Yakōbos, and he _added _on to _them the_names Boanerges, which is sons of _thunder,

OET-LV MRK 3:18

18 and Andreas, and Filippos, and Bartholomaios, and Matthaios, and Thōmas, and Yakōbos the son of_ the _Alfaios, and Thaddaios, and Simōn the member _of _Kananitaʸs,

OET-LV MRK 3:19

19 and Youdas/(Yəhūdāh) Iskariōtaʸs, who also gave_ him _over.

Show passage in OET: LUK 6:14–16

OET-RV LUK 6:14

14 Shim’on (Simon) (who he also named Kefa (Peter; Grk. Petros)) and his brother Andreas, Ya’akov (James; Grk. Yakobos) and Yohan (John; Grk. Yoannes), Filippos (Philip) and Bar -Talmay (Bartholomew; Grk. Bartholomaios),

OET-RV LUK 6:15

15 Matay (Matthew; Grk. Matthaios) and Toma (Thomas), Ya’akov (Halfay’ (Grk. Halfaios) son), Shim’on (the one known as a Zealot),

OET-RV LUK 6:16

16 Yehudah (Judas; Grk. Yudas) (son of Ya’akov), and Yehudah Iskariot (who eventually betrayed him).

OET-LV LUK 6:14

14 Simōn whom he_ also _named Petros, and Andreas the brother of _him, and Yakōbos/(Yaˊₐqoⱱ), and Yōannaʸs, and Filippos, and Bartholomaios,

OET-LV LUK 6:15

15 and Matthaios, and Thōmas, Yakōbos of _Alfaios, and Simōn the one being _called the_Farisaios _zaʸlōtaʸs_group _member,

OET-LV LUK 6:16

16 and Youdas/(Yəhūdāh) of _Yakōbos, and Youdas Iskariōtaʸs, who became the_betrayer.

Show passage in OET: ACT 1:13

OET-RV ACT 1:13

13 They went into the upstairs room where they were staying—Kefa (Peter; Grk. Petros) and Yohan (John; Grk. Yoannes), Ya’akov (James; Grk. Yakobos) and Andreas, Filippos (Philip) and Toma (Thomas), Bar -Talmay (Bartholomew; Grk. Bartholomaios) and Matay (Matthew; Grk. Matthaios), Ya’akov (son of Halfay (Grk. Halfaios)), Shim’on (Simon) (the Zealot member), and Yehudah (Judas; Grk. Yudas) (son of Ya’akov).

OET-LV ACT 1:13

13 And when they _came _in, into the upper _room, they _went _up where they _were staying, which and/both Petros and Yōannaʸs and Yakōbos/(Yaˊₐqoⱱ) and Andreas, Filippos and Thōmas, Bartholomaios and Matthaios, Yakōbos of _Alfaios, and Simōn the Farisaios _zaʸlōtaʸs_group _member, and Youdas/(Yəhūdāh) of _Yakōbos.

Show passage in OET: JHN 1:45–50

OET-RV JHN 1:45

45 Filippos then found Netanel (Nathanael) and told him, “We’ve found the one that Mosheh (Moses) and the prophets wrote about in the Scriptures. He’s Yeshua from Nazaret (Nazareth).”

OET-RV JHN 1:46

46 And Netanel said, “Does anything good come from Nazaret?”
¶ So Filippos answered, “Well, come and see for yourself.”

OET-RV JHN 1:47

47 Yeshua saw Netanel approaching and said, “Ah, this is an honest Israeli.”

OET-RV JHN 1:48

48 But Netanel queried him, “Where do you know me from?”
¶ And Yeshua replied, “Actually I saw you under that fig tree before Filippos had even called you.”

OET-RV JHN 1:49

49 Netanel exclaimed, “Great teacher! You are God’s son! You’re the king of Yisrael (Israel)!”

OET-RV JHN 1:50

50 Yeshua responded, “So you believe this because I said that I had seen you under the fig tree. You’ll get to see much greater things than that!”

OET-LV JHN 1:45

45 Filippos is _finding the Nathanaaʸl, and he _is _saying to _him:
We _have _found whom wrote Mōsaʸs/(Mosheh) in the law and the prophets, Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) son the of _Yōsaʸf/(Yōşēf), who is from Nazaret.

OET-LV JHN 1:46

46 And Nathanaaʸl said to _him:
Is _able any good to _be out _of Nazaret?
The Filippos is _saying to _him:
Be _coming and see.

OET-LV JHN 1:47

47 The Yaʸsous saw the Nathanaaʸl coming to him and he _is _saying concerning him:
Behold, truly an_Israelite in whom is not deceit.

OET-LV JHN 1:48

48 Nathanaaʸl is _saying to _him:
From _where you _are _knowing me?
Yaʸsous answered and said to _him:
Before the time Filippos to _call you, being under the fig _tree, I _saw you.

OET-LV JHN 1:49

49 Nathanaaʸl answered to _him:
My _great_one, you are the son of_ the _god, you are king of_ the _Israaʸl/(Yisrā^ʼēl).

OET-LV JHN 1:50

50 Yaʸsous answered and said to _him:
Because I _said to _you that I _saw you beneath the fig _tree, you _are _believing?
You _will _be _seeing greater than these things.

Show passage in OET: JHN 21:2

OET-RV JHN 21:2

2 Shim’on (Simon) Kefa (Peter; Grk. Petros), Toma (Thomas) nicknamed ‘Twin’, Netanel (Nathanael) from Kana in Galil, the sons of Zavday (Grk. Zebedaios), and two other apprentices had gathered together

OET-LV JHN 21:2

2 Simōn Petros, and Thōmas which being _called Didumos/[twin], and Nathanaaʸl the one from Kana of_ the _Galilaia/(Gālīl), and the sons the of _Zebedaios, and two others of the apprentices/followers of _him.
were together.

Jump to OET MAT 10:2–4 section.

Jump to OET MRK 3:16–19 section.

Jump to OET LUK 6:14–16 section.

Jump to OET ACT 1:13 section.

Jump to OET JHN 1:45–50 section.

Jump to OET JHN 21:2 section.

Eusebius, an early church historian, recorded an early tradition that Pantaenus, the first head of the catechetical school in Alexandria (AD 180), went to India and there found Christians who knew of the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew letters. According to Eusebius, Bartholomew had preached to them and had left the Gospel of Matthew with them. In other traditions, Bartholomew was an evangelistic partner of Philip and Thomas and suffered martyrdom in Armenia.

A number of spurious and apocryphal writings have been ascribed to Bartholomew; none of them is genuine. In the fourth century Jerome mentioned a Gospel of Bartholomew, which is also noted by a few other writers. There are also references to the so-called Questions of Bartholomew (extant in Greek, Latin, and Slavonic fragments) and to a Book of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by Bartholomew (extant in Coptic). Other references were made to Acts of Bartholomew and Apocalypse of Bartholomew, both otherwise unknown.

Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary