Who was Bar-Jesus in the bible?

Bar Jesus is the name of a Jewish man identified in Acts as “a certain sorcerer” and “a false prophet.” His Greek-script name is Βαριησοῦς (Bariesous), a form described in the lexicon gloss as being of Chaldee origin.

Bar Jesus in Scripture

Bar Jesus appears within the account of Barnabas and Saul’s mission on Cyprus. The narrative begins with their being commissioned and sent out:

“Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:3, WEB)

They travel from Seleucia to Cyprus and begin their proclamation in synagogues:

“So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their attendant.” (Acts 13:4–5, WEB)

After moving across the island to Paphos, they encounter the man called Bar Jesus, whose character is stated in direct terms:

“When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus,” (Acts 13:6, WEB)

Bar Jesus is located within the circle of the Roman administration on the island. Acts describes him as being “with the proconsul” Sergius Paulus, and it also describes the proconsul’s interest in hearing Barnabas and Saul:

“who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.” (Acts 13:7, WEB)

The narrative then identifies Bar Jesus by another name, interpreting that name as a descriptor:

“But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.” (Acts 13:8, WEB)

In this confrontation, Saul is also identified by another name (“Paul”) and is described as acting “filled with the Holy Spirit.” He fixes his gaze on Elymas/Bar Jesus and delivers a rebuke that characterizes him as opposing what is right and as actively distorting God’s ways:

“But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, and said, “You son of the devil, full of all deceit and all cunning, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”” (Acts 13:9–10, WEB)

Paul follows the rebuke with an oracle of judgment—announcing the Lord’s hand upon him and a temporary blindness. The account describes the immediate effect in physical terms and notes Bar Jesus’s resulting dependence on others:

“Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.” (Acts 13:11, WEB)

The outcome is reported in relation to the proconsul’s response. What the proconsul “saw” leads to belief and astonishment, specifically connected to “the teaching of the Lord”:

“Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.” (Acts 13:12, WEB)

After these events at Paphos, Paul and his company depart by sea for Perga; John leaves the party and returns to Jerusalem, and the mission continues into synagogues elsewhere:

“Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.” (Acts 13:13, WEB)

Bar Jesus’s appearance is thus tightly framed: he is introduced as a Jewish “sorcerer” and “false prophet,” is found near the proconsul who is seeking to hear God’s word, resists that message by attempting to turn the proconsul away from faith, and is struck with a season of blindness after Paul’s Spirit-filled rebuke and pronouncement.

Name and Meaning

The name is written in Greek as Βαριησοῦς, transliterated Bariesous and pronounced bar-ee-ay-sooce’. Its derivation is described in the lexicon as being of Chaldee origin, formed from two component words (H01247 and H03091), and the identity gloss associated with the form is “Bar-Jesus.”

Observation

Within the Acts account, Bar Jesus is portrayed as actively opposing the proconsul’s pursuit of “the word of God” (Acts 13:7–8), and the narrative’s turning point is the immediate judgment described: “Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him” (Acts 13:11), followed by the proconsul’s belief (Acts 13:12).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Bar Jesus?

Bar Jesus is named as a sorcerer, a false prophet, and a Jew. Acts 13:6 says, “they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus,” at Paphos.

What does the name Bar Jesus mean?

Bariesous means “Bar-Jesus.”

How many times does Bar Jesus appear in the Bible?

Bar Jesus appears 1 time.

Where was Bar Jesus found when he is mentioned?

Acts 13:6 says he was found at Paphos on the island.

Explore Further

If you found this page about Bar-Jesus interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.

Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).