JOSEPH BARSABBAS jō’ zəf bär săb’ əs (Heb. יﯴסֵף, H3441, he adds, increases, Gr. ̓Ιωσήφ βαρσα(β, G954) βᾶς, from Aram. בַּרשַׁבָא, or בַּר סָאבָא, a patronymic, meaning son of Seba or of the Sabbath [i.e., born on the Sabbath], or possibly son of Sābā [son of an elder]). The name of a man in the NT church mentioned in Acts 1:23.

Joseph Barsabbas is introduced as one of the two men nominated by the disciples as a candidate to take the place of Judas Iscariot in the group of the twelve apostles (Acts 1). Through the lot, the Lord’s choice was indicated as Matthias (1:26). Joseph’s other name was a Gr. name, ̓Ιοῦστος, G2688. It is possible that the Judas Barsabbas of Acts 15:22 was a brother of this Joseph.

A companion of Christ in His earthly ministry (Acts 1:21, 22), Joseph Barsabbas may have been one of the seventy (Luke 10:1) as stated by Eusebius (Euseb. Hist. I, 12).

Bibliography F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles (1965), 79, 80.