Acts 11:25
New International Version
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

New Living Translation
Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul.

English Standard Version
So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

Berean Standard Bible
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

Berean Literal Bible
And he went forth to Tarsus to seek Saul,

King James Bible
Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:

New King James Version
Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.

New American Standard Bible
And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;

NASB 1995
And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;

NASB 1977
And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;

Legacy Standard Bible
And he left for Tarsus to search for Saul;

Amplified Bible
And Barnabas left for Tarsus to search for Saul;

Christian Standard Bible
Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul,

American Standard Version
And he went forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul;

Contemporary English Version
Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul.

English Revised Version
And he went forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Barnabas left Antioch to go to the city of Tarsus to look for Saul.

Good News Translation
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul.

International Standard Version
Then Barnabas left for Tarsus to look for Saul.

Majority Standard Bible
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

NET Bible
Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul,

New Heart English Bible
Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Barnabas departed to Tarsus, to seek Saul:

Weymouth New Testament
Then Barnabas paid a visit to Tarsus to try to find Saul.

World English Bible
Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Barnabas went forth to Tarsus, to seek for Saul,

Berean Literal Bible
And he went forth to Tarsus to seek Saul,

Young's Literal Translation
And Barnabas went forth to Tarsus, to seek for Saul,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Barnabas came forth to Tarsus, to seek Saul.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Barnabas went to Tarsus to seek Saul: whom, when he had found, he brought to Antioch.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Barnabas set out for Tarsus, so that he might seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.

New American Bible
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

New Revised Standard Version
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Bar’na-bas departed to Tar’sus, to seek for Saul.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he was going to Tarsus to seek Shaul;
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And Barnabas went to Tarsus, to seek for Saul;

Godbey New Testament
And he went away to Tarsus, to hunt up Saul: and having found him, led him to Antioch.

Haweis New Testament
Then went forth Barnabas to Tarsus, in search of Saul:

Mace New Testament
at length Barnabas departed to Tarsus in quest of Saul, and having found him, he conducted him to Antioch:

Weymouth New Testament
Then Barnabas paid a visit to Tarsus to try to find Saul.

Worrell New Testament
And he departed to Tarsus to seek for Saul;

Worsley New Testament
Then Barnabas departed to Tarsus, to seek Saul: and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Church at Antioch
24Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. 25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So for a full year they met together with the church and taught large numbers of people. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.…

Cross References
Acts 9:27
Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus.

Acts 13:2-3
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” / And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 15:2
And after engaging these men in sharp debate, Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

Acts 15:39-40
Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, / but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

Galatians 2:1
Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, accompanied by Barnabas. I took Titus along also.

Galatians 1:18-19
Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days. / But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

Acts 22:21
Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Acts 26:17
I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them

2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry.

Colossians 4:10
My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you greetings, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas. You have already received instructions about him: If he comes to you, welcome him.

1 Corinthians 9:6
Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?

Acts 4:36-37
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement), / sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Acts 14:26-27
From Attalia they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had just completed. / When they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Acts 15:12
The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Acts 18:22-23
When Paul had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church at Jerusalem. Then he went down to Antioch. / After Paul had spent some time in Antioch, he traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.


Treasury of Scripture

Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:

to Tarsus.

Acts 9:11,27,30
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, …

Acts 21:39
But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

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Acts 11
1. Peter, being accused for preaching to the Gentiles,
5. makes his defense;
18. which is accepted.
19. The gospel being spread in Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch,
22. Barnabas is sent to confirm them.
26. The disciples are first called Christians at Antioch.
27. They send relief to the brothers in Judea in time of famine.














Then Barnabas
The name "Barnabas" means "son of encouragement" in Aramaic, and he is a pivotal figure in the early church. His role as an encourager and mediator is evident throughout the Acts of the Apostles. Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus, and his generous spirit is first noted in Acts 4:36-37, where he sold a field and laid the money at the apostles' feet. His actions consistently demonstrate a heart for unity and growth within the church, making him a key figure in the spread of the Gospel.

went to Tarsus
Tarsus was a significant city in Cilicia, known for its university and as a center of learning and culture. It was also the birthplace of Saul, later known as Paul. The decision of Barnabas to go to Tarsus indicates a strategic move to involve Saul in the burgeoning ministry in Antioch. This journey underscores the importance of Tarsus as a place of preparation and transformation for Saul, who had spent time there after his conversion (Acts 9:30). The city represents a place of both refuge and readiness for Saul's future mission work.

to look for
The Greek word used here is "anazēteō," which implies a diligent search or quest. This suggests that Barnabas was not merely making a casual visit but was earnestly seeking Saul with purpose and intent. This reflects Barnabas's commitment to the mission and his recognition of Saul's potential and calling. It also highlights the importance of seeking out and nurturing the gifts and callings within the body of Christ, as Barnabas did with Saul.

Saul
Saul, who would later be known as Paul, is one of the most influential figures in Christianity. His background as a Pharisee and Roman citizen, combined with his dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), uniquely equipped him for his role as the apostle to the Gentiles. At this point in Acts, Saul is still relatively unknown in the broader Christian community, but Barnabas's initiative to bring him to Antioch marks the beginning of Saul's significant ministry. Saul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a proponent of the faith is a powerful testament to the grace and calling of God.

(25) Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus.--The act is every way significant. It indicates the assurance that Saul would approve of the work which had been going on at Antioch, and the confident belief that he was the right person to direct and organise it. It probably implies also some intercourse with the Apostle, by letter or message, since his departure from Jerusalem. In the absence of any direct record, we can only infer that Saul had remained at Tarsus, carrying on his occupation as a tent-maker (Acts 18:3), and preaching the gospel there and in the neighbouring cities of Cilicia (see Note on Acts 15:41) "to the Jew first and also to the Gentile." It is clear that he must have heard of the grace of God that had been manifested at Antioch with great joy, and accepted the invitation to join in the work there with a ready gladness.

Verse 25. - And he went forth for then departed Barnabas, A.V. and T.R.; to seek for, for for to seek, A.V. Observe the remarkable providence which had made use of the violence of the Hellenist Jews at Jerusalem to drive Saul to Tarsus, where he would be close at hand to take up the work so unexpectedly prepared for him at Antioch. "It was in the spring of the year A.D. , or just ten years after the Crucifixion, that Barnabas proceeded to Tarsus, found Saul, and brought him to Antioch" (Lewin, 1:96). From Seleucia to the port of Tarsus would be about a twelve hours' sail; or, by land, a journey of about eighty miles would bring him to Tarsus from Antioch.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Then
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[Barnabas] went
Ἐξῆλθεν (Exēlthen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1831: To go out, come out. From ek and erchomai; to issue.

to
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

Tarsus
Ταρσὸν (Tarson)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5019: Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province Cilicia. Perhaps the same as tarsos; Tarsus, a place in Asia Minor.

to look for
ἀναζητῆσαι (anazētēsai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 327: To seek out, search for (implying the difficulty of the task). From ana and zeteo; to search out.

Saul,
Σαῦλον (Saulon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4569: Saul, the apostle. Of Hebrew origin, the same as Saoul; Saulus, the Jewish name of Paul.


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Acts 11:24
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