915. barbaros
Lexical Summary
barbaros: Barbarian, foreigner

Original Word: βάρβαρος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: barbaros
Pronunciation: BAR-bar-os
Phonetic Spelling: (bar'-bar-os)
KJV: barbarian(-rous)
NASB: barbarian, natives, barbarians
Word Origin: [of uncertain derivation]

1. a foreigner (i.e. non-Greek)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
barbarian.

Of uncertain derivation; a foreigner (i.e. Non-Greek) -- barbarian(-rous).

HELPS Word-studies

915 bárbaros – properly, a barbarian; generically, anyone "lacking culture" (an "uncivilized" person, cf. Ro 1:14). 915 (bárbaros) is specifically used for all non-Greeks (non-Hellenists), i.e. anyone not adopting the Greek language (culture); a non-Hellēn.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain origin, but probably onomatop. for unintelligible sounds
Definition
barbarous, barbarian
NASB Translation
barbarian (3), barbarians (1), natives (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 915: βάρβαρος

βάρβαρος, βαρβαρον;

1. properly, one whose speech is rude, rough, harsh, as if repeating the syllables βαρβαρ (cf. Strabo 14, 2, 28, p. 662; ὠνοματοπεποίηται λέξις, Etym. Magn. (188, 11 (but Gaisf. reads βραγχός for βάρβαρος); cf. Curtius, § 394; Vanicek, p. 561)); hence,

2. one who speaks a foreign or strange language which is not understood by another (Herodotus 2, 158 βαρβάρους πάντας οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι καλεουσι τούς μή σφισι ὁμογλωσσους, Ovid. trist. 5, 10, 37barbarushicegosum,quianonintelligorulli); so 1 Corinthians 14:11.

3. The Greeks used βάρβαρος of any foreigner ignorant of the Greek language and the Greek culture, whether mental or moral, with the added notion, after the Persian war, of rudeness and brutality. Hence, the word is applied in the N. T., but not reproachfully, in Acts 28:2, 4, to the inhabitants of Malta (i. e. Μελίτη, which see), who were of Phoenician or Punic origin; and to those nations that had, indeed, some refinement of manners, but not the opportunity of becoming Christians, as the Scythians, Colossians 3:11 (but cf. Lightfoot at the passage). But the phrase Ἕλληνες τέ καί βάρβαροι forms also a periphrasis for all peoples, or indicates their diversity yet without reproach to foreigners (Plato, Theact., p. 175{a}; Isocrates, Euag c. 17, p. 192b.; Josephus, Antiquities 4, 2, 1 and in other writings); so in Romans 1:14. (In Philo de Abr. § 45 under the end of all nations not Jews. Josephus, b. j. prooem. I reckons the Jews among barbarians.) Cf. Grimm on 2 Macc. 2:21, p. 61; (Lightfoot on Col. as above; B. D. under the word ).

Topical Lexicon
Historical Background

In classical Greek society βάρβαρος designated anyone whose speech sounded unintelligible to Greek ears—originally a neutral description of linguistic difference that later absorbed connotations of foreignness and cultural distance. By the first century A.D. the term could range from respectful acknowledgment of “non-Greeks” to a mild stereotype of the uncultured outsider. New Testament writers inherit this spectrum of meaning, yet consistently place every “barbarian” inside God’s redemptive horizon, challenging ethnic pride and underscoring the universality of the gospel.

Occurrences in the New Testament

Acts 28:2, 4; Romans 1:14; 1 Corinthians 14:11 (twice); Colossians 3:11.

Acts 28 – Hospitable Islanders and Common Grace

After the shipwreck on Malta, Luke writes, “The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold” (Acts 28:2). The same “islanders” later conclude that Paul must be a murderer when a viper bites him (Acts 28:4). Luke’s choice of βάρβαρος highlights people outside of the Greco-Roman world who nevertheless display both genuine kindness and superstitious fear. Their reaction to Paul’s subsequent healing ministry reveals the Spirit’s ability to bridge cultural divides and to turn initial misconceptions into receptivity to the gospel. The narrative supplies a vivid case study in cross-cultural evangelism: divine providence calls Paul to witness not in a synagogue or forum but around a seaside fire among so-called barbarians.

Romans 1:14 – Paul’s Evangelistic Obligation

“I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish” (Romans 1:14). βάρβαρος here pairs with “Greek” to form an all-inclusive antithesis. Paul confesses a debt of love toward every ethnicity and cultural stratum. His missionary strategy, therefore, cannot be limited to the urbane centers of the empire; it must also penetrate the margins where “barbarians” dwell. This verse undergirds the church’s mandate to make disciples of all nations without discrimination.

1 Corinthians 14:11 – Language, Intelligibility, and Edification

“If, then, I do not understand the meaning of someone’s language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and he will be a foreigner to me” (1 Corinthians 14:11). Paul invokes βάρβαρος to warn that uninterpreted tongues create the very estrangement the Corinthian assembly is called to overcome. The gospel’s barrier-breaking power must not be undermined inside corporate worship by speech that alienates rather than edifies. Spiritual gifts are to serve mutual understanding, not exhibit spiritual elitism. The example shows that “barbarian” can be a situational reality even within a single congregation when communication fails.

Colossians 3:11 – The New Humanity in Christ

“Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all” (Colossians 3:11). The term appears in a catalogue of earthly distinctions nullified in the body of Christ. Notably, “barbarian” and the more remote “Scythian” represent the farthest cultural extremes known to Paul’s readers. Their inclusion signals the collapse of every man-made hierarchy at the Cross and the formation of a single, Spirit-indwelt people.

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. Universality of Sin and Grace. βάρβαρος reminds readers that humanity shares the same need for the gospel regardless of language or culture (Romans 3:23).
2. Missions Priority. Paul’s self-declared obligation to barbarians fuels the church’s ongoing passion to reach unreached peoples, safeguard Bible translation, and engage in culturally sensitive evangelism.
3. Worship and Communication. 1 Corinthians 14 admonishes leaders to teach in intelligible ways, avoiding insider jargon that could estrange seekers or fellow believers.
4. Christian Identity. Colossians 3:11 declares ethnic, social, and cultural identities secondary to union with Christ, shaping ecclesiology that values diversity while maintaining doctrinal unity.
5. Hospitality as Pre-Evangelism. The Maltese example models how the church can recognize acts of common grace among those still outside explicit faith and use such moments as openings for gospel proclamation.

Practical Applications

• Pursue language learning and contextualization in missionary endeavors.
• Ensure preaching and liturgy are understandable to all present, including newcomers and children.
• Celebrate multicultural expressions of worship that confess Christ as “all and in all.”
• Resist ethnocentrism by cultivating friendships across cultural lines, affirming the image of God in every people group.
• View unexpected contacts with “outsiders” as providential opportunities for witness, just as Paul did on Malta.

βάρβαρος thus serves Scripture’s larger narrative: God gathers a redeemed community from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation, turning erstwhile “barbarians” into brothers and sisters in Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
βαρβαροι βάρβαροι βαρβαροις βαρβάροις βαρβαρος βάρβαρος βαρβάρου βαρβάρων barbaroi bárbaroi barbarois barbárois barbaros bárbaros
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Englishman's Concordance
Acts 28:2 Adj-NMP
GRK: οἵ τε βάρβαροι παρεῖχον οὐ
NAS: The natives showed us extraordinary
KJV: And the barbarous people shewed us
INT: and [the] natives showed not [just]

Acts 28:4 Adj-NMP
GRK: εἶδον οἱ βάρβαροι κρεμάμενον τὸ
NAS: When the natives saw the creature
KJV: when the barbarians saw
INT: saw the natives hanging the

Romans 1:14 Adj-DMP
GRK: τε καὶ βαρβάροις σοφοῖς τε
NAS: to Greeks and to barbarians, both
KJV: and to the Barbarians; both
INT: both and barbarians to wise both

1 Corinthians 14:11 Adj-NMS
GRK: τῷ λαλοῦντι βάρβαρος καὶ ὁ
NAS: I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks
KJV: unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and
INT: to him that speaks a barbarian and he that

1 Corinthians 14:11 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἐν ἐμοὶ βάρβαρος
NAS: and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me.
KJV: he that speaketh [shall be] a barbarian unto
INT: for me a barbarian

Colossians 3:11 Adj-NMS
GRK: καὶ ἀκροβυστία βάρβαρος Σκύθης δοῦλος
NAS: and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian,
KJV: uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian,
INT: and uncircumcision barbarian Scythian slave

Strong's Greek 915
6 Occurrences


βάρβαροι — 2 Occ.
βαρβάροις — 1 Occ.
βάρβαρος — 3 Occ.

914
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