Bible Encyclopedias
Bar-Jonah

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bar -jō´na ( Βαρ-ιωνᾶς , Bar -iōnás ): Simon Peter's patronymic (Matthew 16:17 ). Bar is Aramaic for "son" (compare Bar-timaeus, Bartholomew, etc.), and corresponds to Hebrew bēn ̌ . Thus we are to understand that Peter's father's name was Jonah. But in John 1:42; John 21:15-17 , according to the best reading, his name is given as John (so the Revised Version (British and American), instead of the King James Version Jona, Jonas). There are two hypotheses to account for this difference: (1) Iōnas (Jonah) in Matthew 16:17 may be simply a contraction of Iōanēs (John); (2) Peter's father may have been known by two names, Jonah and John.