βάρβαρος

a foreigner who speaks neither Greek nor Latin

Definition

The Greek word βάρβαρος primarily refers to a foreigner who does not speak Greek or Latin, and thus whose speech sounded like unintelligible 'bar-bar' noise to Greek ears. In the New Testament, it carries this basic sense of a non-Greek speaker, as seen when Paul is shipwrecked on Malta and the islanders are called 'barbarians' (Acts 28:2, 4). However, the term also takes on a broader, more neutral ethnic meaning, simply denoting 'non-Greek' or 'foreigner' without inherent hostility. The apostle Paul uses it this way in Romans 1:14, where he feels a debt to both 'Greeks and barbarians,' and in Colossians 3:11, declaring that in Christ there is no distinction between 'Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free.'

Biblical Usage

The word is used five times in the New Testament, appearing in Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Colossians. In Acts 28:2 and 28:4, it describes the native people of Malta, who showed Paul kindness despite the language barrier. In Romans 1:14, Paul uses it in a paired phrase ('Greeks and barbarians') to encompass all of humanity in his missionary calling. In 1 Corinthians 14:11, it illustrates the problem of unintelligible speech in worship: 'I will be a barbarian to the speaker, and the speaker a barbarian to me.' Finally, in Colossians 3:11, it is listed among the worldly divisions abolished in Christ.

Etymology

The word βάρβαρος is onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of unintelligible foreign speech ('bar-bar'), which sounded like gibberish to ancient Greeks. It was originally a descriptive, not necessarily derogatory, term for anyone who did not speak Greek. Over time, it could carry connotations of cultural inferiority from a Greek perspective, but its New Testament usage often softens this, using it more as a simple ethnic or linguistic identifier.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant because it highlights the universal scope of the gospel and the breaking down of human barriers in Christ. In Romans 1:14, it underscores Paul's mission to all people. Most powerfully, in Colossians 3:11, 'barbarian' is included in a list of fundamental human divisions—ethnic, religious, cultural, and social—that are rendered obsolete 'in Christ.' This teaches that the church is a new, unified humanity where worldly labels and prejudices have no place.

In the Greco-Roman world, 'barbarian' was a common term for anyone outside Greek (and later Roman) language and culture. While it often implied cultural and linguistic difference, it did not always carry the strongly negative, 'uncivilized' connotation it does in modern English. For Greeks, it was a marker of identity; for Romans, it often referred to peoples beyond the empire's frontiers. The New Testament authors use the term within this framework but consistently subvert any sense of inherent superiority, instead emphasizing unity in Christ.

ἀλλόφυλος (allophylos, G246) — specifically denotes a foreigner of a different tribe or nation, often used in the LXX for non-Israelites. ξένος (xenos, G3581) — a broader term for stranger, foreigner, or guest; can also mean 'host.'

Word Details

Scripture References