4:36

Son of: In Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the phrase “son(s) of” can be used to indicate a prominent quality or characteristic that distinguishes a person or to describe a group of people. For example, at De 3:18, “valiant men,” or courageous warriors, are literally called “sons of ability.” At Job 1:3, the expression rendered “people of the East” is literally “sons of the East.” The expression “a worthless man” at 1Sa 25:17 renders the literal expression “a son of belial,” that is, “a son of worthlessness.” In the Christian Greek Scriptures, those who pursue a certain course of conduct or who manifest a certain characteristic are designated by such expressions as “sons of the Most High,” “sons of light and sons of day,” and “sons of disobedience.”—Lu 6:35; 1Th 5:5; Eph 2:2.

Son of Comfort: Or “Son of Encouragement.” The translation of the surname Barnabas, given to one of the disciples named Joseph. Since Joseph was a common name among the Jews, the apostles may have given him the name Barnabas for practical reasons. (Compare Ac 1:23.) As explained in the study note on Son of in this verse, the expression was sometimes used to indicate a prominent quality or characteristic that distinguishes a person. The surname Son of Comfort apparently highlights Joseph’s outstanding ability to encourage and comfort others. Luke reports that Joseph (Barnabas) was sent out to the congregation in Antioch of Syria and began to “encourage” his fellow believers. (Ac 11:22, 23) The Greek verb here rendered “encourage” (pa·ra·ka·leʹo) is related to the Greek word for “Comfort” (pa·raʹkle·sis) used at Ac 4:36.—See study note on Son of in this verse.