Didymus

Did´ymus (a twin), a surname of the Apostle Thomas, denoting that he was a twin; and if translated, he would be called ’Thomas the Twin’ (Joh 11:16) [THOMAS].

Did’ymus. (the twin). A surname of the apostle Thomas. Joh 11:16; Joh 20:24; Joh 21:2. See Thomas.

Greek: "twin" equates to Hebrew: "Thomas". Compare Joh 11:16; Joh 20:24; Joh 21:2.

(Δίδυμος, the Twin), a surname (Joh 11:16) of the apostle THOMAS SEE THOMAS (q.v.).

[Did’ymus] See THOMAS.

DIDYMUS.—The alternative name of the Apostle Thomas, given in three passages in the Fourth Gospel (Joh 11:15; Joh 20:24; Joh 21:2 Θωμᾶς ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος). The adj. δίδυμος is regular Greek from Homer onwards, with the meaning ‘twofold’; hence δίδυμος as subs. = ‘a twin.’ Δίδυμος is the translation, as Θωμᾶς is the transliteration, of תִּאם = תֹּאמָא ‘a twin.’

Why St. John calls special attention to this name is not clear. Westcott suggests that Thomas may have been familiarly known in Asia Minor among the Gentile Christians as Didymus. Joh 4:25 (‘Messiah … which is called Christ’) shows that Thomas was not called Didymus as an additional name. See Thomas.

E. H. Titchmarsh.

DIDYMUS.—See Thomas.

A name for Saint Thomas the Apostle

did´i-mus (Δίδυμος, Dı́dumos, i.e. “twin”): The surname of THOMAS (which see).