Τιμαῖος (Timaeus) conveys the idea of honor or preciousness, a nuance derived from the root τιμή, “value” or “esteem.” Thus the bearer of the name carries the sense of being highly regarded or honored.

Biblical Occurrence

Only one passage in the Greek New Testament names Timaeus—Mark 10:46. There the evangelist records: “a blind beggar named Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus) was sitting by the road” (Berean Standard Bible). The parenthetical notation identifies the father of Bartimaeus, anchoring the narrative in a specific family line.

Historical Background

In first-century Jewish culture, lineage signified standing and identity. The designation “bar” (Aramaic for “son”) plus the Greek-derived personal name shows the interweaving of Semitic and Hellenistic influences in Galilee and Judea after the conquests of Alexander the Great. Jericho, where the encounter occurs, was a cosmopolitan trade hub on the main ascent to Jerusalem. A Jewish father giving his son a mixed Semitic-Greek label (“Bar-Timaeus”) indicates both cultural contact and the broad reach of the Greek language in Roman Palestine.

Narrative Function in Mark

Mark rarely supplies personal names for those Jesus heals. When he does—Jairus, Bartimaeus—the detail usually signals eyewitness testimony and invites the reader to see the healed person as an enduring witness in the early Church. Mentioning Timaeus strengthens that historicity: Bartimaeus was not a literary device but the recognizable son of a known father. The healing of Bartimaeus is the final miracle recorded before Christ’s triumphal entry, preparing the reader for the presentation of the true “Son of David,” who alone can open blind eyes. The respectful ring of the name Timaeus (“honored”) reinforces the contrast between earthly honor and the greater honor found in Messiah.

Ministerial Significance

1. Demonstration of Faith: Bartimaeus cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” His persistence reveals a faith likely nurtured in the home of Timaeus. The father’s honorable name finds ultimate fulfillment in the son’s bold confession of the honor of Christ.
2. Model of Discipleship: After receiving sight, Bartimaeus “followed Jesus along the road.” The family designation becomes secondary to the new allegiance to Jesus. Timaeus’s honorable lineage yields to the higher honor of following the Lord.
3. Inclusive Reach of the Gospel: The presence of a Greek-style name underscores the gospel’s ability to bridge linguistic and cultural divides. The same Savior who ministers in Aramaic listens to a petitioner whose family bears a Greek moniker, highlighting the universality of Christ’s mission.

Theological Reflections

• Honor Reinterpreted: In Scripture, true honor is ultimately defined in relation to God (1 Samuel 2:30). The name Timaeus anticipates the moment when divine honor is displayed in granting sight and salvation.
• Fatherhood and Identity: Human fathers provide temporal identities; the heavenly Father bestows eternal identity (John 1:12). The brief nod to Timaeus points beyond earthly parentage to spiritual adoption in Christ.
• Sight and Revelation: The healing that follows the mention of Timaeus sets up a literary trajectory from physical to spiritual sight, climaxing in the centurion’s confession at the cross (Mark 15:39).

Application for Today

Believers humbly acknowledge any earthly honor yet pursue the surpassing honor of knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8). Parents, like Timaeus, can impart names and cultural heritage, but their greatest legacy lies in directing their children to the Son of David. The Church likewise should welcome all who come—whether bearing Hebrew, Greek, or any other name—into the family where the only ultimate distinction is faith in Jesus.

Related Names and Themes

• τιμή (timi) – honor, value.
• Bartimaeus – “son of Timaeus,” a picture of inherited honor transformed by faith.
• Zacchaeus (Luke 19) – another Jericho encounter illustrating salvation extended to socially marginal individuals.
• Jairus (Mark 5) – a named parent whose faith in Christ interrupts the shame of death, paralleling the interruption of blindness in Mark 10.

Summary

Though Τιμαῖος appears but once, that single mention enriches the Gospel narrative by grounding a miracle in verifiable family history, illustrating the intersection of cultures in first-century Palestine, and highlighting the surpassing honor of faith in Jesus Christ—the One who turns earthly names of honor into testimonies of eternal grace.