Saul of Tarsus

8.1

The original name of Paul the Apostle, an early Christian missionary and writer

proper noun

: Saulo de Tarso

Before his conversion, Saul of Tarsus was known for persecuting early Christians.

Examples

The dramatic journey of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus is a well-known story in the New Testament.
Many historians study the life and writings of Saul of Tarsus to understand early Christianity.
Before becoming Paul, he was known as Saul of Tarsus.
Did Saul of Tarsus really have a vision on the road to Damascus?
Before his conversion, Saul of Tarsus was known for persecuting early Christians.
Many historians study the life and writings of Saul of Tarsus to understand early Christianity.
The dramatic journey of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus is a well-known story in the New Testament.

Synonyms

Paul

vsSaul of Tarsus

∞ 3.0

A Christian leader in the New Testament who taught many people and wrote letters to churches

is the original given name, not the general person label

Saul

vsSaul of Tarsus

15 6.1

The original name of Paul, a Christian leader

is the same name but noted as the original form

St. Paul

vsSaul of Tarsus

1 5.7

A Christian missionary who spread Christianity across the Roman world and wrote letters in the New Testament

is the original personal name rather than an honorific title

Apostle Paul

vsSaul of Tarsus

1 7.2

A Christian leader who taught non-Jewish people and wrote letters to early churches

is the birth name, not the role-focused title

Saint Paul

vsSaul of Tarsus

1 3.6

A Christian leader who taught people about Jesus and wrote letters in the New Testament

is the basic birth name, not a reverent title

Paul the Apostle

vsSaul of Tarsus

6.1

A Christian leader from long ago who wrote many letters in the New Testament

is the original personal name rather than a leadership title

Apostle of the Gentiles

vsSaul of Tarsus

Formal

8.5

A title for Saint Paul, a Christian leader who spreads Christianity to non-Jewish people

is the original personal name, not a descriptive mission title

Surface Forms

Saul of Tarsus main

Morphology

Saul + of + Tarsus

The phrase compositionally reads as a personal name plus origin ('Saul' + 'of' + place-name 'Tarsus'), so a learner who knows the words can infer 'Saul from Tarsus'. However, the specific encyclopedic meaning — that this is the original name of Paul the Apostle and a particular historical/religious figure — requires world knowledge beyond the literal constituents, so the sense is only partly predictable.

Etymology

Saul of Tarsus was the original name of the man later called 'Paul': Saul was his name and Tarsus was the city he came from. One famous story says that on the 'road to Damascus' he saw a bright light and changed his life, which is why the name points to him before he became 'Paul'.