Luke 6:15

6:15 The diversity of Jesus’ apostles is striking. • Matthew, also called Levi, was the tax collector for the Romans (see 5:27; Matt 9:9; 10:3). • Simon (who was called the zealot): Zealot probably meant that he had joined the Zealot movement, a group of Jews actively seeking to overthrow the Roman government.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 6:15. Ζηλωτὴν, the devotee) The name of His native country [Cana or Canaan] hereby is turned, from its derivation, into a designation of merit.[59]

[59] In Mat 10:4, Simon, the Canaanite, Th. קָנָא, to be zealous. However Καναναῖος is probably not, as Beng. thinks, the name of his country, but קַנְּאָן = ζηλωτὴς. So the LXX. Exo 20:5. Matthew, as writing to Jews, uses the Hebrew name; Luke, as writing to Gentiles, the Greek. Before conversion he probably had belonged to the sect of Zealots, who, like Phinehas, Num 25:7, took the execution of the law into their own hands. Subsequently, he was probably zealous in the better sense, and in that sense the name was still applied to him as an apostle. The Greek subsequently supplanted the Hebrew name, as Πέτρος did Cephas.—ED. and TRANSL.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 15. Called Zelotes] Some Jews gave this name to themselves, according to Josephus, (War, b. iv. c. iii. s. 9, and vii. c. viii. s. 1,) "because they pretended to be more than ordinarily zealous for religion, and yet practised the very worst of actions." "But this (says the judicious Bp. Pearce) Josephus says of the zealots, at the time when Vespasian was marching towards Jerusalem. They probably were men of a different character above forty years before; which was the time when Jesus chose his twelve apostles, one of whom had the surname of the Zealot." It is very probable that this name was first given to certain persons who were more zealous for the cause of pure and undefiled religion than the rest of their neighbours; but like many other sects and parties who have begun well, they transferred their zeal for the essentials of religion to nonessential things, and from these to inquisitorial cruelty and murder. See on Mt 10:4.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. called Zelotes] Rather, who was called the Zealot.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Judas the brother of James,.... Of that James, that was the son of Alphaeus; though the Syriac and Arabic versions call him "the son of James", very wrongly: this Judas was also called Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus, and is the writer of the epistle that bears his name:

and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor; both his surname and his character are mentioned, to distinguish him from the other Judas: it is easy to observe, that these twelve are mentioned by pairs, or couples, and so they were sent out, two by two; see Mar 6:7 as were also the seventy disciples afterwards; see Luk 10:1 There seems to be an allusion to the pairs and couples of the Jewish fathers and doctors, who in their succession are thus paired: Jose ben Joezer, and Joseph ben Jochauan; Joshua ben Perachia, and Nathan the Arbelite; Simeon ben Shetach, and Judah ben Tabai; Shemain and Abtalion; the two sons of Bethira, whose names were Judah and Joshua; Hillell and Shammai (s): all before Christ's time.

(s) Pirke Abot, c. 1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,

Ver. 15. {See Trapp on "Mat 10:2"} {See Trapp on "Mat 10:3"} {See Trapp on "Mat 10:4"} {See Trapp on "Mar 3:14"} {See Trapp on "Mar 6:7"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. Simon called Zelotes—See note on Mat_10:4. The sect of Zealots consisted of a body of men who held it unlawful to submit to a foreign power, and hence were frequently rebellious to a bloody extent against the Roman dominion. The Sicarii or assassins, who appeared later in Jewish history, and were celebrated for a lawless use of the dagger, belonged to this sect. Van Oosterzee remarks “that while Matthew associates Judas Iscariot with this Simon Zelotes, Luke associates him with Jude brother of James.” This he thinks arose, not from a varying tradition, but from a varying practice of our Lord, who allowed not Judas always to retain the same companion for fear of his corrupting influence.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Matthew. In the list contained in the Gospel which unanimous Church traditions ascribe to this apostle, "the publican" (tax-gatherer) is significantly added. His brother evangelists, Mark and Luke, in their catalogues, omit the hated profession to which he once belonged. Simon called Zelotes. In SS. Matthew and Mark this apostle is called "Simon the Kananite." This epithet does not mean that Simon was a native or dweller in Cana of Galilee, but the epithet "Kananite" had the same signification as "Zelotes," the surname given by St. Luke, which is best rendered as "the Zealot." Kananite is derived from the Hebrew word anq, zeal. "He had once, therefore, belonged to the sect of terrible fanatics who thought any deed of violence justifiable for the recovery of national freedom, and had probably been one of the wild followers of Judas the Gaulonite (Josephus, "Bell. Jud:," 4:3:9). Their name was derived from RAPC 1Ma 2:50, where the dying Mattathias, father of Judas Maccabaeus, says to the Assidaeans (Chasidim, i.e. "all such as were voluntarily devoted to the Law"), "Be ye zealous for the Law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers (Archdeacon Farrar).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Simon called Zelotes - Full of zeal; otherwise called Simon the Canaanite.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

15. τὸν καλούμενον ζηλωτήν. ‘Who was called the Zealot.’

Ἰσκαριώθ. This should, strictly, be rendered “an Iscariot,” i.e. a native of Kerioth, and sometimes “the Iscariot,” as in Mat 10:4, &c. The reading of D in many passages is ἀπὸ Καριώτου. The name may be all the more significant because it perhaps marks out Judas as the only Jew among a band of Galilaean Apostles.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. Μαθθαῖον καὶ Θωμᾶν. In all three these names are combined; but Mt. reverses the order, and after his own name adds ὁ τελώνης, which is found in none of the other lists. All that we know of Thomas is told us by Jn. (11:16, 14:5, 20:24-29, 21:2). Lipsius, iii. pp. 109-141, i. pp. 225-347.

Ἰάκωβον Ἀλφαίου. His father is probably not the father of Levi (Mar 2:14), and James himself is certainly not the brother of the Lord (Mat 13:55; Mar 6:3; Gal 1:19) who was the first over seer of the Church of Jerusalem (Act 12:17, Act 12:15:13; Gal 2:9, Gal 2:12) The brethren of the Lord did not believe on Him at this time (Joh 7:5), and none of them can have been among the Twelve. But the Apostle James the son of Alphæus is probably identical with James the Little (Mat 27:56; Mar 15:40; Joh 19:25), for Alphæus and Clopas may be two different Greek forms of the Aramaic Chalpai; but this is uncertain. See Mayor, Ep. of S. James, pp. 1-46; also Expositor’s Bible, S. James and S. Jude, pp. 25-30 (Hodder, 1891). In all the catalogues James of Alphæus heads the third group of Apostles. Lipsius, iii. 229-238.

τὸν καλούμενον ζηλωτήν.1 Lk. has this in both his lists, while Mt. and Mk. have ὁ Καναναῖος, which in some authorities has been corrupted into Κανανίτης. Neither of these forms can mean “Canaanite,” for which the Greek is Χαναναῖος (Mat 15:22 and LXX), nor yet “of Cana,” for which the Greek would be Καναῖος Καναναῖος. is the Aramaic Kanan in a Greek form (on the analogy of φαρισαῖος from Pharish and Ἀσσιδαῖος from Chasid) and = ζηλωτής. Lipsius, iii. pp. 142-200. See on 1:36.

Rhem. leaves the word untranslated, Cananæus, and Wic. makes it unintelligible, “Canane.” All the other English Versions make it a local adj., “of Cana” or “of Cane,” or “of Canaan,” or “of Canaanite.” or “the canaanite.” The last error seems to begin with Cranmer in 1539. RV. is the first to make clear that “Kananæan” means “Zealot.” Lft. On Revision, pp. 138, 139 (154, 155, 2nd ed.); Fritzsche on Mat 10:4. The Zealots date from the time of the Maccabees as a class who attempted to force upon others their own rigorous interpretations of the Law. S. Paul speaks of himself as περισσοτέρως ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶν πατρικῶν μου παραδόσεων (Gal 1:14), i.e. he belonged to the extreme party of the, Pharisees (Act 22:3, Act 22:23:6, Act 22:26:5; Php 3:5, Php 3:6). Large numbers of this party were among the first converts at Jerusalem (Act 21:20). From these extremists had sprung the revolt under Judas of Galilee (Act 5:37; Jos. Ant. xviii. 1, 1, 6), and the Sicarii, who were the proximate cause of the destruction of Jerusalem (Jos. B. J. iv. 3, 9, 5, 1, 7, 2, vii. 8, 1, 10. 1, 11, 1). Milman, Hist. of the Jews, ii. pp. 191, 291, 299, 323, 4th ed. 1866; Ewald, Hist. of Israel, vii. 559 ff., Eng. tr.; Herzog, Pro_2 art. “Zeloten.” Whether the Apostle Simon was called ζηλωτής because he had once belonged to this party, or because of his personal character either before or after his call, must remain uncertain.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Matthew. See on Superscription of Matthew.

Thomas. See on Mr 3:18.

Simon. Distinguished by Matthew and Mark as the Cananaean. See on Mt 10:4; Mr 3:18.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.