Matthew 10:2

(2) A comparison of the four lists of the Apostles (Mat_10:2-4, Mar_3:16-19, Luk_6:13-16, Act_1:13) brings out some interesting facts. (1.) The name of Peter is always first, that of Judas always last. In the former case we recognise acknowledged preeminence. The position of the latter may have been the consequence of the infamy which attached to the name of the traitor; but it is possible (and this may have been one of the elements that entered into his guilt) that his place had always been one of inferiority.

(2.) All the lists divide themselves into three groups of four, the persons in each group being always the same (assuming that the three names, Judas the brother (?) of James, Thaddæus, and Lebbæus, belong to the same person), though the order in each group varies.

(3.) The first group includes the two sons of Jona and the two sons of Zebedee, whose twofold call is related in Mat_4:18-21, Joh_1:40. In two lists (Mark and Acts) the name of Andrew stands last; in two (Matt. and Luke) that of John. In none of them are the names of Peter and John coupled together, as might have been expected from their close companionship (Joh_20:2; Act_3:1). The four obviously occupied the innermost place in the company of the Twelve, and were chosen out of the chosen. The three, Peter, James, and John, were the only witnesses of the healing of Jairus’s daughter (Mar_5:37), of the Transfiguration (Mat_17:1), and of the Agony in Gethsemane (Mat_26:37). Something seems to have excluded Andrew, though he had been the first called of all (Joh_1:40), from this intimate companionship; but we find him joined with the other three as called to listen to the great prophetic discourse on the Mount of Olives (Mar_13:3). All the four appear to have come from Bethsaida, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

(4.) The name of Philip is always first in the second group, and he, too, came from Bethsaida. Next, in the three Gospel lists, comes that of Bartholomew. The name, like Barjona and Bartimæus, was obviously a patronymic, and it was at least probable that he had some other name. The absence of any mention of Bartholomew in St. John’s Gospel, or of Nathanael (Joh_1:45) in the other three, has led most modern commentators to the conclusion that they were two names for the same person; and the juxtaposition of the two names in their lists agrees with the fact that it was Philip who brought him to know Jesus as the Christ (Joh_1:45). On this assumption, Bartholomew was of Cana, the scene of our Lord’s first miracle (Joh_21:2). The name of Matthew stands before that of Thomas in Mark and Luke, after it in the Gospel which beare his own name. On the change of name from Levi, and his description as the son of Alphæus, see Notes on Mat_9:9. As the name of Thomas, or Didymus, means “twin,” there seems some ground for believing, from the way in which the two names are grouped together, that here too we have another pair of brothers called to the service of their Master. Eusebius (H. E. i. 13), in his account of the conversion of Abgarus of Edessa, speaks of this Apostle as “Judas who is also Thomas.” and this suggests the reason why the cognomen of “the Twin” prevailed over the name which was already borne by two out of the company of the Twelve.

(5.) The third group always begins with “James the son of Alphæus;” and this description suggests some interesting inferences:—(1.) That he too was a brother of Matthew (there are no grounds for assuming two persons of the name of Alphæus), and probably, therefore, of Thomas also. (2.) That if the Clopas (not Cleopas) of Joh_19:25, was, as is generally believed, only the less Græcised form of the name Alphæus, then his mother Mary may have been the sister of Mary the mother of the Lord (see Notes on Joh_19:25). (3.) This Mary, in her turn, is identified, on comparing Joh_19:25 with Mar_15:40, with the mother of James the Less (literally, the Little) and of Joses. The term probably pointed, not to subordinate position, but, as in the case of Zacchæus, to short stature, and appears to have been an epithet (Luk_19:3) distinguishing him from the James of the first list. The Greek form in both cases was Jacôbus—the Jacob of the Old Testament—which has passed, like Joannes, through many changes, till it appears in its present clipped and curtailed shape. (4.) On the assumption that the James and Joses of Mar_15:40 are two of the “brethren of the Lord” of Mat_13:55, this James might, perhaps, be identified with the James “the brother of the Lord” of Gal_1:19 and Act_15:13, the writer of the Epistle. The balance of evidence is, however, decidedly against this view. (Comp. Note on Mat_13:55.) The next name appears in three different forms: Judas the brother of James (it must be noted, however, that the collocation of the two names is that which is elsewhere rendered “the son of . . .” and that the insertion of the word “brother” is an inference from Jud_1:1) in Luke and Acts; Lebbæus in Matthew (with the addition, in later MSS. and the textus receptus, of “who is also surnamed Thaddæus”); Thaddæus in Mark; St. John names him simply as “Judas, not Iscariot” (Mat_14:22). The explanation of the variations is natural enough. One who bore the name of Judas wanted something to distinguish him. This might be found either in the term which expressed his relation as son or brother to James the son of Alphæus, or in a personal epithet. Lebbæus suggests a derivation from the Hebrew leb (heart), and points to warmth and earnestness of character; thad, in later Hebrew, meant the female breast, and may have been the origin of Thaddæus, as indicating, even more than the other sobriquet, a feminine devotedness. Taking the three names together, they suggest the thought that he was one of the youngest of the Twelve, and was looked upon by the others with an affection which showed itself in the name thus given to him. Simon, too, needed a distinguishing epithet, and it was found in the two forms of Zelotes and Cananite (not Canaanite). The former may point to zeal as his chief characteristic, but it was more probably used in the sense in which the followers of Judas of Galilee bore the name, and under which they were prominent in the later struggle with the Romans, as in a special sense “zealots for the law” (Jos. Wars, iv. 3, § 9). (Comp. a like use of the word in Act_21:20.) On this assumption we get a glimpse, full of interest, into the earlier life of the Apostle so named. The other term, Cananite—which is not a local term, but connected with a Hebrew verb, kanà, to be hot, to glow, to be zealous—expresses the same idea. Lastly, we have “Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him,” described by St. John as the “son of Simon” (Joh_6:71; Joh_12:4; Joh_13:2; Joh_13:26), the term “Iscariot” being applied in the first and last of these passages to the father. These facts seem to leave little doubt that the name is local, and is the Græcised form of Ish-Kerioth (a man of Kerioth), a town in Judah mentioned in the list of Jos_15:25. Assuming this inference, we have in him the only one among the Twelve of whom it is probable that he was of Judah, and not of Galilee. This also may not have been without its influence on his character, separating him, as it might well tend to do, from the devoted loyalty of the others.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_10:2

Now the names of the twelve apostles.

Thoughts on a list of names

A good deal may be made out of a list of names, but it depends on whose names they are. There is a book which has nothing in it but names-that book would interest the universe-the Lambs book of life. We may look on the men-

I. Officially.

1. They are selected, chosen, set apart by Christ as apostles. The marvellous results which have flowed from this selection. Their story has moved the world. The world persecuted them, but now falls at their feet.

2. The little power naturally there would seem to have been in these men to have produced any great results. Men of no rank. If the work had not been of God, it could not have been done.

3. There is the list complete. Twelve men are selected, yet few of them stand out in full length in the history. Every true worker God observes.

4. The name may be in the list of the apostles, but the man may not be there. Judas in the list, he not there.

II. Personally. We may read it as a list of persons in the Church.

1. The gospel embraces persons of different tempers and tastes, yet all part of one Church.

2. How the good cause may be advanced by relationship. Here are three pairs of brothers in the list.

3. That a catalogue might be made out of a church book of those whose previous lives had been rather questionable.

4. How we can understand the Christian mellowing with age, the better nature grows and is perfected. (T. Binney.)

Called to the ministry

The attorney that pleads at the bar may have as good gifts as the judge that sits upon the bench; but he must have a lawful commission before he sit as a judge: if it be thus in civil matters, much more in church matters, which are of higher concern. Those, therefore, who usurp the work of the ministry without being solemnly set apart for it, discover more pride than zeal, and they can expect no blessing. (T. Watson.)

Groups of apostles

It can hardly be without significance that in all the apostolic lists they are divided into the same three groups. In the first group we should naturally expect to find the men of the largest and strongest make-those whose capacity and force of character would fit them to lead the rest. And this expectation is justified by the event. Peter and Andrew, James and John, are the natural leaders of the apostolic company. We might almost call them the Boanergic group, so marked and emphatic is the strain of passion in their service. In the second group are well-known and well-marked men. They are all reflective men, all sceptical men. Philip is the leader, and he was a man that would rather see than believe. They are excellent and thoughtful men, but they will not do much for the world apart from men of a more forward and adventurous spirit than their own. They all believe, but they all have a good deal of unbelief in them. The third group we may call the Hebraistic or practical group-Hebraistic in virtue of one set of qualities which they have in common, and practical in virtue of another set of qualities. They held stoutly to the older Hebrew forms of truth and righteousness; and they were at least as much Hebrew as Christian even to the end. But, on the other hand, all the apostles of this group were men of evidently practical gifts; and this is especially seen in Judas of the apron, Judas of the bag, a man chosen to carry the bag because he was careful, prudent, busy, good at buying and selling, conversant with the world. (T. T. Lynch.)

Early Church symbols of the apostles

In a series of enamels, by Leonard Limousin, in the Church of St. Peter, at Chartres, the apostles are represented with different insignia. St. Peter with the keys, as commissioned with the power to bind and to loose. St. Paul with a sword, as a soldier of Christ, armed with the sword of the Spirit. St. Andrew with a cross, shaped as the letter X, the form of the cross on which he is supposed to have been martyred. St. John with a chalice, in allusion to Mat_20:23. St. James the Less with a book and a club, in allusion to the supposed manner of his death. St. James the Elder with a pilgrims staff, a broad hat with scallop shells, and a book, he being regarded as the patron of pilgrims. St. Thomas with an architects square, as patron of architects and builders. St. Philip with a small cross, the staff of which is knotted like a reed, and indicates the travellers staff, and marks the apostle as the preacher of Christ crucified to distant nations. St. Matthew with a pike (or spear): St. Matthias with an axe; St. Bartholomew with a book and a knife; St. Simon with a saw; these indicating the different modes of their death, according to the legendary accounts. (Dict. of Antiquities.)

John his brother

God often unites by grace those whom He has before united by nature; to show us, that although nature be not a step towards grace, yet it is not always a hindrance to it. (Quesuel.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 10:2-4. The first, Simon — The first who was called to a constant attendance on Christ: although Andrew had seen him before Simon, Joh 1:41. James the son of Zebedee — The fisherman, and John his brother — The beloved disciple; who were also called at the same time with the two former, as they were fishing at the sea of Galilee, Mar 1:19. The word Ιακωβος, which we translate James, is the same name with that of the patriarch; but immemorial custom has appropriated, in our language, the name James to the two apostles, and Jacob to the patriarch. Lebbeus, who was also called Judas, or Jude, the brother of James. Simon the Canaanite — So called, it seems, because he was a native of Cana. And Judas, named Iscariot, from Iscarioth, the place of his birth, a town of the tribe of Ephraim, near the city of Samaria.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. Apostles — The word apostle signifies one sent. It is derived from the Greek word αποστελλω, apostello, which is the very word used in Mat_10:5, and translated sent forth.

35. — CATALOGUE OF THE TWELVE, 2-4.

By a careful comparison of the four different Apostolic catalogues given by the narrators, we shall find them divisible, as below, by parallel lines, into three classes; each class being headed by the same name, and each class including the same names, but with the lower names in each class variously ranged: —

Mat_10:2-4.Mar_3:16-19.Luk_6:14-16.Act_1:13.1 Simon Peter.Simon Peter.Simon Peter.Peter.2 Andrew, his brother.James.Andrew.James.3 James, son of Zebedee.John.James.John.4 John, his brother.Andrew.John.Andrew.5 Philip.PhilipPhilip.Philip.6 Bartholomew.Bartholomew.Bartholomew.Thomas.7 Thomas.Matthew.Matthew.Bartholomew.8 Matthew.Thomas.Thomas.Matthew.9 James, son of Alpheus.James.James.James.10 Lebbeus, Thaddeus.Thaddeus.Simon Zelotes.Simon Zelotes.11 Simon, the Canaanite.Simon.Judas, bro. of James.Judas, bro. of James.12 Judas Iscariot.Judas Iscariot.Judas Iscariot— —2. First, Simon, who is called Peter — Peter was a native of Bethsaida, in Galilee, and was the son of a certain Jonas, whence he is named on one occasion in the Gospel history Simon Bar-jona, that is, son of Jona, (Mat_16:17.) Along with his brother Andrew, he followed the occupation of a fisherman at the Sea of Galilee. It is probable that before they became known to Christ they were both disciples of John the Baptist. John, in the first chapter of his Gospel, states this fact in regard to Andrew, and informs us that Andrew introduced Simon to our Lord, who gave him the Syriac name of Cephas, equivalent to the Greek Petros, which signifies a stone. It was not till some time after this introduction that Peter was called to the special discipleship, (Mat_4:18-20.) Most of what we know of Peter is derived from the New Testament, especially from the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and his own two epistles. Subsequent to his history in the Acts, he seems to have lived in the East, as one of his epistles is addressed to the Churches of Asia Minor and was written from Babylon. According to ecclesiastical history of authentic character, he was subsequently at Rome, and there suffered martyrdom under the reign of Nero. The story that he was Bishop of Rome, upon which popery asserts her claim to supremacy, has no historical value.

Andrew his brother — The name of Andrew, though of Greek origin, was common among the Jews. The apostle of this name was, like his brother Peter, a native of the Galilean Bethsaida. He was a disciple of John the Baptist, and was led by John’s testimony to believe in Jesus. He introduced Peter to our Lord, but was soon surpassed by him in eminence of apostolic character. Together with Peter, he was called from his fishing net to be a fisher of men. He is not very conspicuous in the Gospels. He is mentioned at the feeding of the five thousand, as the introducer of several Greeks to our Lord, and as asking, with Peter, James, and John, for an explanation of our Lord’s remark touching the destruction of the temple. Tradition affirms that he afterward preached in Scythia, and that he was crucified at Patrae in Achaia.

James the son of Zebedee — James and John were the sons of Zebedee and Salome of Bethsaida, in Galilee. Their father seems to have been a man of some wealth, prosecuting the business of fishing in the lake, with hired workmen. The respectability of the family is evidenced by John’s acquaintance with the high priest, and easy circumstances are indicated by the fact that John became responsible for the maintenance of his Lord’s mother. These two brothers were summoned to the apostleship soon after the call of Peter and Andrew, and, like them, paid a prompt obedience to the call. They were selected to be witnesses with Peter alone on several solemn occasions, as at the transfiguration, and at the agony at Gethsemane. It was for James and John that the ambitious Salome asked the premiership or place of prime honour in the Messiah’s kingdom. They were styled by our Lord “sons of thunder,” probably from their ardent temperament and bold eloquence as preachers. James was one of the first Christian martyrs, being slain by Herod Agrippa, as narrated in Act_12:2. Clement of Alexandria says that such was his firmness in death, that the officer at his execution was converted thereby to Christianity, and was martyred with him.

And John his brother — Of John we have said much in the foregoing notes. With the exception of Peter, he is the most conspicuous and the most interesting character in the apostolic college. To the books of the New Testament he contributed a Gospel, three epistles, and the Apocalypse. He survived all the apostles, living at Ephesus, perhaps as bishop, until about the close of the first century. His character appears to have been affectionate, and as some think, almost feminine. Wonder has been felt why he should have been called a son of thunder. But those who remember that he was the author of the Apocalypse can hardly be at a loss for a reason.

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

apostles

The word apostle, = "one sent forth," is used of our Lord Heb 3:1. Elsewhere it is used for the twelve who were called to that office by our Lord during His earth ministry; of Paul, called to the apostleship by the risen and ascended Lord, and of Barnabas Act 14:14 specially designated by the Holy Spirit Act 13:2. Of Matthias, chosen by lot by the eleven to take the place of Judas Iscariot, Act 1:16-26 it is said: "And he was numbered with the eleven." Act 1:26.

The "signs" of an apostle were

(1) They were chosen directly by the Lord Himself, or, as in the case of Barnabas, by the Holy Spirit Mat 10:1; Mat 10:2; Mar 3:13; Mar 3:14; Luk 6:13; Act 9:6; Act 9:15; Act 13:2; Act 22:10; Act 22:14; Act 22:15; Rom 1:1

(2) They were endued with sign gifts, miraculous powers which were the divine credentials of their office Mat 10:1; Act 5:15; Act 5:16; Act 16:16-18; Mat 28:8; Mat 28:9.

(3) Their relation to the kingdom was that of heralds, announcing to Israel only Mat 10:5; Mat 10:6 the kingdom as at hand. (See Scofield "Mat 4:17") and manifesting kingdom powers Mat 10:7; Mat 10:8.

(4) To one of them, Peter, the keys of the kingdom of heaven, viewed as the sphere of Christian profession, as in Matthew 13, were given Mat 16:19.

(5) Their future relation to the king will be that of judges over the twelve tribes Mat 19:28.

(6) Consequent upon the rejection of the kingdom, and the revelation of the mystery hid in God Mat 16:18; Eph 3:1-12 the Church, the apostolic office was invested with a new enduement, the baptism with the Holy Spirit Act 2:1-4 a new power, that of imparting the Spirit to Jewish-Christian believers; a new relation, that of foundation stones of the new temple Eph 2:20-22 and a new function, that of preaching the glad tidings of salvation through a crucified and risen Lord to Jew and gentile alike.

(7) The indispensable qualification of an apostle was that he should have been an eye- witness of the resurrection Act 1:22; 1Co 9:1.

James son of Zebedee (See Scofield "Mat 4:21").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

HE CALLS THE TWELVE APOSTLES

Mat 10:2-4; Mar 3:13-19; & Luk 6:13-16. Mark: “And He goes up into a mountain, and calls to Him those whom He wished, and He made twelve, that they may be with Him, and that He may send them out to preach, and to have the power to heal the sick and to cast out demons.” Luke says that “He went out into the mountain to pray, and was spending the night in the prayer of God. And when it was day, He called His disciples, and selecting twelve from them, whom He called Apostles.” Bishop Taylor used to make it a rule to spend a night in prayer before he sent away the missionaries to their respective fields of labor. Rev. A.B. Simpson anticipates those wonderful, unprecedented, and paradoxical missionary collections by a night of prayer. O what an example here for Annual Conferences, and other responsible transactions in the kingdom of God! Where E.V. says, “He ordained twelve” (Mar 3:14), the original is epoiese, which simply means “made;” i.e., He selected twelve out of the company of disciples who followed Him, and made them apostles. The word apostle is from apo, “from,” and stello, “send.” Hence it means persons sent forth, as the inspired Twelve were commissioned and sent into all the world. King James’s translators used the word “ordained,” here and elsewhere, in order to sustain the Church usages and authority, there being no such a meaning in the original. Our Savior made the twelve apostles just like He makes you what you are, if true to His providence and grace. He has a vast diversity of workers in His kingdom. He made them all what they are. We have nothing to do but perfectly submit to His Word, Spirit, and providence, and rest assured He will make us efficient workers in His vineyard, though infinitely diverse, either from other. Paul says,

“He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints.” (Eph 4:2.)

Hence, you see, all of these offices are perpetuated to the end of time. Under the shibboleth of Church ordination, floods of ecclesiastical misrule and tyranny have been turned on the Church, terribly to the detriment of her efficiency in the salvation of the world. The great dogma of ordination, as claimed and practiced by the High-Church isms, is unknown in the Bible, a true translation eliminating it altogether. It is all right for the Churches to corroborate the Holy Ghost in the ordination of God’s saints for the work to which He calls them.

Matthew: “He placed on Simon the name Peter;” i.e., “rock,” which the world never saw till after the fires of Pentecost burnt up the debris, and swept away the cowardice, and revealed the solid rock. “James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and on these he put the names Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder.”

This name is very significant, showing that James and John had tremendous voices, so they could roar hike thunder. O, what a blessing — a stalwart physical constitution and stentorian voice! If the Lord has given you a strong voice, appreciate the honor of a Boanerges, and consecrate this rich and valuable gift to God. “And Andrew, Philip, and Bartholomew;” i.e., son of Tolmai, a patronymic for Nathanael. “Matthew, Thomas; James the son of Ahpheus [also called James the Less]; and Thaddeus [i.e., Jude], and Simeon the Canaanite.” Matthew and Mark call him the “Canaanite,” while Luke says, “Simon, called Zelotes” — i.e., “the zealot.” Now if you will look in a Greek dictionary, you will find “zelotes” and “canaanite” synonymous, neither of them being proper names, as E.V. has them. The simple lexical meaning is, “zealous,” setting forth the fact that Simon was a red-hot holiness evangelist, full of life and fire. “And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.” What a momentous transaction took place on this mountain, when our Lord selected these twelve men, not from the colleges nor the palaces, but from the lower walks of labor and private life, and invested them with the commission to preach the gospel to all the world! To this they all proved true but Judas Iscariot, whom Satan unfortunately captured before he received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, the indispensable qualification of them all. However, he was nobly succeeded by Matthias, who, with the other eleven, received his allotment in the distribution of the world among the Twelve, going to Abyssinia; Mark, to Egypt; Matthew, to Ethiopia; Peter, to Rome; Andrew, to Armenia; Bartholomew, to Phrygia; Philip, to Syria; Jude, to Tartary; Thomas, to India. After our Lord’s ascension, He augmented this number by the addition of five more noble apostles — i.e.,

Paul, Apollos, Barnabas, and James and Judas, the brothers of the Lord — the two Jameses included in the original Twelve both suffering martyrdom in Jerusalem.

Luk 6:17. “And coming down along with them, He stood on a level place.” The Mount of Beatitudes, hanging over the city of Capernaum, has a nice plateati, about half-way down from the summit, which is doubtless the plain on which our Lord halted with the Twelve, whom He had constituted apostles. “A multitude of His disciples, and a great host of the people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and Tyre and Sidon by the seaside, who came to bear Him, and to be healed of their diseases, and those troubled with unclean spirits; and they continued to be healed. And the whole crowd sought to touch Him, because power was going out from Him and was healing all.” After the night of prayer, spent high up in the Mount of Beatitudes, calling His disciples to Him, He proceeds to select from them the twelve apostles, accompanied by whom He descends from the summit about 8 A.M. No sooner does He descend to the plateau till the people, recognizing Him, come rushing from all directions. Moved with sympathy, He now does a mighty work of bodily healing and demoniacal ejectment, thus wonderfully saving the people, both from sin and sickness. Where E.V. says, “Power was going out from Him and was healing all,” the Greek says “dynamite,” a word which men of science have recently Anglicized and adopted, to indicate the greatest mechanical power in the known world, and very appropriately, as it is the word constantly used in the New Testament to reveal the matchless wonders of omnipotent grace.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2–4. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. Of the twelve apostles there are four lists, found in Matt. 10:2, Mark 3:16, Luke 6:14, and Acts 1:13. They differ in the following particulars: Luke, in the book of Acts, does not insert the name of Judas Iscariot, who was then dead; both in his Gospel and in Acts he entitles the Simon, who, here and in Mark, is called the Canaanite, Simon Zelotes; Matthew gives as the tenth disciple, Lebbeus; Mark calls him Thaddeus; Luke and Acts, Judas of James, i. e., either son or brother of James; and (4) Mark says that James and John were surnamed by Christ, Boanerges, i. e., the sons of thunder. In other respects the four lists are identical. There are three pairs of brothers among them. Andrew and Peter, James and John, James the Less and Judas, or Thaddeus. James and John I believe to have been cousins of our Lord. With the exception of Judas Iscariot, all were Galileans; several of them were by trade fishermen, a laborious and profitable calling; there was neither priest nor scribe among them; all were from the ranks of the common people.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

10:2-4 The four lists of the apostles (see also Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13) are all different, although the differences are minimal. The order within each list varies slightly, but only the names Thaddaeus (10:3; Mark 3:18) and Judas son of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13) differ. They might be two names for the same man.

10:2 The apostles are ambassadors or messengers, authorized and sent by an authority to represent and accomplish prescribed tasks (see 10:1-8, 40; 28:16-20). The term is also used for Paul (Gal 1:1). • first, Simon (also called Peter): Peter had priority in time (Matt 4:18-22; 16:17-19) and position as the representative leader of the apostles (see 19:27; 26:33; Acts 2:14).

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

Mat 10:2. Τὰ ὀνόματά, the names) Scripture, in enumerations of this kind, preserves an accurate order. See Gen 48:20; Num 12:1; and, “Noah, Daniel, and Job,” in Eze 14:14; Eze 14:20. Therefore the plan which is observed in the list of the apostles, princes of the kingdom of Christ, is of far graver import than any precedence of the kings of the world (as, for example, Peter is named first, not without an indication of rank):[444] nor is there anything fortuitous in it. It is not said, “Bartholomew, Peter, Jude, John, Andrew, Matthew,” etc.: and the four, as it were, locations of them, are deserving of observation:—

[444] In the original, “non sine indicio ordinis.” In the notes to his German Version he says, on the words “Der erste,” “the first,” In der That war SIMON den andern überlegen: wiewol das der Stuhl zu ROM nichts angehet.” “SIMON was in reality superior to the other [apostles], though that [fact] does not in any way concern the See of ROME”—See Gnomon below on πρῶτος.—(I. B.)

(I.) Mat 10:2.

(II.) Mar 3:16.

(III.) Luk 6:14.

(IV.) Act 1:13; Act 1:26.

1. Simon,

1. Simon,

1. Simon,

1. Peter,

2. And Andrew,

2. And James,

2. And Andrew,

2. And James,

3. James,

3. And John,

3. James,

3. And John,

4. And John,

4. And Andrew,

4. And John,

4. And Andrew,

(See also Ib. Mat 13:3.)

5. Philip,

5. And Philip,

5. Philip,

5. Philip,

6. And Bartholomew,

6. And Bartholomew,

6. And Bartholomew,

6. And Thomas,

7. Thomas,

7. And Matthew,

7. Matthew,

7. Bartholomew,

8. And Matthew,

8. And Thomas,

8. And Thomas,

8. And Matthew

9. James the son of Alphaeus,

9. And James the son of Alphaeus,

9. James the son of Alphaeus,

9. James the son of Alphaeus,

10. And Lebbaeus,

10. And Thaddaeus,

10. And Simon Zelotes

10. And Simon Zelotes,

11. Simon the Canaanite,

11. And Simon the Canaanite,

11. Judas the brother of James,

11. And Judas the brother of James:

12. And Judas Iscariot.

12. And Judas Iscariot.

12. And Judas Iscariot.

12. Matthias.

The first and the third arrangements enumerate them by pairs, the second singly, the fourth mixedly. The first and third arrangements correspond generally to the time of their vocation, and the conjunction of the apostles in twos; the second, to their dignity before our Lord’s passion; the fourth, to their dignity after His ascension. All the arrangements may be divided into three quaternions, none of which interchanges any name with either of the others.[445] Again, Peter stands always first in the first quaternion, Philip in the second (cf. Joh 1:42; Joh 1:44; Joh 12:22), James the son of Alphaeus in the third; though, within their several quaternions, the other apostles exchange their relative position [in the different lists]. The traitor stands always last. The plan of the first and third quaternions is contained in what I have just said: in the second, Matthew places himself modestly after his[446] Thomas, thus proving himself to be the writer of the book; for both Mark and Luke put Thomas after Matthew, although St Luke, after the confirmation of Thomas’s faith (Joh 20:27-28), puts him, in the Acts, even above Bartholomew, and associates him with Philip. From the first quaternion we have the writings of Peter and John; from the second, that of Matthew; from the third, those of James and Jude, or Thaddeus. St John has not enumerated the apostles in his Gospel, but he has done so by implication in the Apocalypse; see Rev 21:19-20, and my German, Exposition of it.—πρῶτος, first) on the primacy of Peter, see Luk 8:45; Luk 9:32; Joh 1:42; Mat 16:16; Joh 21:15; Act 1:15; Act 2:14; Act 8:14; Act 10:5; Act 15:7. He was, however, first among the apostles, not placed over the apostles: in the apostolate, not above it. What is this to the Pope of Rome? Not more than to any other bishop; nay, even less.—ὁ λεγόμενος Πέτρος, who is called Peter) A surname which became afterwards better known.[447]

[445] i.e. No one of the three quaternions allows a name found in it to be exchanged for a name found in one of the other two quaternions; though the names are varied as to their order in the same quaternion by the different writers.—ED.

[446] “Thomam suum,” his Thomas, i.e. his associate in the lists; Matthew and Thomas being placed together in all of them.—(I. B.)

[447] i.e. better known than the name “SIMON,” which he had received at his circumcision.—(I. B.)

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

Mat_10:2. Δώδεκα] Theophylact: κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν δώδεκα φυλῶν; comp. Mat_19:28. On this occasion, when the mission is understood to take place, it is precisely the designation ἀποστόλων (not occurring elsewhere in Matthew, while in Mark it is found only in Mat_6:30) that is made choice of, though doubtless also used by Jesus Himself (Joh_13:16; Luk_6:13), and from that circumstance it gradually came to be employed as the distinguishing official title.

πρῶτος Σίμων] The first is Simon. The further numbering of them ceases, for Matthew mentions them in pairs. The placing of Peter first in all the catalogues of the apostles (Mar_3:16 ff.; Luk_6:14 ff.; Act_1:13) is not accidental (Fritzsche), but is due to the fact that he and his brother were looked upon as the πρωτόκλητοι (see, however, Joh_1:41). This accords with the pre-eminence which he had among the apostles as primus inter pares (Mat_16:16 ff., Mat_17:1. Mat_24:19, Mat_27:26; Mat_27:37; Mat_27:40; Luk_8:45; Luk_9:32; Luk_22:31 f.; Joh_21:15; Act_1:15; Act_2:14; Act_5:3 f., Mat_8:14, Mat_10:5, Mat_15:7; Gal_1:18; Gal_2:7), and which was recognised by Jesus Himself. For that they were arranged in the order of their rank is perfectly obvious, not only from the betrayer being uniformly put last, but also from the fact that in all the catalogues James and John, who along with Peter were the Lords most intimate friends, are mentioned immediately after that apostle (and Andrew). Moreover, a conjoint view of the four catalogues of the apostles (Ewald, Gesch. Chr. p. 395 ff., Bleek, Keim) will confirm Bengels observation, that universi ordines habent tres quaterniones, quorum nullus cum alio quicquam permutat; turn in primo semper primus est Petrus, in secundo Philippus … in tertio Jacobus Alphaei; in singulis ceteri apostoli loca permutant; proditor semper extremus.

ὁ λεγόμ. Πέτρος] who is called Peter (Schaeffer, Melet. p. 14); that was his usual apostolic name.

Ἀνδρέας] Greek name (found even in Herod. vi. 126), like Philippus below. Doubtless both originally had Hebrew names which are not recorded.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 10:2 . τῶν δὲ δώδ . ἀποστόλων : etc., the evangelist finds here a convenient place for giving the names of the Twelve, called here for the first and last time ἀπόστολοι , with reference at once to the immediate minor mission (from ἀποστέλ . λειν , vide Mat 10:5 ) and to the later great one. One half of them are for us mere names, and of one or two even the names are doubtful, utterly obscure, yet, doubtless, in their time and sphere faithful witnesses. They are arranged in pairs, as if following the hint of Mark that they were sent out by two and two , each pair connected with a καὶ (so in Luke, not in Mark). πρῶτος : at the head of the list stands Peter, first not only numerically (Meyer) but in importance, a sure matter of fact, though priestly pretensions based on it are to be disregarded. He is first in all the lists. ὁ λεγ . Πέτρος : a fact already stated (Mat 4:18 ), here repeated probably because the evangelist had his eye on Mark’s list (Mat 3:16 ) or possibly to distinguish this Simon from another in the list (No. 11).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2.] We have in the N.T. four catalogues of the Apostles: the present one,—at Mar 3:16,—Luk 6:14,—Act 1:13. All seem to follow one common outline, but fill it up very differently. The following table will shew the agreements and differences:—

Mat 10:2.Mar 3:16.Luk 6:14.Act 1:13.1Σίμων Πέτρος2ἈνδρέαςἸάκωβοςἈνδρέαςἸωάννης3ἸάκωβοςἸωάννηςἸάκωβοςἸάκωβος4ἸωάννηςἈνδρέαςἸωάννηςἈνδρέας5Φίλιππος6ΒαρθολομαῖοςΘωμᾶς7ΘωμᾶςΜατθαῖοςΒαρθολομαῖος8ΜαθθαῖοςΘωμᾶςΜατθαῖος9Ἰάκωβος [ὁ τοῦ] Ἀλφαίου10ΛεββαῖοςΘαδδαῖοςΣίμων ὁ καλ. ζηλωτήςΣίμων ὁ ζηλωτής11Σίμων ὁ καναναῖοςἸούδας Ἰακώβου12Ἰούδας ἰσκαριώτηςἸούδας ἸσκαριώθVacantFrom this it appears (1), that in all four three classes are enumerated, and that each class contains (assuming at present the identity of Λεββαῖος with Θαδδαῖος, and of Θαδδαῖος with Ἰούδας Ἰακώβον) the same persons in all four, but in different order, with the following exceptions:—that (2) Peter, Philip, James the (son?) of Alphœus, and Judas Iscariot hold the same places in all four. (3) That in the first class the two arrangements are (α), that of Matt. and Luke (Gospel),—Peter and Andrew, brothers; James and John, brothers;—i.e. according to their order of calling and connexion, and with reference to their being sent out in couples, Mar 6:7: (β) Mark and Luke (Acts),—Peter, James, John, (the three principal,) and Andrew;—i.e. according to their personal pre-eminence. In the second class (γ), that of Matt., Mark, and Luke (Gospel),—Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas (or, as given by Matthew himself, Thomas and Matthew),—i.e. in couples: (δ) Luke (Acts),—Philip, Thomas, Barth., Matthew (reason uncertain). In the third class (ε), Matt. and Mark,—James, the (son?) of Alphœus and (Lebb.) Thaddæus, Simon the Cananœan and Judas Iscariot; i.e. in couples: (ζ) Luke (Gosp. and Acts) James the (son?) of Alphœus, Simon Zelotes, Judas Ἰακώβου and Judas Iscariot (uncertain). (η) Thus in all four, the leaders of the three classes are the same, viz. Peter, Philip, and James the (son?) of Alphœus; and the traitor is always last. (4) It would appear then that the only difficulties are these two: the identity of Lebbæus with Thaddæus, and with Judas Ἰακώβου, and of Simon καναναῖος with Simon ὁ καλ. ζηλωτής. These will be discussed under the names.

πρῶτος] Not only as regards arrangement, or mere priority of calling, but as primus inter pares. This is clearly shewn from James and John and Andrew being set next, and Judas Iscariot the last, in all the catalogues. We find Simon Peter, not only in the lists of the Apostles, but also in their history, prominent on various occasions before the rest. Sometimes he speaks in their name (Mat 19:27: Luk 12:41); sometimes answers when all are addressed (Mat 16:16 ); sometimes our Lord addresses him as principal, even among the three favoured ones (Mat 26:40: Luk 22:31); sometimes he is addressed by others as representing the whole (Mat 17:24: Act 2:37). He appears as the organ of the Apostles after our Lord’s ascension (Act 1:15; Act 2:14; Act 4:8; Act 5:29): the first speech, and apparently that which decided the Council, is spoken by him, Act 15:7. All this accords well with the bold and energetic character of Peter, and originated in the unerring discernment and appointment of our Lord Himself, who saw in him a person adapted to take precedence of the rest in the founding of His Church, and shutting (Act 5:3, Act 5:9) and opening (Act 2:14, Act 2:41; Act 10:5, Act 10:46) the doors of the kingdom of Heaven. That however no such idea was current among the Apostles as that he was destined to be the Primate of the future Church is as clear as the facts above mentioned. For (1) no trace of such a pre-eminence is found in all the Epistles of the other Apostles; but when he is mentioned, it is either, as 1Co 9:5, as one of the Apostles, one example among many, but in no wise the chief;—or as in Gal 2:7, Gal 2:8, with a distinct account of a peculiar province of duty and preaching being allotted to him, viz. the apostleship of the circumcision, (see 1Pe 1:1,) as distinguished from Paul, to whom was given the apostleship of the uncircumcision:—or as in Gal 2:9, as one of the principal στύλοι, together with James and John;—or as in Gal 2:11, as subject to rebuke from Paul as from an equal. And (2) wherever by our Lord Himself the future constitution of His Church is alluded to, or by the Apostles its actual constitution, no hint of any such primacy is given, (see note on Mat 16:18,) but the whole college of Apostles are spoken of as absolutely equal. Mat 19:27, Mat 19:28; Mat 20:26, Mat 20:28: Eph 2:20, and many other places. Again (3) in the two Epistles which we have from his own hand, there is nothing for, but every thing against, such a supposition. He exhorts the πρεσβύτεροι as being their συμπρεσβύτερος (1Pe 5:1): describes himself as τῆς μελλούσης ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι δόξης κοινωνός: addresses his second Epistle τοῖς ἰσότιμον ἡμῖν λαχοῦσιν πίστιν (2Pe 1:1): and makes not the slightest allusion to any pre-eminence over the other Apostles.

So that πρῶτος here must be understood as signifying the prominence of Peter among the Apostles, as well as his early calling. (See Joh 1:42.)

ὁ λεγόμενος Πέτρος] Or Κηφᾱς, כֵּיפָא, so named by our Lord Himself (John as above) at His first meeting with him, and again more solemnly, and with a direct reference to the meaning of the name, Mat 16:18.

Ἀνδρέας] He, in conjunction with John (see note on Joh 1:37-41), was a disciple of the Baptist, and both of them followed our Lord, on their Master pointing Him out as the Lamb of God. They did not however from that time constantly accompany Him, but received a more solemn calling (see Mat 4:17-22: Luk 5:1-11)—in the narrative of which Peter is prominent, and so πρῶτος called as an Apostle, at least, of those four.

Ἰάκ. ὁ τ. Ζ. κ. Ἰωάν.] Partners in the fishing trade with Peter and Andrew, Luk 5:10.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Theophylact saith that Peter and Andrew are called the first, because they were first called.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these--The other Evangelists enumerate the twelve in immediate connection with their appointment (Mar 3:13-19; Luk 6:13-16). But our Evangelist, not intending to record the appointment, but only the Mission of the Twelve, gives their names here. And as in the Acts (Act 1:13) we have a list of the Eleven who met daily in the upper room with the other disciples after their Master's ascension until the day of Pentecost, we have four catalogues in all for comparison.

The first, Simon, who is called Peter--(See on Joh 1:42).

and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother--named after James, as the younger of the two.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. Apostles] This is the first place where the word is used. αποστολος, an apostle, comes from αποστελλω, I send a message. The word was anciently used to signify a person commissioned by a king to negotiate any affair between him and any other power or people. Hence αποστολοι and κηρυκες, apostles and heralds, are of the same import in Herodotus. See the remarks at the end of chap. 3.

It is worthy of notice, that those who were Christ's apostles were first his disciples; to intimate, that men must be first taught of God, before they be sent of God. Jesus Christ never made an apostle of any man who was not first his scholar or disciple. These twelve apostles were chosen.

1. That they might be with our Lord, to see and witness his miracles, and hear his doctrine.

2. That they might bear testimony of the former, and preach his truth to mankind.

The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; c.] We are not to suppose that the word πρωτος, first, refers to any kind of dignity, as some have imagined it merely signifies the first in order - the person first mentioned. A pious man remarks: "God here unites by grace those who were before united by nature." Though nature cannot be deemed a step towards grace, yet it is not to be considered as always a hinderance to it. Happy the brothers who are joint envoys of Heaven, and the parents who have two or more children employed as ambassadors for God! But this is a very rare case; and family compacts in the work of the ministry are dangerous and should be avoided.

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

2. apostles] the only passage in this Gospel where the word occurs. The Greek word lit. = “sent forth,” “envoys.” This sense, though scarcely recognised by classical authors, was not new. It seems to have been a “title borne by those who were despatched from the mother city by the rulers of the race on any foreign mission, especially such as were charged with collecting the tribute paid to the temple service.” (Lightfoot, Gal. p. 90). The title of “apostles” was given in a special sense to the Twelve, but was not confined to them. Matthias was added to the number of the twelve, Paul was “called to be an apostle,” James the Lord’s brother, and Barnabas, are designated by the same title. It had even a wider signification: cp. among other passages Rom_16:7. The name is applied to Jesus Christ, Heb_3:1, “The Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.” He came to do the will of Him that sent Him.

There are four lists of the Apostles recorded, one by each of the Synoptic Evangelists, one in the Acts of the Apostles. No two of these lists perfectly coincide. This will be seen from the tabular view below.

Mat_10:3.

Mar_3:16.Luk_6:14.

Act_1:13.1. Simon Peter.

Simon Peter.

Simon Peter.

Peter.

2. Andrew.

James the son of Zebedee.

Andrew.

James.

3. James the son of Zebedee.

John the brother of James.

James.

John.

4. John his brother.

Andrew.

John.

Andrew.

5. Philip.

Philip.

Philip.

Philip.

6. Bartholomew.

Bartholomew.

Bartholomew.

Thomas.

7. Thomas.

Matthew.

Matthew.

Bartholomew.

8. Matthew the Publican.

Thomas.

Thomas.

Matthew.

9. James the son of Alphæus.

James son of Alphæus.

James the son of Alphæus.

James son of Alphæus.

10. Lebbæus sur-named Thaddæus.

Thaddæus.

Simon Zelotes.

Simon Zelotes.

11. Simon the Cananite.

Simon the Cananite.

Judas (son) of James.

Judas (son) of James.

12. Judas Iscariot.

Judas Iscariot.

Judas Iscariot.

It will be observed from a comparison of these lists that the twelve names fall into three divisions, each containing four names which remain in their respective divisions in all the lists. Within these divisions however, the order varies. But Simon Peter is placed first, and Judas Iscariot last, in all. Again, Philip invariably heads the second, and James the son of Alphæus the third division.

Andrew, a Greek name; see Joh_12:21-22, where the Greeks in the temple address themselves to Philip, “Philip cometh and telleth Andrew and Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.” An incident that points to some Greek connection besides the mere name.

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.

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these,.... This is the first time these disciples are called "apostles", they were learners before; now being instructed, they are sent forth to preach publicly, and therefore are called apostles, or messengers, persons that were sent: so the elders of the priesthood are called , "the apostles", or messengers "of the sanhedrim" (n), to whom the high priest were delivered, before the day of atonement. So six months in the year, "apostles", or messengers, were sent by the (o) sanhedrim, throughout all the land of Israel, and to the captive Jews in other parts, to give notice of the new moon; in allusion to which, the disciples might be so called. It was proper to give the names of them, for the truth of the history, and confirmation of it; for the sake of the persons themselves, and the honour done them; and for the exclusion and detection of false apostles.

The first, Simon, who is called Peter; his pure Hebrew name was Simeon, as he is called, Act 15:14 but in the then Jerusalem dialect, and in Rabbinical language, this name is frequently read and pronounced "Simon", as here: we often read of R. Simon, and of R. Juda bar Simon, in both Talmuds (p). This apostle is also called Peter, to distinguish him from Simon the Canaanite, and which signifies a stone, or rock, in allusion to the object of his faith, and the steadiness of it. He is said to be the "first"; not that he was the head of the rest of the apostles, or had any primacy, dominion, and authority over them; but because he was first called, and was the first that was to open the door of faith to the Gentiles: but chiefly he is said to be so for order's sake; for, some one in the account must be named first, and he as proper as any:

and Andrew his brother; who was called at the same time with him, and therefore are put together. This name is also to be met with in the Talmudic writings; see Gill on Mat 4:18.

James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; these two were called next and together, and therefore are placed in this order: the former is so called, to distinguish him from another James, the son of Alphaeus, after mentioned; and the latter is the beloved disciple; these were surnamed "Boanerges", that is, "sons of thunder".

(n) Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 5. (o) Misn. Roshhashana, c. 1. sect. 3. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. (p) T. Hieros. Shekalim, fol. 46. 4. Bab. Sabbath, fol. 55. 1. & Bava Kama, fol. 47. 2.

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

2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

Ver. 2. Now the names of the twelve, &c.] Their names are registered and had in honour; when the grandees of the earth, those men of renown in their generation, lie either buried in oblivion or wrapped up in the sheet of shame: their memory, haply, is preserved, but stinks in the keeping, as that rich glutton, Luk 16:19-31, who is not so much as named, as poor Lazarus is.

Peter, and Andrew his brother, &c.] They go coupled two and two together. And this first for their own sakes. "Two are better than one," saith Solomon, Ecc 4:9-12. For, 1. If they fall, the one will lift up his fellow, as that which is stronger shoreth up that which is weaker. 2. If two lie together, then they have heat. When Silas came, Paul burned in spirit, Act 18:5. Whiles Jehoiada lived Joash was free and forward for God; he was the first that complained of the negligence of his best officers in repairing the temple, 2Ch 24:4-6. While Bradford was alive he kept up Ridley, and so did Latimer, Cranmer, from thinking upon defection. 3. If one prevail, two shall withstand him. The enemy is readiest to assault where none is by to assist; and much of our strength is lost in the loss of a faithful friend; whence Paul so rejoiced that Epaphroditus recovered, Php 2:27. For their own mutual help and comfort was it therefore that they were sent out by pairs: ουν τε δυω ερχινεβω, as the poet speaks of his Ulysses and Diomedes, sent to fetch in the Palladium. Secondly, for the sake of others, that the bad might be the sooner set down and convinced, the better confirmed and settled in the truth, since "in the mouth of two or three witnesses," &c. For this it was that God sent forth those noble pairs, Moses and Aaron, Zerubbabel and Joshua, Paul and Barnabas, the two faithful witnesses, Rev 11:3, Luther and Melancthon, {a} Zuinglius and Oecolampadius, &c.

{a} Divisae his operae sed mens fuit unica, pavit Ore

Lutherus oves, flore Melancthon apes.

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.

Now the names of the twelve apostles - The account of their being called is more fully given in Mar 3:13-18, and Luk 6:12-19. Each of those evangelists has recorded the circumstances of their appointment. They agree in saying it was done on a mountain; and, according to Luke, it was done before the sermon on the mount was delivered, perhaps on the same mountain, near Capernaum. Luke adds that the night previous had been spent “in prayer” to God. See the notes at Luk 6:12.

Simon, who is called Peter - The word “Peter” means a rock. He was also called Cephas, Joh 1:42; 1Co 1:12; 1Co 3:22; 1Co 15:5; Gal 2:9. This was a Syro-Chaldaic word signifying the same as Peter. This name was given probably in reference to the “resoluteness and firmness” which he was to exhibit in preaching the gospel. Before the Saviour’s death he was rash, impetuous, and unstable. Afterward, as all history affirms, he was firm, zealous, steadfast, and immovable. The tradition is that he was at last crucified at Rome with his head downward, thinking it too great an honor to die as his Master did. See the notes at Joh 21:18. There is no certain proof, however, that this occurred at Rome, and no absolute knowledge as to the place where he died.

James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother - This James was killed by Herod in a persecution, Act 12:2. The other James, the son of Alpheus, was stationed at Jerusalem, and was the author of the epistle that bears his name. See Gal 1:19; Gal 2:9; Act 15:13. A James is mentioned Gal 1:19 as “the Lord’s brother.” It has not been easy to ascertain why he was thus called. He is here called the son of “Alpheus,” that is, of Cleophas, Joh 19:25. Alpheus and Cleophas were but different ways of writing and pronouncing the same name. This Mary, called the mother of James and Joses, is called the wife of Cleophas, Joh 19:25.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

First, Simon.[1] Simon was the first of the apostles, not in the time of his vocation, as his brother Andrew was called to the apostleship before him, but in dignity, in as much as he was constituted the vicar of Christ, and the head of the Church. (Menochius) ---Who is called Peter. When he first came to our Saviour, (John i. 42,) he said, Thou art Simon, son of Jonas, (or John) thou shalt be called Peter; in Chaldaic, Cephas; that is to say, a rock, designing to make him the first fundamental stone or head of his whole Church. See also Matthew xvi. 18. Beza, without any grounds, would have the word first to be an addition. But it is found in all Greek manuscripts as well as in the ancient fathers. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Primus Simon, Greek: protos Simon. See St. Jerome, St. John Chrysostom, &c.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Mark reckoneth up the same persons, Mar 3:16-19, with some additions, which we shall consider as we come at the persons whom they concern.

Apostles signifies persons sent; the term applied to Christ’s disciples signifies the persons that were first sent by him to preach the gospel. It was reasonable for the evangelists to set down their names, because the whole Christian church was to be builded upon their doctrine, Eph 2:20.

The first, Simon, who is called Peter, because the term signifies a rock, and the confession of faith which he made our Saviour declares to be a rock, on which he would build his church, Mat 16:18. He is not here called the first because he was first called, or first believed, the contrary is plain from Joh 1:41; but when many are named, one must be first named. He was the son of Jonas; Christ gave him the name of Cephas, which is, by interpretation, a stone. He was called Simon Peter to distinguish him from Simon the Canaanite, afterward mentioned. So that it seems the papists are put hard to it for arguments to prove Peter’s primacy and superiority over the apostles, and headship over the church, when they are enforced to make use of this, because he is here called the first. Yet such another was brought at the disputation of Berne, 1528, when Alexius Grad, the nuns’ confessor, would prove Peter’s headship because he is called Cephas; and he had read in some dictionary, that Κεφας anciently signified a head; as if the evangelist had not interpreted it, Joh 1:41, Peter, or a stone. By the same argument they can from hence prove Peter the first, Gal 2:9, will prove him the second, for so he is there reckoned, James, Cephas, and John. Andrew his brother; Simon Peter’s brother; by John directed to Christ, Joh 1:40; called by Christ together with his brother Peter, Mar 1:16,17.

James the son of Zebedee, so called to distinguish him from another of the apostles of the same name, who was the son of Alphaeus. This is he of whose death we read, Act 12:2; he was slain by Herod.

And John his brother, viz. the son of Zebedee: this is he who was called the beloved disciple, who also wrote the Gospel of John, Joh 21:20,24.

Philip, and Bartholomew. Philip was of Bethsaida the city of Andrew and Peter, Joh 1:44, found and called by Christ, Joh 1:43. Of the call of Bartholomew we do not read; some think him the same with Nathanael, mentioned Joh 1:45,46, &c. It is some inducement to believe it, that he is here named with Philip, who was the instrument to bring him to Christ, Joh 1:45; but there is nothing of this certain.

Thomas, the same who was called Didymus, who was so unbelieving as to Christ’s resurrection, Joh 20:24,27; and Matthew the publican, he that wrote this history of the Gospel: we heard before of his call from the receipt of custom; he was also called Levi.

James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus. This James is called James the less, Mar 15:40, and so distinguished from James the son of Zebedee.

The Lord’s brother, Gal 1:19; that is, as some think, his kinsman, judging him not the son of Alphaeus who was the father of Matthew, but another Alphaeus, the husband of Mary the wife of Cleophas, Joh 19:25. But this appeareth not from Scripture. Instead of Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus, Luke saith, Luk 6:16, Judas the brother of James (he that wrote the Epistle of Jude, as appeareth by Jude). Mark, Mar 3:18, mentions not Lebbaeus at all, which makes some think that the words are transposed, and should be Thaddaeus the son of Lebbaeus; for Thaddai in the Syriac is the same with Judas.

Simon the Canaanite; Luke calls him Simon Zelotes, Luk 6:15; Act 1:13. We must not understand by Canaanite a pagan, (for Christ sent out none but Jews), but one of Cana, which by interpretation is Zelus, from whence it is that Luke calleth him Zelotes.

And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. There are many guesses how Judas had the name of Iscariot, whether from Kerioth, supposed to be his town, or on some other account: the guesses of the best are but uncertainties, nor is it material for us to know. It here distinguishes him from the other Judas. Of his betraying his Master we shall hear afterward. Christ altered the name of Simon, whom he called Peter, Mar 3:16. He added to the names of James and John, calling them Boanerges, that is, The sons of thunder, Mar 3:17. Thaddaeus is called Judas, and by Matthew also Lebbaeus. These were the twelve first apostles, to which were added (after Christ’s ascension) Matthias, (instead of Judas Iscariot), Paul, and Barnabas; but these conversed with Christ, and were the first sent out by him. We shall now hear the instruction he gives them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 2-4. THE NAMES OF THE AGENTS. Parallel passages: Mar_3:14-19 Luk_6:13-16. (cf. Act_1:13) This Commentary upon St. Luke deals so fully both with the list as a whole and with the separate names that it will not be necessary to say much here. Observe that the general agreement in arrangement points to some common basis underlying all four accounts; also that of these the one found in the Acts is the briefest, giving little more than the bare names; and that that found in our Gospel, on the contrary, is the fullest, containing, with two exceptions (vide infra), the details mentioned in one or other of the parallels, and adding two of its own. It mentions, in one instance or more, the parentage (Zebedee, Alphaeus), the relationship ("his brother... his brother"), the birthplace (Kerioth), the earlier occupation and religious standpoint ("publican... Zealot"), and, with a bare hint at the beginning (vide infra), but a clear statement at the end, the after-history ("first... who also betrayed him") of the apostles. The two omissions are the fact that our Lord added the names of Peter (parallels, but really given earlier, Joh_1:42) and Boanerges (Mark).

Now the names, In the parallels part of the word "names" is found as a verb, "whom also he named apostles;" i.e. the naming there refers, not to the individuals, but to their office. Is the form found in our Gospel an "accidental" rearrangement due to a reminiscence that the word "name" occurred in the earliest source, or is it possible that the two facts are connected, and that the individuals received a new name when they definitely entered on a new office? That they should have received a new name seems a priori not improbable, but the evidence is very slight. "Peter" is a clear case, for though the name was given earlier, it would receive a new application now, and perhaps was now again expressly given (cf. parallel passages); and other cases may be St. Matthew (vide Introduction, p. 21) and possibly St. Bartholomew and St. Thaddaeus. Mark expressly says that the term Boanerges" was given to the sons of Zebedee; but as there is no evidence that either St. James or St. John was afterwards known by this name, it need not have been a name in the same sense in which the others were. Observe the formal order of the first words of this verse (twn de dwdeka apostolwn ta onomata estin tauta). Did the author of the Gospel take them from the heading of a section that already contained the names in order? If so the de would probably not have existed there, and it is worth noting that the original hand of D, the manuscript that is of special value for Palestinian tradition, omits it. Of the twelve (ver. 1, note) apostles (ver. 5, note) are these: The first. This, perhaps, refers to the order of call, Luk_5:1 (Nosgen), but more probably to the leading position that St. Peter held among the twelve. On this leadership, cf. the fragmentary excursus by Bishop Lightfoot, printed in "Clement of Rome," 2. 487 (1890). Simon. His Hebrew name was Simeon, (wm Act_15:14, and 2Pe_1:1, in the Received Text and Westcott and Herr margin) but his Gentile name (Mat_3:1, note) was Simon, this good Greek name being chosen as almost identical in sound. It occurs frequently in the Palestinian Talmud (wmys). Who is called Peter. In common Christian parlance. (Mat_4:18; cf. Mat_16:18)

HOMILIES BY J.A. MACDONALD Vers. 2-15. Christ"s charge to his apostles.

After a night spent in prayer, Jesus called his twelve disciples and constituted them into an apostolic college. With his commission he gave them his charge. Notice

I THE PERSONS COMMISSIONED AND CHARGED.

1. They were twelve in number.

(1) Perhaps in correspondence to the twelve tribes of Israel, to whom they are first to preach. (cf. ver. 6 Mat_19:28 Luk_22:30)

(2) As the sons of Jacob were the fathers of Israel according to the flesh, so are the twelve apostles the fathers of Israel after the Spirit.

(3) Twelve is a remarkable number in relation to the things of Christ. (see Rev_7:4 Rev_12:1 Rev_14:1 Rev_21:12, Rev_21:14) It has, therefore, been distinguished from the "number of the beast" as the number of the Lamb.

(4) In this number the apostles of Christ ever remained. For Paul (not Matthias) filled the place forfeited by Judas. The election of Matthias took place before the outpouring of the Spirit, and of the apostleship of Matthias we read no more (see Introduction in Mosheim).

2. Their names are given in order.

(1) Peter stands first in the lists. (ver. 2 Mar_3:16 Luk_6:14 Act_1:13) He was the first called to a constant attendance upon Christ, though Andrew had seen Jesus before Simon. (cf. Luk_5:3-10 Joh_1:40, Joh_1:41) But he had no authority over his brethren, or it had surely been mentioned; neither had he any authority over the Church in which his brethren did not share. James the son of Alphaeus presided in the council at Jerusalem. (see Act_15:19) The New Testament gives no countenance to the papal claims.

(2) In the groups we find brothers together. Peter and Andrew; James and John; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbeeus, or Jude. "God here unites by grace those who were before united by nature. " Nature must not be deemed a hindrance to grace.

(3) Last in the lists is the name of Judas Iscariot. He has the unenviable distinction of "the traitor." Unworthy persons may be found in the holiest societies on earth.

II THE CHARGE.

1. As to the apostles preaching.

(1) To whom were they to go?

(a) Not to the Gentiles.

(b) Not to the Samaritans.

(c) They were to limit their preaching to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel". (cf. Isa_53:6 Jer_1:6 Mt 12 Rom_9:1-4) The gospel must first be preached to the Jews. (cf. Mat_15:24 Rom_15:8) The restriction, however, was temporary. (see Act_1:8 Act_3:26 Act_13:46)

(2) What gospel were they to proclaim?

(a) The gospel of the "kingdom." Its spiritual nature. Spiritually, as well as literally, they were to "heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils.

(b) Its near approach. At hand," viz. when the Spirit should be given on the Day of Pentecost.

(c) Therefore the need of preparation for it, viz. by repentance. (cf. Mar_6:12)

3. As to its authentication.

(1) To this end miraculous powers were conferred upon the apostles. These were to continue with them. Unless in the spiritual sense, neither did they raise the dead nor cleanse the leper until after the resurrection of Christ.

(2) These they were to exercise freely, without restriction and without reward. (see 2Ki_5:15, 2Ki_5:16, 2Ki_5:26) Herein they differed from the exorcists mentioned by Josephus ("Ant.," lib. 8. c, 11).

4. As to their maintenance.

(1) This they were to receive from those to whom they should minister. (vers. 9-12; see also 1Co 9 Gal_6:6 1Ti_5:17) They must be under no necessity otherwise to earn their living.

(2) Where hospitably entertained their peace was to come. "Peace be to this house" was their salutation. (see Luk_10:5) "Great is peace," say the rabbins, "for all other blessings are comprehended in it". (cf. Joh_14:27 Php_4:7)

(3) When inhospitably treated they were to "shake off the dust of their feet," viz. as a witness against them before God. (see Neh_5:13 Act_13:51 Act_18:6) See that you refuse not the gospel message, for the case of the rejecter is fearful.

5. This sin is worse than that of the men of Sodom. (Eze_16:48, Eze_16:49) Who sin against the clear light of revelation are more guilty than those who offend against the dim light of tradition.

6. The full judgment upon sin is reserved to the last great day.

(1) The men of Sodom have yet to appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. The severest temporal judgments upon sinful men do not satisfy the claims of the offended justice of God.

(2) Terrible as their case will be, it will be more tolerable than that reserved for the rejecters of the gospel, of Christ. J.A.M.

Vers. 2-4. Representative Christian characters.

No doubt the number twelve was chosen by our Lord because twelve had been the number of the tribes of Israel. Very possibly a critical estimate of those two sets of twelve would bring to view this very interesting fact the heads of the twelve tribes represent the different types of ordinary humanity, they classify human character; and the twelve apostles represent the different types of Christianized humanity, or of human character as influenced by Christian principles and the Christian spirit. This line of thought would yield some fresh and striking results. In the lists of the apostolate there is an evident division into three classes, each containing four persons. The late T. T. Lynch gave, in a very suggestive way, the marked characteristic of each class or group; but the individuality of some of the apostles is not strongly enough marked, in the gospel narrative, for us to make a more precise analysis of character with any confidence. Those gifted with unusual powers of insight into character may differentiate the individuals from the slight hints that remain, but we may only venture to estimate the groups.

I THE BORN LEADERS. Simon, Andrew, James, John. Two sets of brothers, and the only brothers in the apostolic company. Natural leaders, for it is evident they were master-fishermen, managers of their business. Their gift of leadership Christ took over for service in his kingdom. Simon was more prominent than Andrew, and the fact that James was the first martyr suggests that he. was more prominent than John; and so we get this conclusion two, Simon and James, were leaders by force of character; two, Andrew and John, were leaders by gentleness of character. Those two kinds of leaders are always found.

II THE BORN DOUBTERS. Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew. The Gospels give illustrations of their questioning, critical disposition. They could not receive anything without well looking round it, and seeing it on all sides. Such men have their mission in the world. Faith is always in danger of becoming superstition, and the born doubters are always compelling us to look to the grounds of our faith.

III THE BORN WORKERS. James, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, Judas Iscariot. These were good "seconds;" men who could carry out, in all practical detail, what was arranged by the leaders. Not thinkers, and so not doubters; men who wanted something to do, and found themselves satisfied with the doing. Such men are still among us. R.T.

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

The first, Simon - The first who was called to a constant attendance on Christ; although Andrew had seen him before Simon. Acts i, 13.

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

The apostles enumerated:

v. 2. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother;

v. 3. Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, the publican; James, the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus;

v. 4. Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Apostles they are called as the special witnesses of Christ and as His representatives in extending His Church, Act 1:8-21, sent by Him with extraordinary authority. Note: At the head of the list is Peter, because he was called into actual discipleship first, Mat 4:18. His name, Peter, given to him by the Lord Himself, here distinguishes him from the other Simon of the list. Bartholomew is commonly identified with Nathanael, Joh 1:46. Matthew expressly adds his epithet "the publican," in modest self-abasement, and yet with a certain pride that Christ’s mercy had selected even a tax-gatherer of the lower class as His intimate friend. Simon the Canaanite, or Simon of Cana, was sometimes also called the Zealot, probably with reference to his most marked characteristic. In the last place stands the name of Judas, the traitor. His home town was Kerioth, in Judah, and he was the only non-Galilean disciple. The call of Jesus to this man was just as sincere as that to the other apostles. But Judas, by his own malice and by the temptation of Satan, thrust the mercy of the Lord from him. From petty thieving he fell to the lowest depths possible for a redeemed creature—he betrayed his Savior.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Observe here, Of the twelve apostles Peter is named first, and Judas last. Peter is named first, because first called, Mat 4:18 or because probably elder than the rest; or because, for order-sake, he might speak before the rest: from whence may be inferred a primacy, but no supremacy; a priority of order, but no superiority of degree. As the foreman of a grand inquest has a precidency, but no re-eminency. Judas is named last, with a brand of infamy set upon him, that he was the traitor the person that betrayed his Lord and Master.

Learn hence, That though the truth of grace be absolutely necessary to a minister’s salvation, yet the want of it doth not disannul his office, nor hinder the lawfulness of his ministry: Judas, though a traitor, was yet a lawful minister. Inward holiness is not necessary to render the offices belonging to the ministerial function valid and effectual: Judas preaches Christ as well as the rest, and was not excepted when Christ said, He that receiveth you, receiveth me.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

J. W. McGarvey's The Fourfold Gospel [XLI. Jesus Selects Twelve Apostles].

XLI. AFTER PRAYER JESUS SELECTS TWELVE APOSTLES. (Near Capernaum.) aMATT. X. 2-4; bMARK III. 13-19; cLUKE VI. 12-16.

c12 And it came to pass in these days, that he went out into the mountain b13 And he goeth up into the mountain, cto pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God. [It was a momentous occasion. He was about to choose those to whom he was to entrust the planting, organizing, and training of that church which was to be the purchase of his own blood. Jesus used such important crises, not as occasions for anxiety and worry, but as fitting times to seek and obtain the Father's grace and blessing.] 13 And when it was day, he called his disciples: band calleth unto him whom he himself would; and they went unto him. cand he chose from them twelve [We can not think that the number twelve was adopted carelessly. It unquestionably had reference to the twelve tribes of Israel, over whom the apostles were to be tribal judges or viceroys ( Luk_22:30), and we find the tribes and apostles associated together in the structure of the New Jerusalem ( Rev_21:12-14). Moreover, Paul seems to regard the twelve as ministers to the twelve tribes, or to the circumcision, rather than as ministers to the Gentiles or the world in general ( Gal_2:7-9). See also Jam_1:1, 1Pe_1:1. The tribal reference was doubtless preserved to indicate that the church would be God's new Israel], b14 And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, 15 and to have authority to cast out demons: cwhom also he named apostles [The word apostle means "one sent." Its meaning was kindred to the word ambassador [220] ( 2Co_5:20), the messenger whom a king sent to foreign powers, and also to our modern word missionary, which also means "one sent." Christ himself was an apostle ( Heb_3:1), and so sent them ( Joh_20:21). The word apostle is translated "messenger" at 2Co_8:23, Phi_2:25. The apostles were to be with Jesus, that they might be taught by his words, and that they might become teachers of that word and witnesses as to the life and actions of Jesus. A necessary condition, therefore, to their apostleship was this seeing of Jesus and the consequent ability to testify as to his actions, especially as to his resurrection ( Act_1:8, Act_1:21, 1Co_9:1, Act_22:14, Act_22:15). They could therefore have no successors. All the apostles were from Galilee save Judas Iscariot]: a2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these Joh_1:41, Joh_1:42. Peter, by reason of his early prominence, is named first in the four lists. His natural gifts gave him a personal but not an ecclesiastical pre-eminence over his fellows. As a reward for his being first to confess Christ, he was honored by being permitted to first use the keys of the kingdom of heaven; i. e., to preach the first gospel sermon both to the Jews and Gentiles. But after these two sermons the right of preaching to the Jews and Gentiles became common to all alike. That Peter had supremacy or authority over his brethren is nowhere stated by Christ, or claimed by Peter, or owned by the rest of the twelve. On [221] the contrary, the statement of Jesus places the apostles upon a level ( Mat_23:8-11). See also Mat_18:18, Mat_19:27, Mat_19:28, Mat_20:25-27, Joh_20:21, Act_1:8. And Peter himself claims no more than an equal position with other officers in the church ( 1Pe_5:1, 1Pe_5:4), and the apostles in the subsequent history of the church acted with perfect independence. Paul withstood Peter to his face and (if we may judge by the order of naming which is made so much of in the apostolic lists), he ranks Peter as second in importance to James, the Lord's brother ( Gal_2:11-14, Gal_2:9). See also Act_12:17, Act_21:18. Again, James, in summing up the decree which was to be sent to the church at Antioch, gave no precedence to Peter, who was then present, but said, "Brethren, hearken unto me... my judgment is"--words which would be invaluable to those who advocate the supremacy of Peter, if only it had been Peter who spoke them. So much for the supremacy of Peter, which, even if it could be established, would still leave the papacy without a good title to its honors, for it would still have to prove that it was heir to the rights and honors of Peter, which is something it has never yet done. The papal claim rests not upon facts, but upon a threefold assumption: 1. That Peter had supreme authority. 2. That he was the first bishop of Rome. 3. That the peculiar powers and privileges of Peter (if he had any) passed at the time of his death from his own person, to which they belonged, to the chair or office which he vacated]; aand Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; bthe brother of James; and them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder [This selection of brothers suggests that the bonds of nature may strengthen those of grace. Why James and John were called sons of thunder is not stated, but it was probably because of their stormy and destructive temper ( Luk_9:51-56, Mar_9:38). The vigor of the two brothers is apparent, for it marked James as a fit object for Herod's spleen ( Act_12:2), and it sustained John to extreme old age, for Epiphanius says [223] that he died at Ephesus at the age of ninety-four, but Jerome places his age at a hundred. No change is noted in the nature of James during the brief time which he survived his Lord. But the gracious and loving character of the aged John showed the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. But even to the last this son of thunder muttered in portentous strains against Diotrephes ( 3Jo_1:9, 3Jo_1:10), and his denunciations of sins and sinners is very forceful, including such epithets as "liar," "antichrist," "deceiver," "children of the devil" ( 1Jo_1:6, 1Jo_2:4, 1Jo_2:22, 1Jo_3:15, 1Jo_1:3-11). It is also worthy of note that except in this verse in Mark, which applies the name "Son of thunder" to John, neither the word "thunder," nor any of its derivatives is found anywhere in the New Testament save in the writings of John, by whom it and its derivatives are used eleven times, a fact which causes Bengel to remark, "A son of thunder is a fit person for hearing voices of thunder."] a3 Philip, and Bartholomew [as noted on Mar_15:40); probably because he was younger than the son of Zebedee. He must not be confounded with James the Lord's brother, who, though called an apostle by Paul, was not one of the twelve apostles (nor was Barnabas-- Act_14:14). James the Lord's brother is mentioned at Mat_13:55, 1Co_15:5-7, Gal_1:19, Gal_2:9, Gal_2:12, Act_15:6-9, Act_21:18. He wrote the epistle which bears his name, and his brother Jude (who also must not be confounded with Judas Thaddæus, the apostle) wrote the epistle which bears his name. We do not know the James who was the father of Judas, and of Judas himself we know very little. He seems to have been known at first by his name Thaddæus, possibly to distinguish him from Iscariot, but later (for Luke and John wrote later than Matthew and Mark) by the name Judas-- Joh_14:22.] a4 Simon the Cananaean, cwho was called the Zealot [Cananæan means the same as zealot. It comes from the Hebrew word kana, which means zealous. The Zealots were a sect or order of men much like our modern "Regulators," or "Black Caps." They were zealous for the Jewish law, and citing Phinehas ( Num_25:7, Num_25:8) and Elijah ( 1Ki_18:40) as their examples, they took justice in their own hands and punished offenders much after the manner lynchers. It is thought that they derived their name from the dying charge of the Asmonæan Mattathias when he said, "Be ye zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers" (I. Macc. ii. 50). Whatever they were at first, it is certain that their later course was marked by frightful excesses, and they are charged with having been the human instrument which brought about the destruction of Jerusalem. See Josephus, Wars, IV., iii. 9, v. 1-4; vi. 3; VII., viii. 1. Simon is the least known of all the apostles, being nowhere individually mentioned outside the catalogues], aand Judas Iscariot, cwho became a traitor; awho also betrayed him. [Judas is named last in all the three lists, and the same note of infamy attaches to him in each case. He is omitted from the list in Acts, for he was then dead. As he was treasurer of the apostolic group, he was probably chosen for office because of his executive ability. He was called Iscariot from his native city Kerioth, which pertained to Judah-- Jos_15:25.]

* NOTE.--To avoid making the text too complex and confusing, we have followed the order in which Matthew gives the names of the twelve. The names of the apostles are recorded four times in the following different arrangements and orders. Some think that Matthew divides them into groups of two, so that he may show us who went together when Jesus sent them out in pairs ( Mar_6:7). But it is idle to speculate as to the differences in arrangement. We note, however, that the twelve are divided into three quaternions, or groups of four, and that each has a fixed leader. TABLE OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES.

* NOTE.--To aid the reader, we submit the following table of the women who watched the crucifixion of Jesus, for it is from their names and descriptions that we get our Scriptural light by which we distinguish the kindred of our Lord.

Matthew and Mark each name three women, whence it is thought that Salome was the name of the mother of James and John. But the solution of the problem depends on our rendering of Joh_19:25, which is translated thus: "But there were standing by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene." Now, was Mary, the wife of Clopas, named and also additionally described as sister to our Lord's mother, or was it the unnamed Salome who was her sister? Does John mention three or four women? The best modern scholarship says that there were four women, and that therefore James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were cousins of our Lord. In support of this it is argued: 1. That it is unlikely that two sisters would bear the same name, a fact which, as Meyer says, is "established by no instance." 2. John gives two pairs of women, each pair coupled by an "and." The first pair is kindred to Jesus, and is unnamed and is paralleled by the other pair, which is not kindred and of which the names are given. Hebrew writers often used such parallelism. 3. It accords with John's custom to withhold the names of himself and all kindred, so that in his Gospel he nowhere gives his own, his mother's, or his brother's name, nor does he even give the name of our Lord's mother, who was his aunt. 4. The relationship explains in part why Jesus, when dying, left the care of his mother to John. It was not an unnatural thing to impose such a burden upon a kinsman.

[FFG 220-226]

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

General Information:

Here the author provides the names of the twelve apostles as background information.

Now

This word is used here to mark a break in the main story line. Here Matthew tells background information about the twelve apostles. (See: Background Information)

twelve apostles

This is the same group as the "twelve disciples" in Matthew 10:1.

first

This is first in order, not in rank. (See: Ordinal Numbers)

the Zealot

Possible meanings are 1) "the Zealot" is a title that shows that he was part of the group of people who wanted to free the Jewish people from Roman rule. AT: "the patriot" or "the nationalist" or 2) "the Zealot" is a description that shows that he was zealous for God to be honored. AT: "the zealous one" or "the passionate one"

Matthew the tax collector

"Matthew, who was a tax collector"

who would betray him

"who would betray Jesus"

translationWords

apostle

Peter

Andrew

James (son of Zebedee)

John (the apostle)

Philip, the evangelist

Thomas

Matthew

tax

James (son of Alphaeus)

Judas Iscariot

betray

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

2. ἀποστόλων, the only passage in this Gospel where the word occurs. The literal meaning, ‘sent forth,’ or ‘envoys,’ though scarcely recognised by classical authors, was not new. It seems to have been a ‘title borne by those who were despatched from the mother city by the rulers of the race on any foreign mission, especially such as were charged with collecting the tribute paid to the temple service’ (Lightfoot, Gal. p. 90). The title of ἀπόστολοι was given in a special sense to the Twelve, but was not confined to them. Matthias was added to the number of the twelve, Paul was ‘called to be an apostle,’ James the Lord’s brother, and Barnabas, are designated by the same title. It had even a wider signification: cp. among other passages Rom 16:7. The name is applied to Jesus Christ, Heb 3:1, κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν. He came to do the will of Him that sent Him.

There are four lists of the Apostles recorded, one by each of the Synoptic Evangelists, one in the Acts of the Apostles. No two of these lists perfectly coincide. This will be seen from the tabular view below.

Mat 10:3.

Mar 3:16.

1. Simon Peter.

Simon Peter.

Simon Peter.

2. Andrew.

James the son of Zebedee.

Andrew.

3. James the son of Zebedee.

John the brother of James.

James.

4. John his brother.

Andrew.

John.

5. Philip.

Philip.

Philip.

6. Bartholomew.

Bartholomew.

Bartholomew.

7. Thomas.

Matthew.

Matthew.

8. Matthew the Publican.

Thomas.

Thomas.

9. James the son of Alphæus.

James son of Alphæus.

James the son of Alphæus.

10. Lebbæus surnamed Thaddæus.

Thaddæus.

Simon Zelotes.

11. Simon the Cananite.

Simon the Cananite.

Judas (son) of James.

12. Judas Iscariot.

Judas Iscariot.

Judas Iscariot.

It will be observed from a comparison of these lists that the twelve names fall into three divisions, each containing four names which remain in their respective divisions in all the lists. Within these divisions however, the order varies. But Simon Peter is placed first, and Judas Iscariot last, in all. Again, Philip invariably heads the second, and James the son of Alphæus the third division. The classification of the apostolate is the germ of Christian Organisation. It implies diversity of work and dignity suited to differences of intelligence and character. The first group of four are twice named as being alone with Jesus, Mar 1:29; Mar 13:3; Peter and the sons of Zebedee on three occasions, see ch. Mat 17:1.Act 1:13.

Andrew, a Greek name; see Joh 12:21-22, where the Greeks in the temple address themselves to Philip, ‘Philip cometh and telleth Andrew and Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.’ An incident that seems to point to some Greek connection besides the mere name.

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.

2. The editor thought that this would be a suitable place for the insertion of the names of the Apostles, Mar 3:16-19, which he had previously omitted.

(EM) Now of the twelve apostles the names are these: First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother.] Mk. has: “And He appointed the Twelve. And he added to Simon a name Peter, and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and He added to them names,1 Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; and Andrew.”

τῶν δὲ δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τὰ ὀνόματά ἐστιν ταῦτα] This is an editorial introduction. ἀπόστολος, which occurs only here in Mt., is a reminiscence of Mar 3:14.Mar 3:2—πρῶτος] The word is unexpected in a mere catalogue like the following. It can only mean that Peter was the most prominent amongst the members of the Apostolic band; cf. 16:17-19.—Σίμων ὁ λεγόμενος Πέτρος] The editor simplifies Mk.’s harsh construction. On Σίμων, see note on 4:18. Mk. places the three chief Apostles first, and thus brings together the Greek names Andrew and Philip. Mt. places the brothers in pairs.—Ἀνδρέας ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ] Lk. also has Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ.—Ἰωάνης ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ] avoiding Mk.’s iteration of the name James. See on 4:18. For Mk.’s ἐπέθηκεν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα1, cf. Dan 1:7 LXX. Th.

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

Apostles [αποστολων] . Compare disciples, ver. 1. Apostles is the official term, used here for the first time. They were merely learners (disciples, maqhtai), until Christ gave them authority. From ajpostellw, to send away. An apostle is one sent forth. Compare Joh 13:16 and Rev., one that is sent. Cremer (" Biblico - Theological Lexicon ") suggests that it was the rare occurrence of the word in profane Greek that made it all the more appropriate as the distinctive appellation of the twelve. Compare Luk 6:13; Act 1:2. Also, Joh 17:18, I have sent. The word is once used of Christ (Heb 3:1), and in a very general sense to denote any one sent (2Co 8:23; Phi 2:25).

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