Matthew 10:3

Matthew 10:3. Philip, not the Evangelist. The first disciple called, a native of Bethsaida. The name is Greek.

Bartholomew, i.e., the son of Thol-mai. He is probably identical with Nathanael (John 1:43), the friend of Philip, and is also supposed to have been a resident of Cana in Galilee.

Thomas, i.e., ‘twin,' the Greek name of the same meaning being ‘Didymus.' He is frequently mentioned in the Gospel according to John.

Matthew the publican, the writer of the Gospel, who inserts his previous employment as a token of the power of grace.

James (Jacob) the son of Alpheus, called ‘James the less,' or, the younger (Mark 15:40, where his mother Mary is mentioned). The name ‘Alpheus' has been considered identical with ‘Clopas' or ‘Cleophas,' since ‘the mother of James the less' (Mark 15:40) is identical with ‘Mary, the wife of Cleophas' (John 19:25). His mother's sister, in John 19:25, may refer to Salome (see above). The view that it refers to Mary, the wife of Cleophas, identifies this James with ‘the Lord's brother' (Galatians 1:19); the term being taken in the wide sense of relative. Others reject the notion that the two sisters had the same name, and think that Alpheus was an older brother of Joseph, who adopted his children, and that thus they were called our Lord's ‘brethren.' We hold that James the Lord's brother was the author of the Epistle, but not one of the Twelve, nor were any of ‘His brethren,' who were either the younger children of Joseph and Mary or the children of Joseph by a former wife. For the reasons, see notes on chap. Matthew 13:55. We only remark here: In the many-varying lists of the Apostles there is no hint that these persons were the Lord's brethren; that in Matthew 12:46-50 these brethren are distinguished pointedly from the disciples, at a time after the Twelve were chosen; the taunt at Nazareth, which names these brethren, loses much of its force, if they were among His disciples; John (John 7:5) expressly states they did not believe on Him. On the whole subject see Lange's Com., Matthew, pp. 255 - 260.

Lebbeus, whose surname (or other name) was Thaddeus. Both have the same meaning, ‘courageous.' He was also called ‘Judas'; was probably the brother of James, ‘the son of Alpheus,' and the author of the short Epistle of Jude. Comp. Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13; John 14:22. One of the Lord's ‘brethren' was called Judas (Matthew 13:55); and has been identified with this Apostle. But Matthew was also the son of Alpheus, and yet no one affirms that he was the brother of James. It is as likely that there was a great number of persons about our Lord called James, Judas, and Simon, as that two of the Apostles mentioned together were not brothers, although the father of each was named Alpheus.