Explanation of Names and Surnames of The Twelve

From: Questions and Answers on Scripture: From the Bible Treasury

• 2 min. read • grade level: 9

Question: Could we have a few words of explanation on the names and surnames of “The Twelve”?

ENQUIRER.

Answer: Simon or Symeon (2 Peter 1:1¹Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: (2 Peter 1:1)) had the patronymic of Bar, that is, son of Jona or Jonas, (Matt. 16:17¹⁷And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 16:17); John 20:15-17¹⁵Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. ¹⁶Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. ¹⁷Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:15‑17)), and was given by the Lord the name of Kephas (Aramaic), or Petros (Greek)=Stone or Rockman (John 1:43⁴³The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. (John 1:43), confirmed solemnly later in Matt. 16:18¹⁸And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)).

Andrew is a Greek name (as Philip also in another case) and seemingly answers to the Hebrew Adam. He was Simon’s brother and the means of leading him, afterward far more famous than himself, to the Lord, as we read in John 1, before their public call (Matt. 4; Luke 5).

John, “the beloved disciple,” was in Hebrew Johanan, “the gift of Jehovah.”

James is our English form of Jacob, who, like John, was son of Zebedee or Zabdi. They were surnamed by our Lord (Mark 3:17¹⁷And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: (Mark 3:17)) Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder.

Philip, of Bethsaida like the foregoing, answers in Greek to the Hebrew name Susi, father of Gaddi (Num. 13:11¹¹Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi. (Numbers 13:11)). It means “fond of horses.”

Bartholomew is the patronymic, meaning son of Tolmai; his personal name was Nathaniel (gift of God).

Thomas in Hebrew, like Didymus, means “a twin.”

Levi and Matthew were both Hebrew names of the same apostle who wrote the first Gospel.

Jacob son of Alphmus or Clopas (Chalpai) is the second apostolic James.

Jude or Judas, Lebbmus, and Thaddmus are the three names of the apostle who wrote the so called catholic Epistle (Matt. 10:3³Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus; (Matthew 10:3); Mark 3:18¹⁸And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite, (Mark 3:18)).

Simon was called Zelotes (Luke 6:15¹⁵Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes, (Luke 6:15), Acts 1:13¹³And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. (Acts 1:13)), answering to the Hebrew word translated “Cananean,” as it should be, not meaning either of Canaan or of Cana, but “zealot,” one of that well-known fierce party of Jews.

Judas finally seems designated “Iscariot,” meaning man of Kerioth in the south of Judea, alas! the traitor.

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