Matthew 10 · Verse 2

Matthew 10:2

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;
Matthew 10:2, King James Version

Matthew 10:2 in other translations

BSBThese are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
WEBNow the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother;
ASVNow 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;
YLTAnd of the twelve apostles the names are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James of Zebedee, and John his brother;
DARBYNow the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
BBENow the names of the twelve are these: The first, Simon, who is named Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother;
WebsterNow 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;

What does Matthew 10:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these--The other Evangelists enumerate the twelve in immediate connection with their appointment (Mr 3:13-19; Lu 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 (Ac 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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 2. The account which follows is more fully given in Mk 3:13-18, Lk 6:12-19. Both of those evangelists have 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. Lk 6:12.

Simon, who is called Peter. Peter means a rock. He was also called Cephas, Jn 1:42, 1Cor 1:12, 3:22, 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. Afterwards, as all history affirms, he was firm, zealous, steadfast, and immovable. He was crucified at Rome with his head downwards, thinking it too great an honour to die as his Master did. Jn 21:18.

James the son of Zebadee, and John his brother. This James was slain by Herod in a persecution, Ac 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, 2:9, Acts 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, Jn 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, Jn 19:25.

(u) "names" Lk 6:13

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Apostles - This is the first place where the word is used. ΑποϚολος, an apostle, comes from αποϚελλω, 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 αποϚολοι 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; etc. - 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, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 10:1-4

The word "apostle" signifies messenger; they were Christ's messengers, sent forth to proclaim his kingdom. Christ gave them power to heal all manner of sickness. In the grace of the gospel there is a slave for every sore, a remedy for every malady. There is no spiritual disease, but there is power in Christ for the cure of it. There names are recorded, and it is their honour; yet they had more reason to rejoice that…

Read the full comment on Matthew 10:1-4 →

Matthew 10:2 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΤῶνTōn<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
δώδεκαdōdekaof the twelveG1427
ἀποστόλωνapostolōnapostlesG652
τὰtatheG3588
ὀνόματάonomatanamesG3686
ἐστινestinareG1510
ταῦτα·¶tautathese:G3778
ΠρῶτοςPrōtosfirstG4413
ΣίμωνSimōnSimonG4613
ὁhowhoG3588
λεγόμενοςlegomenosis being namedG3004
ΠέτροςPetrosPeterG4074
καὶkaiandG2532
ἈνδρέαςAndreasAndrewG406
ὁhotheG3588
ἀδελφὸςadelphosbrotherG80
αὐτοῦ,autouof him,G846
ἸάκωβοςIakōbosJamesG2385
ὁhothe [son]G3588
τοῦtou<the>G3588
ΖεβεδαίουZebedaiouof ZebedeeG2199
καὶkaiandG2532
ἸωάννηςIōannēsJohnG2491
ὁhotheG3588
ἀδελφὸςadelphosbrotherG80
αὐτοῦ,autouof him,G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 10:2

  • Acts 1:13

    And 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.

  • Matthew 4:21

    And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

  • John 6:8

    One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,

  • Matthew 4:18

    And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

  • Luke 5:10

    And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

  • John 12:22

    Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

  • Luke 11:49

    Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

  • John 21:2

    There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

  • Matthew 17:1

    And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

  • 2 John 1:1

    The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

  • Matthew 26:37

    And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

  • Matthew 20:20

    Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
apostles.
Lu 6:13; 9:10; 11:49; 22:14; Ac 1:26; Eph 4:11; Heb 3:1; Re 18:20
Simon.
4:18; 16:16-18; Mr 1:16,17; 3:16; Lu 6:14; Joh 1:40-42; Ac 1:13
1Pe 1:1; 2Pe 1:1
Andrew.
Mr 1:29; 3:18; 13:3; Joh 6:8; 12:22
James.
4:21; 17:1; 20:20; 26:37; Mr 3:17; Lu 5:10; Joh 21:2; Ac 12:2
1Co 15:7
John.
Lu 22:8; Joh 13:23; 20:2; 21:20,24; Ac 3:1; 1Jo 1:3,4; 2Jo 1:1
3Jo 1:1
Re 1:1,9; 22:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 10:1

    And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

  • Matthew 10:2

    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;

  • Matthew 10:3

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

Read all of Matthew 10

Matthew 10:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y los nombres de los doce apóstoles son estos: el primero, Simón, que es dicho Pedro, y Andrés su hermano; Jacobo, hijo de Zebedeo, y Juan su hermano;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Or ce sont ici les noms des douze apôtres: le premier, Simon appelé Pierre, et André son frère; Jacques le fils de Zébédée, et Jean son frère;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Namen der zwölf Apostel aber sind diese: Der erste, Simon, der Petrus genannt wird, und Andreas, sein Bruder; Jakobus, der Sohn des Zebedäus, und Johannes, sein Bruder;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Duodecim autem Apostolorum nomina sunt hæc. Primus, Simon, qui dicitur Petrus: et Andreas frater ejus,