Matthew 10:3 - Exposition

Bartholomew . Nathanael ( John 1:45 , equivalent to Theodore ) was so common a name (cf. Numbers 1:8 ; 1 Chronicles 2:14 ; 1 Chronicles 15:24 ; 1 Chronicles 26:4 ; 2 Chronicles 17:7 ; 2 Chronicles 35:9 ; Ezra 10:22 ; Nehemiah 12:21 , Nehemiah 12:36 ), that for further identification a patronymic ("son of Tolmai," Ptolemy) was used, which in this case, superseded the proper name. Thomas . "As Thomas ( δίδυμος ), ' the Twin,' is properly a surname, and this apostle must have had some other name, there seems no reason for doubting this very early tradition [Eusebius, 'Hist. Eccl.,' Ecclesiastes 1:13 , and probably the Old Syriac of John 14:22 , et al. ] that he also was a Jude". The ' Clem. Hem.,' 2.1, give Eliezer as the name of the other brother. Matthew the publican , James the son of Alphseus. And Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; and Thaddaeus (Revised Version); as also Mark, while Luke and Acts 1:13 read "Jude [ the brother , Authorized Version, but better the son , Revised Version] of James," which was doubtless his proper name. If the word "Thaddaeus" ( יאדּתּ ) was as seems likely (for Edersheim's connexion of it with todah , "praise," is based on what is apparently a mere play of words in Talm. Bob., 'Sanh.,' 43a), originally a pet-name ( Sehosskind , "Bosom-child," Weiss, Nosgen) from ידֵּתַּ , "the female breasts," it is intelligible that he or others would prefer the somewhat synonymous "Lebbseus" ( בלֵ , "heart"), which might mean "child of one's heart," but more probably "courageous," found in the "Western" text. The similarity of sound would help towards this, even if another derivation that seems possible, "the Fiery" (from הבָּלִ , "kindle"), be the true one. In the latter case the appellation, "Jude the Zealot" (Old Latin), may rest on something more than a mistaken interpretation of the parallel passage in Luke. In Westcott and Herr, 'App.,' it is said that "this name [Lebbaeus] is apparently due to an early attempt to bring Levi ( δευείς ) the publican ( Luke 5:27 ) within the Twelve, it being assumed that his call was to apostleship just as in Mark 2:14 δευείς is changed in Western texts to ἰάκωβος , because τὸν τοῦ ἁλφαίου follows, and it was assumed that the son of Halphseus elsewhere named as one of the Twelve must be meant. The difference between the two forms of the name would be inconsiderable in Aramaic, Lewi and Levi or Lebi or Lebbi ; and βεββαῖος might as easily represent Lebbi as θαδδαῖος Thaddi. "