Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 3:19

"and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. And he cometh into a house." — Mark 3:19 (ASV)

There are three other lists of the apostles in the NT (Matthew 10:2–4; Lk 6:14-16; Acts 1:13). The names of the Twelve as given in these lists naturally divide into four parts. Peter heads the three other names in the first section; Philip heads the second section; James the Son of Alphaeus (called “the Less” in Matthew) the third; the last section consists of the name of Judas Iscariot (except in Acts). Simon’s nickname, “the rock” (Peter), was given him by Jesus (see comment on Mt 16:18).

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder.” This probably describes their disposition; it had something of the thunderstorm in it. Since Bartholomew is not a personal name but a patronymic, meaning “son of Talmai,” this disciple probably had another name (Nathanael? cf. Jn 1:45).

Matthew is doubtless to be identified with Levi (2:14). Thaddaeus is probably the Judas son of James of Luke’s lists (Acts 1:13). Simon is called “the Zealot” (GK 2421; likely a reference to his membership in the party of the Zealots, a Jewish sect bent on the overthrow at all costs of the Roman control of Palestine). Judas’s surname is given as Iscariot, probably meaning “the man from the place called Karioth.” He is further identified as the man who betrayed Jesus.

It was a strange group of men our Lord chose as his disciples. Four of them were fishermen, one a hated tax collector, another a member of a radical and violent political party. Of six of them we know practically nothing. All were laymen; none was a preacher or expert in the Scriptures. Yet it was with these men that Jesus established his church and disseminated his Good News to the ends of the earth.