Bible Dictionary: Alphaeus

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

Alphaeus

(changing) the father of the apostle James the Less, (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13) and husband of Mary. (John 19:25) [MARY] In this latter place he is called Clopas (not, as in the Authorized Version, Cleophas).

ATS Bible Dictionary

Alphaeus

1. Father of James the Less, Matthew 10:3 Luke 6:15, and husband of the Mary usually regarded as sister to the mother of Christ, John 19:25. See MARY, 1 and 3. By comparing John 19:25 with Luke 24:18 and Matthew 10:3, it is evident that Alphaeus is the same as Cleophas; Alphaeus being his Greek name, and Cleophas his Hebrew or Syriac name.

2. Father of Matthew, or Levi, the evangelist, Mark 2:14.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(1.) The father of James the Less, the apostle and writer of the epistle (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), and the husband of Mary (John 19:25). The Hebrew form of this name is Cleopas, or Clopas (q.v.).

(2.) The father of Levi, or Matthew (Mark 2:14).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ALPHAEUS

al-fe'-us (Alphaios; Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek, Halphaios):

(1) The father of the second James in the list of the apostles (Matthew 10:3 Mark 3:18 Luke 6:15 Acts 1:13).

(2) The father of Levi, the publican (Mark 2:14). Levi is designated as Matthew in the Gospel of Matthew 9:9. There is no other reference to this Alpheus.

Some writers, notably Weiss, identify the father of Levi with the father of the second James. He says that James and Levi were undoubtedly brothers; but that seems improbable. If they were brothers they would quite likely be associated as are James and John, Andrew and Peter. Chrysostom says James and Levi had both been tax-gatherers before they became followers of Jesus. This tradition would not lend much weight as proof that they were brothers, for it might arise through identifying the two names, and the western manuscripts do identify them and read James instead of Levi in Mark 2:14. This, however, is undoubtedly a corruption of the text. If it had been the original it would be difficult to explain the substitution of an unknown Levi for James who is well known. Many writers identify Alpheus, the father of the second James, with Clopas of John 19:25. This had early become a tradition, and Chrysostom believed they were the same person. This identity rests on four suppositions, all of which are doubtful:

(a) That the Mary of Clopas was the same as the Mary who was the mother of the second James. There is a difference of opinion as to whether "Mary of Clopas" should be understood to be the wife of Clopas or the daughter of Clopas, but the former is more probable. We know from Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 that there was a James who was the son of Mary, and that this Mary belonged to that little group of women that was near Jesus it the time of the crucifixion. It is quite likely that this Mary is the one referred to in John 19:25. That would make James, the son of Mary of Matthew 27:56, the son of Mary of Clopas. But Mary was such a common name In the New Testament that this supposition cannot be proven.

(b) That the James, who was the son of Mary, was the same person as the James, the son of Alpheus. Granting the supposition under (a), this would not prove the identity of Clopas and Alpheus unless this supposition can also be proven, but it seems impossible to either prove it or disprove it.

(c) That Alpheus and Clopas are different variations of a common original, and that the variation has arisen from different pronunciations of the first letter ("ch") of the Aramaic original. There are good scholars who both support and deny this theory.

(d) That Clopas had two names as was common at that time; but there is nothing to either substantiate or disprove this theory. See CLOPAS.

It seems impossible to determine absolutely whether or not Alpheus, the father of the second James, and Clopas of John 19:25 are the same person, but it is quite probable that they are.

A. W. Fortune

Greek

256b. Halphaios -- Alphaeus, the name of the fathers of two ...
... 256a, 256b. Halphaios. 257 . Alphaeus, the name of the fathers of two disciples.
Transliteration: Halphaios Short Definition: Alphaeus. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/256b.htm - 5k

256. Alphaios -- Alpha
... Alpha. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Alphaios Phonetic Spelling:
(al-fah'-yos) Short Definition: Alphaeus Definition: Alphaeus; apparently ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/256.htm - 5k

3018. Leuis -- Levi.
... Proper Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration: Leuis Phonetic Spelling: (lyoo-is') Short
Definition: Levi Definition: (Hebrew), Levi, son of Alphaeus, the publican ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3018.htm - 6k

2385. Iakobos -- James, the name of several Israelites
... Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Iakobos Phonetic Spelling: (ee-ak'-o-bos) Short
Definition: James Definition: James, (a) the Small, son of Alphaeus, and one ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2385.htm - 6k

3017. Leui -- Levi, the name of several Israelites
... of Jesus, (b) another ancestor of Jesus, (c) third son of Jacob, the patriarch,
and founder of a tribe named after him, (d) son of Alphaeus, and called Matthew ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3017.htm - 6k

Library

The General Epistle of James
... While James, the brother of John, and James the son of Alphaeus soon disappear from
view in the Acts of the Apostles, this James stands out prominently as the ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the general epistle of james.htm

C. The Third Period. Chs. 6:12 to 8:56
... also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip and
Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/c the third period chs.htm

James the Brother of the Lord.
... 2. James (the son) of Alphaeus, who was likewise one of the Twelve, and is mentioned
in the four apostle-catalogues, Matt.10:3; Mark 3:10; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13 ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 27 james the brother.htm

The Twelve and the Seventy.
... [38:1] Thomas was called Didymus, [38:2] or the twin, in reference, we may presume,
to the circumstances of his birth; James the son of Alphaeus was styled ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/chapter iii the twelve and.htm

The Gospel of Matthew
... and Paul. In Mark he is said to be the son of Alphaeus, whom some identify
with Alphaeus the father of the apostle James. But this ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the gospel of matthew.htm

A Teacher with Authority
... And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom,
and said unto him: "Follow me.". And he arose and followed him. ...
/.../mark/jesus of nazareth a biography/chapter ii a teacher with.htm

A Brother to all who do the Will of God
... The sons of thunder: and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas,
and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite ...
/.../mark/jesus of nazareth a biography/chapter iii a brother to.htm

The Gospel According to St. Matthew
... St. Matthew is one of the least known of the Apostles. He was first called Levi
the son of Alphaeus, and was a "publican" or collector of customs at Capernaum. ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter iii the gospel according.htm

Institutions of Jesus.
... two sons of Jonas; the two sons of Zebedee; James, son of Cleophas; Philip; Nathaniel
bar-Tolmai; Thomas; Levi, or Matthew, the son of Alphaeus; Simon Zelotes ...
/.../renan/the life of jesus/chapter xviii institutions of jesus.htm

The Ascension
... into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip,
and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/the ascension.htm

Thesaurus

Alphaeus (5 Occurrences)
... (2.) The father of Levi, or Matthew (Mark 2:14). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
ALPHAEUS. ... AW Fortune. Multi-Version Concordance Alphaeus (5 Occurrences). ...
/a/alphaeus.htm - 12k

Thomas (12 Occurrences)
... From the circumstance that in the lists of the apostles he is always mentioned along
with Matthew, who was the son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18), and that these two ...
/t/thomas.htm - 17k

Bartholomew (4 Occurrences)
... Matthew 10:3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son
of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY ...
/b/bartholomew.htm - 10k

Zealot (4 Occurrences)
... (BBE NAS NIV). Mark 3:18 Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the
son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot; (WEB BBE NAS NIV). ...
/z/zealot.htm - 12k

Zelotes (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Zelotes (2 Occurrences). Luke 6:15 Matthew and Thomas,
James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, (KJV WBS YLT). ...
/z/zelotes.htm - 7k

Levi (79 Occurrences)
... (3.) Luke 3:24. (4.) One of the apostles, the son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14; Luke
5:27, 29), called also Matthew (Matthew 9:9). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ...
/l/levi.htm - 35k

Thaddaeus (2 Occurrences)
... Matthew 10:3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son
of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY ...
/t/thaddaeus.htm - 11k

Cleopas (2 Occurrences)
... It is not certain that he was the Clopas of John 19:25, or the Alphaeus of Matthew
10:3, although he may have been Songs. Int. ... See also ALPHAEUS; CLOPAS. ...
/c/cleopas.htm - 8k

Philip (37 Occurrences)
... Matthew 10:3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son
of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY ...
/p/philip.htm - 32k

Matthew (5 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Gift of God, a common Jewish name after the Exile. He
was the son of Alphaeus, and was a publican or tax-gatherer at Capernaum. ...
/m/matthew.htm - 38k

Bible Concordance

Alphaeus (5 Occurrences)

Matthew 10:3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 2:14 As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed him.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 3:18 Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 6:15 Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot;
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Acts 1:13 When they had come in, they went up into the upper room, where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Alphaeus

Related Terms

Thomas (12 Occurrences)

Bartholomew (4 Occurrences)

Zealot (4 Occurrences)

Zelotes (2 Occurrences)

Levi (79 Occurrences)

Thaddaeus (2 Occurrences)

Cleopas (2 Occurrences)

Philip (37 Occurrences)

Matthew (5 Occurrences)