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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_3:13-19
13And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15and to have authority to cast out the demons. 16And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, "Sons of Thunder"); 18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.
Mar_3:13 "He went up on the mountain" This could be understood in two ways: (1) Jesus left the area close by the sea of Galilee and went up into the hill country or (2) this is a prelude to the setting of the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Matthew 5-7), which Mark does not record.
Mar_3:14 "appointed twelve" This is paralleled in Luke's Sermon on the Plain, Luk_6:12-16. Mark does not record Matthew's Sermon on the Mount (i.e., Matthew 5-7).
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Mar_3:14 There is another phrase added to this verse by the ancient Greek uncial manuscripts à , B, and with slight change, in C. The added phrase is "whom he also named apostles" (see footnote in NRSV). Many textual critics assume that this addition is an assimilation from Luk_6:13.
▣ "so that they would be with Him" Jesus was intimately involved in the training of the Twelve. Robert Coleman has authored two helpful books on Jesus' methods: The Master Plan of Evangelism and The Master Plan of Discipleship, both of which deal with the growth of the early church using the same principles as Jesus.
▣ "send them out to preach" Jesus came to preach the good news of the kingdom. He trained His disciples to do the same: (1) the Twelve (cf. Mar_6:7-13; Mat_10:1; Mat_10:9-14; Luk_9:1-6) and (2) later, seventy disciples (cf. Luk_10:1-20).
Mar_3:15 "demons" This possibly refers to fallen angels, active on Satan's behalf. However, the Bible is silent on the origin of the demonic. Jesus' authority over them establishes His power and Messianic mission. See Special Topic at Mar_1:24.
Mar_3:16 "He appointed the twelve" The Twelve are mentioned in the NT four times (cf. Mat_10:2-4; Mar_3:16-19; Luk_6:14-16; and Act_1:13 [identical to Mat_10:2-4]). The list always appears in four groups of three people. The order often changes within the groups (but Peter is always first and Judas Iscariot is always last). It is possible that these groupings reflect a rotating way of allowing these men to return home from time to time to check on their family responsibilities.
It is amazing how little we know about most of the early Apostles. Early church tradition is often all we have to rely on.
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▣ "Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter)" Most Jews of Galilee had both a Jewish name (i.e., Simon or Symeon, meaning "hearing") and a Greek name (which is never given). Jesus nicknames him "rock." In Greek it is petros and in Aramaic it is cephas (cf. Joh_1:42; Mat_16:16).
Peter is the eyewitness, apostolic source behind the Gospel of Mark. See Introduction for complete notes.
Mar_3:17 "Boanerges. . .Sons of Thunder" Mark translates the Aramaic name for his Gentile (probably Roman) readers. These brothers (i.e., James and John) live up to the nickname in Luk_9:54.
Mar_3:18 "Andrew" The Greek term means "manly." From Joh_1:29-42 we learn that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist and that he introduced his brother, Peter, to Jesus.
▣ "Philip" The Greek term means "fond of horses." His call is elaborated in Joh_1:43-51.
▣ "Bartholomew" The term means "son of Ptolemy." He may be the Nathanael of the Gospel of John (cf. Joh_1:45-49; Joh_21:20).
▣ "Matthew" The Hebrew term means "gift of YHWH." This is referring to Levi (cf. Mar_2:13-17).
▣ "Thomas" The Hebrew term means "twin" or Didymus (cf. Joh_11:16; Joh_20:24; Joh_21:2).
▣ "James" This is the Hebrew name "Jacob." There are two men named James in the list of the Twelve. One is the brother of John (cf. Mar_3:17) and part of the inner circle (i.e., Peter, James, and John). This one is known as James the less.
▣ "Thaddaeus" He was also called "Lebbeus" (cf. Mat_10:3) or "Judas" (cf. Joh_14:22). Both Thaddaeus and Lebbeus mean "beloved child."
NASB, NJB "Simon the Zealot"
NKJV "Simon the Canaanite"
NRSV "Simon the Cananean"
TEV "Simon the Patriot"
The Greek text of Mark has "Cananean" (also Mat_10:4). Mark, whose Gospel was written to Romans, may not wanted to use the politically "hot-button" word "zealot," which referred to a Jewish anti-Roman guerrilla movement. Luke does call him by this term (cf. Luk_6:15 and Act_1:13). The term Cananean may have several derivatives.
1. of the area of Galilee known as Cana
2. from the OT use of Canaanite as merchant
3. from a general designation as a native of Canaan (also called Palestine)
If Luke's designation is right, then "zealot" is from the Aramaic term for "enthusiast" (cf. Luk_6:15; Act_1:17). Jesus' chosen twelve disciples were from several different and competing groups. Simon was a member of a nationalistic group which advocated the violent overthrow of Roman authority. Normally this Simon and Levi (i.e., Matthew the tax collector) would not have been in the same room with each other.
Mar_3:19 "Judas Iscariot" There are two Simons, two Jameses, and two Judases. "Iscariot" has two possible derivations: (1) man of Kerioth in Judah (cf. Jos_15:23) or (2) "dagger man" or assassin, which would mean he also was a zealot, like Simon.
▣ "who betrayed Him" This verb has been colored by John's Gospel's description of Judas (cf. Joh_6:71; Joh_12:4; Joh_13:2; Joh_13:26-27; Joh_18:2-5). Originally it simply meant "turn over to authorities" (cf. Mar_1:14). Judas' psychological and/or theological motivation in betraying Jesus is a mystery.