And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
και ιουδαν ισκαριωτην ος και παρεδωκεν αυτον και ερχονται εις οικον
9 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 23 commentaries
He also instructs the Prelates of the Church to pass the night in prayer before they ordain, that their office be not impeded. When therefore, according to Luke, it was day, He called whom He would; for there were many who followed Him.
He calls the sons of Zebedee by this name, because they were to spread over the world the mighty and illustrious decrees of the Godhead.
Luke, however, says that He went up to pray, for after the shewing forth of miracles He prays, teaching us that we should give thanks, when we obtain any thing good, and refer it to Divine grace.
Further, He gives the names of the Apostles, that the true Apostles might be known, so that men might avoid the false. And therefore it continues: And Simon he surnamed Cephas.
Whom he reckons amongst the Apostles, that we may learn that God does not repel any man for wickedness, which is future, but counts him worthy on account of his present virtue.
But let no one suppose that Simon now received his name and was called Peter, for thus he would make Mark contrary to John, who relates that it had been long before said unto him, Thou shalt be called Cephas. (John 1:42) But Mark gives this account by way of recapitulation; for as he wished to give the names of the twelve Apostles, and was obliged to call him Peter, his object was to intimate briefly, that he was not called this originally, but that the Lord gave him that name.
Thus from obedience, which Simon signifies, the ascent is made to knowledge, which is meant by Peter. It goes on: And James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother.
Namely, James who has supplanted all the desires of the flesh, and John, who received by grace what others held by labour. There follows: And he surnamed them, Boanerges. (Gen. 27:36. v. Aur. Cat. in Matt. 10:2)
Or spiritually, Christ is the mount, from which living waters flow, and milk is procured for the health of infants; whence the spiritual feast of fat things is made known, and whatsoever is believed to be most highly good is established by the grace of that Mountain. Those therefore who are highly exalted in merits and in words are called up into a mountain, that the place may correspond to the loftiness of their merits. It goes on: And they came unto him, &c. For the Lord loved the beauty of Jacob, (Ps. 46 Vulg.) that they might sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, (Matt. 19:28) who also in bands of threes and fours watch around the tabernacle of the Lord, and carry the holy words of the Lord, bearing them forward on their actions, as men do burdens on their shoulders.
Or by this the lofty merit of the three mentioned above is shewn, who merited to hear in the mountain the thunders of the Father, when he proclaimed in thunder through a cloud concerning the Son, This is my beloved Son; that they also through the cloud of the flesh and the fire of the word1, (Matt. 17:1) might as it were scatter the thunderbolts in rain on the earth, since the Lord turned the thunderbolts into rain, so that mercy extinguishes what judgment sets on fire. It goes on: And Andrew, who manfully does violence to perdition, so that he had ever ready within him his own death, to give as an answer, and his soul was ever in his hands. (1 Pet. 3:15. Ps. 119:109. Bede ubi sup.)
Or, ‘the mouth of a lamp,’ that is, one who can throw light by his mouth upon what he has conceived in his heart, to whom the Lord gave the opening of a mouth, which diffused light. We know that this mode of speaking belongs to holy Scripture; for Hebrew names are put down in order to intimate a mystery. There follows: And Bartholomew, which means, the son of him who suspends the waters; of him, that is, who said, I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. (Is. 5:6) But the name of son of God is obtained by peace and loving one’s enemy; for, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the sons of God. (Matt. 5:9, 44, 45) And, Love your enemies, that ye may be the sons of God.
There follows: And Matthew, that is, ‘given,’ to whom it is given by the Lord, not only to obtain remission of sins, but to be enrolled in the number of the Apostles. And Thomas, which means, ‘abyss;’ for men who have knowledge by the power of God, put forward many deep things. It goes on: And James the son of Alphæus, that is, of ‘the learned’ or ‘the thousandth,’ (Ps. 91:7) beside whom a thousand will fall. This other James is he, whose wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness. (Eph. 6:12) There follows, And Thaddæus, that is, ‘corculum,’ (qu. cordis cultor) which means ‘he who guards the heart,’ one who keeps his heart in all watchfulness.
But Simon is interpreted, ‘laying aside sorrow;’ for blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matt. 5:4) And he is called Canaanite, that is, Zealot, because the zeal of the Lord ate him up. But Judas Iscariot is one who does not do away his sins by repentance. For Judas means ‘boaster,’ or vain-glorious. And Iscariot, ‘the memory of death.’ But many are the proud and vain-glorious confessors in the Church, as Simon Magus, and Arius, and other heretics, whose deathlike memory is celebrated in the Church, that it may be avoided.
For it was not a matter of their choice and zeal, but of Divine condescension and grace, that they should be called to the Apostleship. The mount also in which the Lord chose His Apostles, shews the lofty righteousness in which they were to be instructed, and which they were about to preach to men.
For as a sacrament of this the children of Israel once used to encamp about the Tabernacle, so that on each of the four sides of the square three tribes were stationed. Now three times four are twelve, and in three bands of four the Apostles were sent to preach, that through the four quarters of the whole world they might baptize the nations in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. It goes on: And he gave them power, &c. That is, in order that the greatness of their deeds might bear witness to the greatness of their heavenly promises, and that they, who preached unheard-of things, might do unheard-of actions.
After having forbidden the evil spirits to preach Him, He chose holy men, to cast out the unclean spirits, and to preach the Gospel; wherefore it is said, And he went up into a mountain, &c. (Luke 6)
And the reason that the Lord willed that he should at first be called otherwise, was that from the change itself of the name, a mystery might be conveyed to us. Peter then in Latin or in Greek means the same thing as Cephas in Hebrew, and in each language the name is drawn from a stone. Nor can it be doubted that is the rock of which Paul spoke, And this rock was Christ. (1 Cor. 10:4) For as Christ was the true light, and allowed also that the Apostles should be called the light of the world, (Matt. 5:14.) so also to Simon, who believed on the rock Christ, He gave the name of Rock.
We must connect this with what went before, He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth.
For Andrew is a Greek name, which means ‘manly,’ from ἀνὴδ, that is, man, for he manfully adhered to the Lord. There follows, And Philip.
But Thaddæus is the same person, as Luke calls in the Gospel and in the Acts, Jude of James, for he was the brother of James, the brother of the Lord, as he himself has written in his Epistle. There follows, And Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. He has added this by way of distinction from Simon Peter, and Jude the brother of James. Simon is called the Canaanite from Cana, a village in Galilee, and Judas, Scariotes, from the village from which he had his origin, or he is so called from the tribe of Issachar.
As time progressed, it became increasingly essential for the Lord to distinguish a select group of chosen individuals from the multitude of followers. This separation was necessary to expand His mission through them more broadly and to better equip them for future service. The growing admiration of the masses was met with intensifying animosity from His adversaries, which, although orchestrated by Divine foreknowledge, was always within their prescribed limits and never infringed upon the Divine liberty of our Savior to willingly offer His life for us out of His profound love. Nonetheless, according to the Divine plan, these tensions were destined to manifest their outcomes in due time.
To temporarily evade the ire of the Pharisees, the Lord sought to establish a deeper communion with a few of His disciples. He thus withdrew one evening to a quiet mountain to pray. One can only speculate what His prayer entailed. However, it is likely that as the Divine Advocate sought to lay the groundwork for the formation of the New Testament Church, He sought His Father’s blessing upon this endeavor, asking for fortitude against the forces of evil, recalling that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” and reaffirming His intercession with Simon: "I have seen Satan fall from heaven: this Satan asks that I may sift you as wheat, and I pray for you, Simon."
The Son of Man may have implored His Heavenly Father for strength as He approached the final trial set before Him. For at dawn, He was to draw close to Himself, by the will and pleasure of the Father, the very instrument of His demise—Judas Iscariot. In the morning, after gathering His disciples on the mountain, He selected twelve of them to remain consistently with Him, enabling them to bear witness to what they had seen, heard, and touched (Mk. 3:14). These individuals represented, in a sense, the leaders of the anticipated twelve tribes of the new Israel (Rev. 21:14).
In recounting the events surrounding the second-first Sabbath and the subsequent one, Luke does not suggest a notable shift in the location of Christ's mission. While Luke maintains this continuity, the Gospel of Mark highlights that the first significant occurrence thereafter is the appointment of the twelve apostles. The Gospel of Matthew omits this event altogether, instead providing a list of the apostles' names at the moment they were commissioned to preach, implying that their selection had already been alluded to. Neither Mark, noting the ascent of Jesus to the mountain, nor Luke, mentioning the time frame, establishes this occurrence in direct relation to the previous one. Luke informs us that the Lord dedicated the entire night prior to this moment in prayer to God.
These twelve disciples were summoned to become Christ’s most intimate associates throughout His earthly ministry and to carry on His work following His ascension into glory. Thus, from that moment onward, He drew them into a close-knit community, forming with them a unified family with Himself as their leader. The names of the apostles remain consistent across the Evangelists, differing only slightly in their arrangement. The Gospel of Mark notes that when he identifies James and John, Jesus bestowed upon them the moniker "Boanerges," meaning sons of Thunder. It is plausible that this naming did not occur at this time but rather during an incident that showcased the fiery zeal of these apostles, possibly referenced in Luke 9:54. Likewise, when mentioning Simon, Mark states that Jesus designated him as Peter, an event recorded at a different moment (John 1:42). Some apostles listed by the Evangelists were previously known from the accounts of their initial encounters with Christ (John 1:37 ff.) and their invitations to follow Him (Matthew 4:18 ff., 9:9 ff., and parallels), including Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Nathanael, and Matthew, the tax collector. The stories of the calling of the other apostles, however, remain undisclosed.
When the appointed day arrived, Jesus summoned His disciples. Mark details that He did not invite all His disciples to the mountain, but specifically those He desired. Among those He called, He selected twelve and designated them as apostles. The term apostle derives from Greek, meaning messenger. The mission of these twelve was to be sent forth to proclaim the Gospel, hence Jesus referred to them as messengers. Recognizing that they might need to perform signs while preaching—and that signs might need to accompany their ministry—Jesus endowed them with the authority to heal ailments and expel demons.
Some of these apostles had previously been called by Jesus to follow Him; for instance, Simon and his brother Andrew, John and his brother James, Philip, Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew), and Matthew. The remaining apostles were selected from a larger group of disciples at this time. The Evangelist Matthew does not provide details regarding the selection of the twelve apostles, only mentioning their names when recounting Jesus' commissioning of them, identifying Matthew (referring to himself) as a tax collector. Conversely, the Evangelist Luke addresses their selection, aligning with the account of Mark.
There are slight variations in the names used by the Evangelists, though these are not true discrepancies but rather distinctions made to identify apostles who shared the same names. Thus, while Matthew and Mark refer to the second Simon as Simon the Cananite, Luke calls him the Zealot. Both terms hold the same meaning—a word for someone zealous in a Greek context and a corresponding Hebrew term. Simon the Zealot was likely associated with a Jewish political movement advocating for national independence prior to his calling by Jesus. The Evangelist Matthew relates that the apostle Levi was also known as Thaddeus; similarly, Mark refers to him by the name Thaddeus, while Luke identifies him as Judas, son of Jacob.
The presence of two apostles named Judas is confirmed in the Gospel of John, during the Last Supper when, after Judas Iscariot had departed, it was Jesus and the remaining eleven apostles. The other Judas asked Jesus, ‘Lord, why is it that You want to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?’ (John 14:22). Accordingly, this Judas is referred to as Judas, son of Jacob, by Luke, as Levi nicknamed Thaddeus by Matthew, and simply Thaddeus by Mark. Judas Iscariot received his name from his origin, the town of Kerioth; the designation Iscariot is thought to combine two Hebrew words meaning "a man from Kerioth." All three Evangelists refer to Apostle Nathanael by his patronymic title, Bartholomew, meaning son of Pholomew.
Among the apostles, the last mentioned is Judas Iscariot, whose name casts a shadow over the radiant narrative of the Gospel. Identified as "a man from Kerioth," a town located in the tribe of Judah (Nav. 15:25), the name Iscariot is often interpreted as a combination of the words “ish” meaning man and Kerioth. This interpretation relates to the town referenced in the book of Joshua (15:25), although opinions on its origin vary. Some suggest this nickname reflects a unique aspect of Judah's heritage, translating Iscariot as "man with a leather belt," indicating he could secure the public funds. Alternatively, if this moniker was assigned posthumously, it might indicate "man of blows" (Ish-askara) or "man of lies" (Ish-sheker).
Judas was distinct among the disciples, as he was not from Galilee, but rather a Jew of pure lineage. His character suggests a profound selfishness, often leading those steeped in self-interest to be open to individuals from whom they expect personal gain. It is likely that Judas followed Christ due to the enthusiasm shown by the Galileans, hoping for the swift arrival of the Messiah's kingdom, which he believed would offer significant benefits. His initial fervor for this movement may have justified his selection as one of the twelve. There is a possibility he once genuinely believed in Christ's Messiahship, albeit in a material sense as taught by Jewish rabbis. However, when his expectations were not met, his selfish tendencies overshadowed any noble intentions, leading him to betrayal. Though Christ foresaw Judas's wickedness, he chose him to be among the twelve to connect him with the source of all goodness, providing every chance for his transformation. Despite Judas's failure to embrace this divine grace, his actions ultimately advanced his Master’s mission. In his torment after the betrayal, he bore witness to the righteousness of Jesus, declaring to the authorities that he had “sinned by betraying the blood of the Righteous One.”
The inaugural circle of Christ's closest disciples, entrusted with propagating the Gospel, did not boast remarkable human credentials, and little about them is preserved in historical records. By the second century, the details of their lives and works had become hazy. They were not celebrated figures like those known throughout history but faithfully fulfilled their divine calling, achieving results far greater than any worldly conquest, as these unknown fishermen and tax collectors triumphed over the world with an everlasting victory. However, before they assumed the role of fishers of men, these newly chosen disciples underwent a profound educational process under their Divine Master, essential for their transformation into genuine apostles. This educational journey was no small task. Coming from ordinary backgrounds where material concerns overshadowed spiritual aspirations, the disciples initially struggled to grasp the lofty mission to which they were called, often failing to understand their Master's true purpose. The challenge of lifting the veil of worldly biases from their understanding was a significant burden for their Divine Teacher, who lamented: “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?” (Mark 9:19). Frequently, they were left bewildered by events in the life of their Master, leading the evangelists to highlight their lack of understanding and faith, as well as their inclination toward earthly pursuits over spiritual ones (Mk. 4:13, 40; Mk. 6:52; Mk. 8:17, 18, 21; Mk. 9:6, 19, 32, 34; Mk. 10:24, 32, 35; Mk. 14:40). Yet, these shortcomings stemmed not from ill intentions but from the prejudices instilled in them. Despite their limited comprehension of higher matters, their hearts were sincere and devoted to their Master, who asserted that they “have been with Him in His trials” (Luke 22:28). He compassionately overlooked their faults, recognizing that though their flesh was weak, their spirits remained pure and capable of greatness. Thus, He tenderly referred to them as His brothers, children, and friends (Matthew 25:40; John 13:33; John 15:14-15). Encouraged by His profound love, His disciples endeavored to delve deeper into the essence and spirit of His teachings, gradually becoming spiritually refined. Unlike the traditional rabbinic instruction, His teaching was informal; they learned by listening to His public teachings and asking for clarification in private (Mark 7:17-18; Mark 8:5-37; Mark 9:19; Mark 10:36). Most importantly, His life served as their ultimate example—a beacon of edification. They became so immersed in His teachings and the example He set that they lost sight of their own identities, to the extent that the evangelists did not delineate their personalities within their writings. Christ saturated their lives, thoughts, and hearts, leading to a remarkable transformation. In the brief years spent in close fellowship with Him, especially in the serene backdrop of their home regions and by the cherished lakes, they absorbed His essence, witnessed His miraculous actions, and their faith eclipsed that of the prophets and kings of old who longed to see the Messiah and hear His divine teachings but were not granted this opportunity (Luke 10:24).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 7 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS