Mar 3:16-19 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Mark 3:16-18: 3:16-18 Simon and Andrew were brothers, as were James and John (1:16-20 ). • Peter is the Greek equivalent of the Aramaic kepa’ , meaning “rock.”

Summary for Mark 3:16-18: 3:16-18 ^a Simon and Andrew were brothers, as were James and John (1:16-20 ^b).

• Peter is the Greek equivalent of the Aramaic kepa’, meaning “rock.”
3:17 ^c but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”: This nickname probably speaks of their character (cp. Luke 9:53-54 ^d).
3:18 ^e Philip is fifth on all four lists of the twelve disciples (Matt 10:1-4 ^f; Luke 6:12-16 ^g; Acts 1:13 ^h); James the son of Alphaeus (not the son of Zebedee and brother of John) is always ninth. Bartholomew might be Nathanael (John 1:43-51 ⁱ), and Matthew is probably Levi, the tax collector (Mark 2:14 ^j; Matt 9:9 ^k). Although Thomas is referred to as “the twin” (John 11:16 ^l; 20:24 ^m; 21:2 ⁿ), nothing else is said in the New Testament about this. Thaddaeus (Matt 10:3 ^o) is missing from Luke’s list; he might be Judas, the son of James (Luke 6:16 ^p; Acts 1:13 ^q). That a government official (Matthew) and an anti-government activist (Simon ... the zealot) were among the twelve apostles testifies to Jesus’ ability to change people’s hearts and overcome natural antagonism.
3:19 ^r Identifying Judas as Iscariot suggests that Mark wanted to avoid confusing him with another Judas (Luke 6:16 ^s; Acts 1:13 ^t). Iscariot probably comes from ’ish (“man of”) qeriyoth (“Kerioth,” a town in Judea).

• who later betrayed him: See Mark 14:10-11 ^u, 43-46 ^v.