Alphaeus Ἀλφαῖος
Father of apostles James and Matthew (Levi)
Biography
Alphaeus, also known as Cleopas, is mentioned in the New Testament as the father of two of Jesus' apostles, James and Matthew (Levi). James, the son of Alphaeus, is listed among the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus. (Mat.10.3; Mrk.3.18; Luk.6.15; Act.1.13) He is often referred to as "James the Less" or "James the Younger" to distinguish him from James, the son of Zebedee, and James, the brother of Jesus.
Matthew, also known as Levi, is identified as the son of Alphaeus in the account of his calling as a disciple. Jesus encountered Matthew at the tax collector's booth and called him to follow him, which Matthew did, leaving behind his profession. (Mrk.2.14)
In the Gospel of John, a woman named Mary is described as standing near the cross of Jesus, along with his mother and other women. This Mary is identified as the wife of Clopas (an alternative spelling of Cleopas or Alphaeus). (Jhn.19.25) Some scholars suggest that this Mary may have been the mother of James and Matthew, but this is not explicitly stated in the text.
Additionally, in the Gospel of Luke, a man named Cleopas is mentioned as one of the two disciples who encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus. (Luk.24.18) While some traditions identify this Cleopas with Alphaeus, the father of James and Matthew, there is no clear evidence in the biblical text to support this connection.
The limited information provided about Alphaeus in the Gospels and Acts focuses primarily on his relationship to his sons, James and Matthew, who became followers of Jesus and members of the twelve apostles. His mention in the biblical text serves to identify and distinguish these two disciples from others with similar names.
Family
Parents
Siblings
In Scripture
5 biblical books ; 5 with study contentMatthew 1 verse Study available
- Matthew 10:3
"Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus;"
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Mark 2 verses Study available
- 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."
Study Mark → - Mark 3:18
"Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;"
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Luke 2 verses Study available
- Luke 6:15
"Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot;"
Study Luke → - Luke 24:18
"One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?”"
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Acts 1 verse Study available
- 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."
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John 1 verse Study available
- John 19:25
"But standing by Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Ἀλφαῖος | G0256 |
| Named | Greek | Κλεόπας | G2810 |
| Spelled | Greek | Κλωπᾶς | G2832 |
Alphaeus
(2) The father of Levi, the publican (Mr 2:14). Levi is designated as Matthew in the Gospel of Mt 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 Mr 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 Joh 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 Mt 27:56 and Mr 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 Joh 19:25. That would make James, the son of Mary of Mt 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 Joh 19:25 are the same person, but it is quite probable that they are.
A. W. Fortune
ol'-so: In the Greek kai, when it is equivalent to "also" or "even," is always placed before the word or phrase which it is intended to emphasize (e.g. Ac 12:3; <ref osisRef="Bible:1J