James Ἰάκωβος
Son of Zebedee, one of the Twelve Apostles
Who is James in the Bible?
James, son of Zebedee and brother of John, was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus and a member of his inner circle. A fisherman by trade, James was called by Jesus to follow him along with his brother (Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19). He was present at pivotal moments in Jesus' ministry, including the Transfiguration and Jesus' agony in Gethsemane (Matthew 17:1; Mark 14:33), and Jesus gave James and John the surname "Boanerges," meaning "Sons of Thunder," reflecting their zealous nature (Mark 3:17). After Jesus' ascension, James remained prominent in the early church (Acts 1:13) until he became the first of the Twelve Apostles to be martyred, demonstrating the costly commitment required of those closest to Christ.
Biography
James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John, was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. He was a fisherman by trade and was called by Jesus, along with his brother, to follow Him (Mat.4.21; Mrk.1.19). James, John, and Peter formed Jesus' inner circle and were present at significant events such as the Transfiguration (Mat.17.1; Mrk.9.2; Luk.9.28) and Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mrk.14.33). Jesus surnamed James and John "Boanerges," meaning "Sons of Thunder" (Mrk.3.17), possibly referring to their zealous and passionate nature. James and his brother also asked Jesus for positions of honor in His kingdom (Mrk.10.35-41). After Jesus' ascension, James continued to play a prominent role in the early church (Act.1.13). He was the first of the Twelve Apostles to be martyred, executed by Herod Agrippa I around 44 AD (Act.12.2).
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In Scripture
4 biblical books ; 4 with study contentMatthew 3 verses
- Matthew 4:21
"Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,"
Study Matthew → - Matthew 10:2
"These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;"
Study Matthew → - Matthew 17:1
"After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves."
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Mark 5 verses
- Mark 1:19
"Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets."
Study Mark → - Mark 1:29
"As soon as Jesus and His companions had left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew."
Study Mark → - Mark 3:17
"James son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),"
Study Mark → - Mark 5:37
"And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James."
Study Mark → - Mark 9:2
"After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them."
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Luke 5 verses
- Luke 5:10
"and so were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to Simon. “From now on you will catch men.”"
Study Luke → - Luke 6:14
"Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;"
Study Luke → - Luke 8:51
"When He entered the house, He did not allow anyone to go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother."
Study Luke → - Luke 9:28
"About eight days after Jesus had said these things, He took with Him Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray."
Study Luke → - Luke 9:54
"When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”"
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Acts 2 verses
- Acts 1:13
"When they arrived, they went to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James."
Study Acts → - Acts 12:2
"He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword."
Study Acts →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Ἰάκωβος | Iákōbos | Jacobus, the name of three Israelites |