Simon the Cananaean

Biblical Record

Simon the Cananaean appears only in the lists of the Twelve Disciples, found in Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15, and Acts 1:13. Matthew and Mark call him "Simon the Cananaean," Luke calls him "Simon called Zelotes," and Acts calls him "Simon Zelotes." Acts 1:13 places him among the disciples who gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem to pray after the ascension of Jesus. No other passage records any of his words or deeds.

Meaning Within Scripture

The term "Cananaean" is understood to derive from an Aramaic word meaning "zealous one." Luke used a Greek word with the same meaning, zēlōtēs (Zelotes). The two designations are therefore understood as different renderings of the same epithet. The epithet serves to distinguish him from Peter (whose given name was Simon), who appears in the same lists of disciples.

Interpretations and Issues

• The meaning of "Cananaean": The King James Version renders the word "Canaanite," and the Korean Revised Version likewise renders it "Canaanite" (Ganan-in). As a result, he has sometimes been mistakenly regarded as a Canaanite or as a native of Cana. Modern scholarship generally understands the term as referring to zeal rather than to a place. The Revised New Korean Standard Version renders the name "Simon the Zealot."
• Was he a Zealot?: Some interpreters hold that he was a member of the Zealots, a political faction that resisted Rome by force of arms. Others note that the Zealots did not operate as a distinct organization until later, around the time of the Jewish War, and therefore regard the epithet as a reference to his personal zeal for the Law. The text does not say which view is correct.
• Extrabiblical traditions: Later accounts should be distinguished from the biblical text. Western church tradition holds that he preached in the region of Persia together with Thaddaeus (Judas the son of James) and was martyred there. Another tradition holds that he was sawn in two, and he is accordingly often depicted in art holding a saw. Still other traditions claim that he preached in Egypt, along the coast of the Black Sea, or in Britannia, and some have identified him with Simon the brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3), but none of these claims can be verified. The liturgical calendars of the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion observe October 28 as the feast of Saints Simon and Jude.

In the Korean Church

Sermons in Korean churches frequently point out that Matthew, a former tax collector, and Simon, who was called a Zealot, belonged to the same community of disciples. Preachers often draw from this the message that people of differing backgrounds and convictions are made one in Christ. In Sunday school, he is usually introduced as children learn the names of the twelve disciples.