ALPHAEUS

(Al·phaeʹus) [perhaps, leader or chief]

1. The father of the apostle Matthew Levi, the tax collector.—Matt. 9:9; Mark 2:14.

2. The father of James the Less, the ninth listed of the twelve apostles. (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13) Many authorities are supported by tradition in the general belief that Alphaeus was the same person as Clopas (John 19:25), which would also make him the husband of “the other Mary.” (Matt. 27:56; 28:1; Mark 15:40; 16:1; Luke 24:10) Either a variation in pronunciation of the root word, or the individual’s having had two names, a common thing in those days, would explain this difference.