Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Philip, and Bartholomew. That this person is the same with "Nathanael of Cana in Galilee," is justly concluded for the three following reasons: First, because Bartholomew [bar Talmay, or 'son of Ptolemy'] is not so properly a name as a family surname; next, because not only in this list, but in Mark's and Luke's, he follows the name of "Philip," who was the instrument of bringing Nathanael first to Jesus (John 1:45); and again, when our Lord, after His resurrection, appeared at the sea of Tiberias, "Nathanael of Cana in Galilee" is mentioned along with six others, all of them apostles, as being present (John 21:2).
Matthew the publican. In none of the four lists of the Twelve is this apostle so branded but in his own one, as if he would have all to know how deep a debtor he had been to his Lord. (See the notes at Matthew 1:3; Matthew 1:5-6; and Matthew 9:9, and Remark 2 on that section.)
James the son of Alpheus, [= Chalpay] - the same person apparently who is called Cleopas or Clopas (Luke 24:18; John 19:25); and as he was the husband of Mary, sister to the Virgin, James the less must have been our Lord's cousin.
And Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus - the same, without doubt, as "Judas the brother of James," mentioned in both the lists of Luke (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13), while no one of the name of Lebbeus or Thaddeus is so. It is he who in John (John 14:22) is sweetly called "Judas, not Iscariot." That he was the author of the Catholic Epistle of "Jude," and not "the Lord's brother" (Matthew 13:55), unless these be the same, is most likely.