Note 3 at Mk. 1:19: James (English form of "Jacob," which means "supplanter"). There are five men mentioned in the New Testament with the name of James. (1) James, the half brother of our Lord Jesus (see note 2 at Jn. 2:12, p. 45); (2) James, the son of Alphaeus, who was also one of the twelve apostles (Mt. 10:3; Mk. 3:18; Lk. 6:15; Acts 1:13); (3) James, the son of Mary and brother of Joses (Mt. 27:56; Mk. 16:1; Lk. 24:10), who was also called "the less" (Mk. 15:40), which was probably in reference to his height; and (4) James, the brother of the apostle, Jude (Lk. 6:16; Acts 1:13; Jude). It is possible that this James is the same man as James the son of Alphaeus. (5) James, the brother of John and the son of Zebedee who is spoken of in this verse.

This James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John, was one of Jesus' first disciples (vv. 19-20). James and his brother John were fishermen and partners with Peter and Andrew (Lk. 5:10). From Matthew 27:56 with Mark 15:40 and John 19:25, it is possible that James' mother, Salome, was also the sister of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Salome, along with James and John, asked Jesus if her two sons could sit one on His right hand and one on His left hand when He came into His kingdom (Mt. 20:20-23; Mk. 10:35-40). Jesus gave James and his brother John the name "Boanerges" which meant "sons of thunder" (Mk. 3:17). James and John received a stiff rebuke from Jesus for wanting to call fire down from Heaven on the Samaritans (Lk. 9:54-56).

James was one of three who made up an inner circle of Jesus' twelve apostles, and he was privileged to be with Jesus on a number of special occasions (Mt. 17:1-9; Mk. 5:37- 43; 14:33). James was one of the apostles who was fishing on the sea of Galilee when Jesus appeared to them in His resurrected body (Jn. 21:2). James was also present at Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:8-13) and on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost was given (Acts 2:1). James was the first of the apostles to be martyred (Acts 12:2).