· Translation: KJV

Matthew 10:3Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

The setting

Galilee, Israel, ~29 AD. The list continues with lesser-known disciples, each bringing unique backgrounds...

The emotion here: humble gratitude as Matthew includes himself among the chosen despite his shameful profession

The original word

telōnēs (τελώνης) — tax collector, a despised profession working for Rome against fellow Jews

Why it matters

Bartholomew is likely the same person as Nathanael, showing how people went by different names in different contexts

Read with care

What most readers miss in Matthew 10:3

Thomas, famous for doubting, is listed here simply as Thomas — his questioning nature wasn't yet revealed

Common misconceptionPeople focus on the famous names and miss that half these men are barely mentioned again. God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes, not just the superstars.

Bible Genome reading

Matthew 10:3 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerMatthew
Eragospel
Primary emotionresting
Literary typegenealogy

Emotional genome

Comfort power25%
Quotability30%
Memorability50%
Crisis relevance10%
Standalone15%
Themes:discipleshipidentity

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Matthew 10

Matthew 10:3 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Matthew. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 25% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the genealogy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include discipleship, identity. Notable phrases: Matthew the tax collector; Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus.

Your reflection

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