Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter;
Parallel translations
- KJV And Simon he surnamed Peter;
- BSB These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (whom He named Peter),
- NKJV Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter;
- NASB And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter),
- NLT These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter),
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus names Simon 'Peter,' the first of the twelve listed. It matters because the new name marks his calling and role among the apostles.
Overview
By renaming Simon as Peter ('rock'), Jesus signals a transformed identity and future role. Peter heads every list of the apostles, reflecting his prominence among them. The act of naming shows Jesus' authority to shape and commission his people for service in his kingdom.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- John 1:42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).
- Acts 1:13When they had come in, they went up into the upper room, where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
- 1 Cor 9:5Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
- 1 Cor 3:22whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours,
- 1 Cor 1:12Now I mean this, that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” and, “I follow Christ.”
- Matt 16:16–18Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
- Gal 2:7–9but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcision
- Mark 1:16Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
- Matt 10:2–4Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother;
- 2 Pet 1:1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
- Luke 6:14–16Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 3:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.