Zelotes

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A Zealot; in general, one passionately and fanatically ardent in any cause. After the time of Christ the name Zelote was commonly applied to an association of private individuals who without authority or law sought to enforce their own views of the law. In their opinion it was a high crime to pay tribute to the Romans and rebellion was the duty of every patriotic Jew. Beginning with moderation, they became more and more violent; and during the Roman war excesses and crimes under the pretext of zeal of the Lord are described by Josephus as truly appalling; so that they acquired the appropriate name of Sicarii, or assassins. As the germ of this body seems to have existed in our Lord's day, some suppose that the apostle Simon Zelotes was so called from his having once belonged to it. The name Canaanite, or more properly Canaanite, from the Hebrew kana, has the same meaning with Zelotes,  Matthew 10:4;  Mark 3:18 . Little more is known respecting Simon.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Zelo'tes. The epithet given to the apostle, Simon, to distinguish him from Simon Peter.  Luke 6:15. See Canaanite, The; Simon, 5 .

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

The Greek equivalent to the Aramaic "Canaanite" (a corrupted form for Cananoean);. "Zealot" applied to Simon ( Luke 6:15;  Matthew 10:4).

Holman Bible Dictionary

SimonZealot

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Luke 6:15

Morrish Bible Dictionary

See SIMONNo. 2.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( Ζηλωτής ), an epithet of the apostle Simon ( Luke 6:15;  Acts 1:13) to distinguish him from Simon Peter. ‘ In the parallel lists of  Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18, he is called Simon the Cananite ( Κανανίτης , A.'' V erroneously "Canaanite"), this being a transliteration of the Heb. or Aramaean קִנְאָן , zeal, of which the Greek title is a translation. The word denotes a Zealot in' general ( 1 Corinthians 14:12;  Titus 2:14;  1 Peter 3:13), especially in behalf of Jewish law and institutions ( Acts 21:20;  Acts 22:3;  Galatians 1:14). Probably there were already extant in the time of Christ, when this epithet was given to Simon, the germs of the sect or party afterwards thus designated, the members of which professed great attachment to Judaism, and, under pretext of punishing by informal trial and execution those guilty of infringing the observances of the national religion, perpetrated great excesses (Josephus, War, 4:3, 9; 5, 1, 4; 6:3; 7:8, 1). (See Simon).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

zḗ - lō´tēz ( Ζηλωτής , Zēlōtḗs ). See Simon The Zealot; Zealot , Zealtos .