SIMEON or SIMON aiPte, heard), was a native of Bethsaida in Galilee (John i. 45), and was the son of a certain Jonas, whence he is named on one occasion in the gospel history Simon Barjona, that is, son of Jona (Matt. xvi. 17). His place of residence was Capemaum (Luke iv. 31, 3S), where he had a wife, and where his mother-in-law dwelt (Matt. viii. 14; Luke iv. 38, 39 ; comp.
Cor. ix. 5). According to tradition, his wife's name was Concordia or Perpetua, and she is said (Clem. Alex. Strom., vii. II. 63) to have suffered martyrdom before him. According to the _same authority, also (Strom., iii. 6. 52), he had child ren. Along with his father and his brother Andrew, he followed the occupation of a fisher man on the Sea of Galilee. It is probable that, before they were chosen by Christ, they were both disciples of John the Baptist. That Andrew was so we are expressly informed by the evangelist John ; and as his brother seems to have been of the same mind with him on religious matters, it is extremely likely that he was so likewise. Their attaching themselves to Jesus was owing to John's pointing him out after his baptism to Andrew and another disciple (probably the evangelist John), as the Lamb of God ;' on which they immediately followed Jesus, and spent some time in receiving his instructions. It would appear that before the conference began they went forth to seek Simon, and Andrew having found him first carried him to Jesus, who, on receiving him as his disciple, be stowed upon him that surname by which he has since that time been most commonly designated (John i. 42) : ' When Jesus beheld him he said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jona ; thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation a stone (r/rpos).' That for a season after this interview Peter attached himself to Jesus, and, along with others, accompanied him to Galilee (John ii. 2, 12), thence to Jerusalem (ver. 17), thence into the land of Judma and the vicinity of the Jordan, where the disciples of Jesus baptized (iii. 22 ; iv. 2), and thence through Samaria (iv. 8) into Galilee (iv. 43), can hardly be doubted. During the subse quent residence of Jesus, however, at Capernaum (Matt. iv. 13), Peter, with his brother and James and John, returned to their occupation as fishers ; and it was whilst so engaged that Jesus finally called them to be his disciples and witnesses. The accounts given of this by the synoptists agree, ex cepting that Matthew places it before our Lord's preaching through Galilee, the delivery of the sermon on the mount, and the healing of Peter's wife's mother (iv. 18 ; viii. 14) ; Mark also places
it before the healing of Peter's wife's mother, but omits the preaching through Galilee and the ser mon on the mount (i. 16-3 i) ; while Luke places it after the healing of Peter's wife's mother and the preaching through Galilee (iv. 38 ; v. 1, ff.) Luke also adds several particulars which the other evan gelists omit. The call which Jesus on this occa sion addressed to Peter was decisive and final. Deeply conscious of unworthiness and of his im measurable inferiority to Jesus, he recognised in him his Lord,' and for his sake forsook all and followed him. With James and John he shared peculiar intimacy of intercourse with Jesus, and was present at scenes in his history from which all but these three were excluded—such as the transfigu ration on the mount and the agony in Gethsemane. The intimate relation between Peter and our Lord is indicated by the fact that it was to him that the tax-collector Caine to know if his Master paid tribute (Matt. xvii. 24), and that to him and John was entrusted the duty of providing the lamb for the paschal supper (Luke xxii. 8) ; though it was another that had the bag' (John xii. 16). In the course of the evangelical history several incidents relating to Peter are recorded, for the purpose, doubtless, principally of illustrating the character and teaching of our Lord, but which tend also to throw light upon the history and character of his attached disciple. Such are the accounts furnished by the evangelists of his walking upon the agitated waters of the Sea of Galilee to meet his master (Matt. xiv. 22, ff. ; Mark vi. 45, ff ) ; of his bold and intelligent avowals of the undoubted Messiah ship of Jesus, notwithstanding the difficulties which he, along with the rest of the disciples, felt in re conciling what they saw in him with what they had fondly expected the Christ to be (Matt. xvi. 13-2o); of his rash but affectionate rebuke of his Lord for speaking of suffering and death as in prospect for him, and as forming a necessary part of his media torial work (Matt. xvi. 21-23) ; of his conduct in first rejecting, with an earnestness bordering on horror, the offer of Christ to wash his feet, and then, when the symbolical nature of that act had been explained to him, his over-ardent zeal that not his feet only, but also his hands and his head, might be washed (John xiii. 4, ff.) ; of his bold and some . .