Luke 6:13 · Bible study
Luke 6:13 Commentary: The Choosing of the Twelve Apostles
Greek · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus prays all night, then chooses twelve disciples and names them apostles. A study on the foundation of apostolic calling.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus selects twelve of his disciples and gives them the title “apostles,” signifying that they are sent with his authority.
- Key words: eklexamenos (“having chosen out”), deliberate selection from a group; apostolous (“apostles”), commissioned messengers.
- Main debate: Whether Jesus named them apostles at that moment or in view of their future role (Calvin), and whether the number twelve is primarily symbolic of Israel or practical for leadership.
- Theological theme: Divine initiative in calling leaders; prayer as the context for mission; the Church as a reconstituted Israel.
- Best use: As a foundation for understanding Christian calling and the priority of prayer in leadership selection.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles:
WEB World English Bible 2000
When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:
KJV King James Version 1769
And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And when it was day, he called his disciples; and he chose from them twelve, whom also he named apostles:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and when it became day, he called near his disciples, and having chosen from them twelve, whom also he named apostles,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And when it was day he called his disciples, and having chosen out twelve from them, whom also he named apostles:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And when day was come, he called unto him his disciples: and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named apostles):
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y como fué de día, llamó á sus discípulos, y escogió doce de ellos, á los cuales también llamó apóstoles:
E quando já era dia, chamou a si os seus discípulos, e escolheu doze deles, a quem também chamou de apóstolos:
Quand le jour parut, il appela ses disciples, et il en choisit douze, auxquels il donna le nom d’ apôtres:
Und da es Tag ward, rief er seine Jünger und erwählte ihrer zwölf, welche er auch Apostel nannte:
En als het dag was geworden, riep Hij Zijn discipelen tot Zich, en verkoos er twaalf uit hen, die Hij ook apostelen noemde:
E quando fu giorno, chiamò a sé i suoi discepoli, e ne elesse dodici, ai quali dette anche il nome di apostoli:
A gdy był dzień, zwołał uczniów swych i wybrał z nich dwanaście, które też nazwał Apostołami:
Когда же настал день, призвал учеников Своих и избрал из них двенадцать, которых и наименовал Апостолами:
到了 天亮，叫 他 的門徒來，就 從 他們 中間挑選 十二個人， 稱 他們 為使徒。
And the day came and, turning to his disciples, he made a selection from among them of twelve, to whom he gave the name of Apostles;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 6:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse records a pivotal moment: Jesus selects twelve disciples from a larger group and designates them as apostles. The choice comes immediately after a night of solitary prayer, which Matthew Henry calls an example of “secret prayer” and Lange describes as the “fruit of the most immediate communion of the Son with the Father.” Clarke notes that the Greek verb eklexamenos (“having chosen out”) stresses selection from among many. The number twelve echoes the tribes of Israel, as the Cambridge Bible points out, signaling the reconstitution of God’s people around Jesus. That Jesus “named” them apostles (from apostolos, “one sent with orders”) makes explicit their commissioning. Vincent observes that Luke alone includes this naming, while Mark uses the verb “made” (ἐποίησεν). Together the commentators see the night of prayer and the symbolic number as grounding the apostles’ authority not in human merit but in divine call.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Symbolic reconstitution of Israel: The number twelve parallels the twelve tribes (Matthew 19:28); Jesus is gathering a new people around himself.
- Practical leadership selection: Jesus needed a manageable group to train and send; the disciples were already followers (Mark 3:14).
- Two-stage naming (Calvin): Luke may be summarizing a title given later (as in Matthew 10), or Jesus conferred the title at this moment in view of their future sending.
What is clear: Jesus prayed all night and then deliberately chose twelve of his disciples, naming them apostles—a decision that shaped the foundation of the Church.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of ‘apostle’ | All traditions agree the word means ‘sent one’, a delegate with the sender’s authority. | Protestants generally restrict the title to the Twelve and Paul; Catholics and Orthodox include later figures as successors; some Evangelicals use it broadly for missionaries today. |
| Significance of the number twelve | Christians affirm the number is deliberate and meaningful. | Some emphasize its symbolic connection to the twelve tribes of Israel (e.g., Cambridge Bible); others see it as a practical size for a core team to be trained and sent. |
| Timing of the naming ‘apostles’ | Jesus himself gave them this name, not a later church. | Calvin notes two possibilities: He named them apostles at that moment in view of future office, or the name was actually given at a later commissioning (e.g., Matthew 10). Luke may be summarizing their overall role. |
| The role of Jesus’ prayer | Christians hold that Jesus’ all-night prayer was sincere communion with the Father, not mere ritual. | Some traditions see it as a model for seeking God’s will before major decisions; others emphasize Christ’s perfection, he prayed not because he needed guidance, but to demonstrate dependence on the Father. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke places this choosing in a tense moment. The previous verses describe Jesus healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, which filled the Pharisees with rage (Luke 6:11). As Lange says, “the deadly animosity already kindled against Him” made it necessary to train and commission a core group. Jesus responds not by huddling with advisors but by withdrawing to a mountain for an all-night prayer session. First-century Judaism regarded mountains as places of solitude for serious petition; all-night prayer was rare and marked extraordinary circumstances. Poole notes that Jesus sought “privacy and retiredness” for this momentous decision.
The choice of twelve carried immediate cultural weight. Israel traced itself from twelve sons of Jacob. By appointing twelve apostles, Jesus was staging an act of restoration, recreating the covenant people around himself. The Cambridge Bible calls it “doubtless with a reference to the twelve tribes.” The title “apostle” (Hebrew sheliach) designated an authorized representative who carried the full authority of the sender. Lange adds that earlier these men had been friends and disciples; now they were formed into a distinct circle, though even within that circle intimacy continued to deepen over time (from servants to friends to brothers). This was the beginning of a structure that would outlast Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Luke 6:13. Vincent observes that Luke uses “chose” (ἐκλεξάμενος) while Mark uses “made” (ἐποίησεν) in the parallel account (Mark 3:14), but this is a difference in authorial description, not a variant in the manuscript tradition. The manuscript evidence for the verse is stable.
Reception History
Throughout the early church, this passage was read as the institution of the apostolic office. Irenaeus and other Fathers saw the Twelve as the foundation of the Church, echoing the twelve tribes. In the Middle Ages, the mountain and the night of prayer were often allegorized: the mountain symbolized ascension to God, and the all-night vigil became a model for monastic prayer. Reformation commentators like Calvin and Henry focused on the free call of Christ: the apostles were not self-appointed but chosen by the Lord himself. Modern scholarship has highlighted the Jewish background of the sheliach (authorized representative) and the symbolic reconstitution of Israel. Across eras, the core devotion has remained: Jesus prayed before he chose, and he chose ordinary people for an extraordinary task.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Prayer Prepares the Mission, Jesus prays all night before choosing the Twelve. The decision emerges not from strategy but from communion with the Father. Leadership in God’s kingdom begins on our knees.
- Called from the Crowd, Jesus does not create apostles from scratch. He calls his disciples, those already following him, and selects twelve out of that number. The apostles were first learners (disciples) before they became sent ones.
- Named for a Purpose, He “named” them apostles. The word apostolos means “one sent with orders.” The title is tied to the task: they are now representatives of Jesus himself.
Five-point outline
- Timing, “When it was day.” The night of prayer gave way to decisive action.
- Intention, “He called his disciples.” Jesus took the initiative.
- Selection, “He chose twelve from them.” The Greek participle eklexamenos indicates deliberate picking out for a specific purpose.
- Number, Twelve points to the twelve tribes of Israel, showing that Jesus is gathering a new people.
- Commission, “Whom he also named apostles.” The title apostolos is a job description: messengers sent with authority.
Illustration hooks
- The job interview you didn’t expect, A person is hired for a role not because they asked for it but because the manager saw something in them during ordinary work. Jesus chose from those already following him.
- Choosing a team after sleepless prayer, Imagine an all-night prayer meeting before selecting leaders for a church plant. The decision becomes an act of dependence on God rather than human strategy.
- The backyard soccer pick, You’re the captain. You have to choose from a group of players. Jesus’ selection from among his disciples shows that he already knew them, and he chose them for a role beyond what they imagined.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was I “called” in the same way the apostles were? (Distinguish between apostolic office and general call to discipleship.)
- Does my life have a purpose like theirs? (Yes: every believer is sent into their own sphere.)
- How do I know God’s timing for a big decision? (Jesus’ night of prayer suggests patience and communion, not anxiety.)
Leading a Discussion
Jesus had been healing and teaching for some time. Opposition from religious leaders was building. In the midst of this pressure, he spent the night in prayer. Then he chose twelve of his disciples and gave them a new title: apostles. This small group discussion looks at what that choosing tells us about God’s call on every believer’s life.
Discussion questions
- Read Luke 6:12-13. What stands out about how Jesus prepared for this decision?
- Why do you think Jesus chose the number twelve? In what ways does that number connect to Israel’s story?
- The word “apostle” means “one sent with orders.” What does this title reveal about what Jesus expected of these men?
- Jesus chose from among his disciples, those already following him. In what sense does God call people from within the community of faith today?
- What role did prayer play in Jesus’ decision? How might that shape how we make important choices in our own lives?
- The twelve were ordinary people (fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot). What does this say about who God chooses to use?
- How does this passage encourage you to see yourself as someone “sent” by Jesus, even if you are not a church leader?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 9:36 | But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. |
| Matthew 10:4 | Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. |
| Matthew 19:28 | Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| Mark 3:13 | He went up into the mountain and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him. |
| Mark 3:19 | and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Then he came into a house. |
| Mark 6:7 | He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. |
| Mark 6:30 | The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught. |
| Luke 9:1 | He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Jesus chose the twelve from among those already converted under his ministry. Three things marked them as genuine apostles: personal knowledge of God, a commission from Christ, and the continuing accompaniment of the Spirit with their preaching. This combination, he argues, always defines a true apostle.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that Jesus gave the Twelve the name "apostles" not at their formal commissioning but as a foreshadowing of their future role. He sees this as consistent with Mark's account that Jesus first kept them as companions before later sending them to preach. The title pointed ahead to the mission they would receive.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that Jesus’ choice of twelve apostles was prompted by two converging pressures: his growing fame and the deadly hostility already forming against him. The number twelve intentionally mirrors the twelve tribes of Israel, and the title “apostles” emphasises their role as commissioned messengers, a term rooted in Jewish practice.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the order in Christ’s action: he first called all his disciples, then from that larger group selected twelve, and only after this gave them the additional title of Apostles. This sequence shows that the apostolic office was a specific appointment within the broader circle of followers.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that Jesus spent the entire night in prayer specifically for his disciples before choosing the twelve. The selection was made from the whole company of followers, and the title "apostles" means messengers, given because they were sent out to preach, heal, and cast out devils.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights how Jesus chose to pray alone on the mountain precisely when his enemies were most furious against him. In doing so, Christ gave believers a pattern for secret prayer, showing that even in opposition we should withdraw to be alone with God, where we are never truly alone.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that Luke uses the Greek word for "chose" to describe the appointment of the apostles, whereas Mark uses a word that means "made" or "constituted." This specific choice of wording is unique to Luke's account.