John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword .] This was James, the son of Zebedee, whom our Lord told, that he should be baptized with the baptism he was baptized with, ( Matthew 20:22) meaning the baptism of martyrdom; and he was the first martyr among the apostles: the death he was put to was one of the four capital punishments among the Jews, and was reckoned by them the most disgraceful of them all, and was inflicted upon deceivers of the people; and such an one James was thought to be f581 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - James was one of the sons of Zebedee, whom Christ told that they shoul drink of the cup that he was to drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that he was to be baptized with, Mt 20:23. Now the words of Christ were made good in him; and if we suffer with Christ, we shal reign with him. Herod imprisoned Peter: the way of persecution, as of other sins, is downhill; when men are in it, they cannot easily stop Those make themselves an easy prey to Satan, who make it their busines to please men. Thus James finished his course. But Peter, being designed for further services, was safe; though he seemed now marke out for a speedy sacrifice. We that live in a cold, prayerles generation, can hardly form an idea of the earnestness of these holy men of old. But if the Lord should bring on the church an awfu persecution like this of Herod, the faithful in Christ would learn what soul-felt prayer is.
Greek Textus Receptus
ανειλεν 337 5627 V-2AAI-3S δε 1161 CONJ ιακωβον 2385 N-ASM τον 3588 T-ASM αδελφον 80 N-ASM ιωαννου 2491 N-GSM μαχαιρα 3162 N-DSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. Killed - with the sword. While the martyrdom of Stephen is described at length, that of James, the first martyr among the apostles, is related in two words.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
12:2 {James the brother of John} (iakwbon ton adelfon iwanou). He had been called by Jesus a son of thunder along with his brother John. Jesus had predicted a bloody death for both of them (#Mr 10:38ff.; Mt 20:23). James is the first of the apostles to die and John probably the last. He is not James the Lord's brother (#Ga 1:19). We do not know why Luke tells so little about the death of James and so much about the death of Stephen nor do we know why Herod selected him as a victim. Eusebius (_H.E_. ii. 9) quotes Clement of Alexandria as saying that a Jew made accusations against James and was converted and beheaded at the same time with him. {Killed with the sword} (aneilen macairei). The verb is a favorite one with Luke (#Ac 2:33; 5:33,36; 7:28; 9:23-29; 10:39, etc.). Instrumental case and Ionic form of macaira. The Jews considered beheading a shameful death as in the case of the Baptist (#Mt 14:10).
