Peter in Easton's Bible Dictionary
originally called Simon (=Simeon ,i.e., "hearing"), a very
common Jewish name in the New Testament. He was the
son of Jona
(Matt. 16:17). His mother is nowhere named in
Scripture. He had
a younger brother called Andrew, who first brought
him to Jesus
(John 1:40-42). His native town was Bethsaida, on
the western
coast of the Sea of Galilee, to which also Philip
belonged. Here
he was brought up by the shores of the Sea of
Galilee, and was
trained to the occupation of a fisher. His father
had probably
died while he was still young, and he and his
brother were
brought up under the care of Zebedee and his wife
Salome (Matt.
27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1). There the four youths,
Simon, Andrew,
James, and John, spent their boyhood and early
manhood in
constant fellowship. Simon and his brother doubtless
enjoyed all
the advantages of a religious training, and were
early
instructed in an acquaintance with the Scriptures
and with the
great prophecies regarding the coming of the
Messiah. They did
not probably enjoy, however, any special training in
the study
of the law under any of the rabbis. When Peter
appeared before
the Sanhedrin, he looked like an "unlearned man"
(Acts 4:13).
"Simon was a Galilean, and he was that out and
out...
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