Bible Dictionary
APPHUS
Apphus was the additional name of Jonathan, the fifth son of Mattathias and one of the Maccabean leaders. The exact meaning of the name remains uncertain.
Definition
Apphus was an additional name borne by Jonathan, the fifth son of Mattathias. The Maccabean brothers are presented as having double names, with Apphus belonging to Jonathan.
Biblical Usage
Apphus is named in 1 Maccabees in the list of the sons of Mattathias and their additional names.
Historical Background
The proposed connection of Apphus with a Syriac word meaning “the dissembler” is uncertain. The form and meaning remain unexplained because the original consonants cannot be determined with confidence.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>af'-us, ap'-fus: A name borne by Jonathan, the fifth son of Mattathias (Apphous, 1 Macc 2:5). All the brothers, according to this passage, had double names; John is said to have been called Gaddis; Simon, Thassi; Judas, Maccabeus; Eleazar, Avaran; Jonathan, Apphus (1 Macc 2:2-5). The latter were probably the names which Mattathias gave his sons, while the former were received later when they became "leaders of the people." The common explanation of the word "Apphus" relates it to the Syriac choppus, "the dissembler"; but Torrey (article "Maccabees," Encyclopedia Biblica) points out that we have no means of ascertaining with what guttural consonant the word began, or what Semitic consonant the Greek "s" represents. Both the form and meaning of the name are, therefore, still to be explained.</p><p>H. J. Wolf</p>