Bible Dictionary
ELEVEN, THE
“The Eleven” refers to the apostles remaining after Judas’s death. They continued to be identified as the established apostolic group, and were sometimes still called “the Twelve” in reference to their office.
Definition
“The Eleven” designates the apostles remaining after Judas’s death. They continued to be recognized as a distinct apostolic group, even though one member of the original Twelve was absent.
Biblical Usage
The expression occurs in accounts of the apostles after Judas’s death, including Mark 16:14, Luke 24:9, 33, and Acts 2:14. They are also called “the eleven disciples” in Matthew 28:16. Paul nevertheless refers to an appearance of the risen Jesus “to the twelve,” showing that the established designation of the apostolic college continued.
Historical Background
The definite article identifies the Eleven as a known and definite group. The familiar title “the Twelve” remained fixed even when the actual number temporarily became eleven.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>e-lev'-'-n, (hoi hendeka):</p><p>The eleven apostles remaining after the death of Judas. The definite article used serves to designate them as a distinct and definite group whose integrity was not destroyed by the loss of one of the twelve. The college of "the Twelve" had come to be so well recognized that the gospel writers all used on occasions the word with the definite article to represent the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. This custom still remained and the numeral merely changed, as, "Afterward he was manifested unto the eleven" (Mr 16:14; compare Lu 24:9,33; Ac 2:14). On the other hand, however, the substantive is also sometimes used, as "The eleven disciples went into Galilee" (Mt 28:16; compare also Ac 1:26). As an illustration of the fixedness of usage, Paul refers to the eleven as "the twelve" when he recounts the appearances of Jesus after His resurrection: "And that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve" (1Co 15:5).</p><p>Walter G. Clippinger</p>