Cleophas is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Cleophas is mentioned only once in the King James Bible, in John 19:25, where he appears not as an actor in the narrative but as the identifying reference for his wife: “Mary the wife of Cleophas.” The setting is the crucifixion of Jesus. As the Lord hung upon the cross, a small company of women stood nearby. Among them, John records, were Jesus’ mother, her sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. Cleophas himself is not said to have been present.
The source note observes that Cleophas is traditionally understood to be the same person as Cleopas, though some consider them distinct. If the traditional identification is correct, this is the Cleopas who, on the evening of the resurrection, walked with another disciple on the road to Emmaus and conversed with the risen Jesus without recognizing Him until He broke bread (Luke 24:13–35). That account, however, is not attached to the name Cleophas in Scripture, and the connection rests on tradition rather than the text.
The note also suggests that Cleophas was possibly the husband of one of the Marys present at the crucifixion. This fits the single scriptural detail we have: his wife Mary stood by the cross. Beyond this, Scripture says nothing of Cleophas—his background, his trade, his character, or his own response to Jesus. He enters the sacred record only through his wife’s faithful vigil at the cross, leaving him a name attached to a moment of grief and devotion.
The Name
The name Cleophas is generally regarded as a Greek form of the Aramaic name Clopas, and it is often connected with the Greek name Cleopatros, from which a meaning such as “glory of the father” has sometimes been suggested. This derivation, however, is not certain, and the precise meaning of the name as it stands in the New Testament is not clearly recoverable. What can be said plainly is that Scripture attaches no interpretation to the name, and no meaning should be asserted as though the text itself supplied it.
A Closing Thought
Cleophas never speaks a word in Scripture. He is known only as the husband of a woman who stayed near Jesus when staying was costly. Yet that is no small legacy. In God’s record, a man may be remembered not for what he said or did, but for the household of faith to which he belonged. Mary’s courage at the cross reflects something of the home she shared with Cleophas. Quiet, unnamed faithfulness is still faithfulness, and God keeps His own account of those who stand by His Son, even when the world never learns their story.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- John 19:25 — Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.