Bible Lexicons

Λευί and Λευίς (T Tr (yet see below) WH Λευεις (but Lachmann Λευίς; see εἰ, ἰ)), genitive Λευί (T Tr WH Λευει), accusative Λευίν (T WH Λεύειν, so Tr except in Mark 2:14) (Buttmann, 21 (19); Winer's Grammar, § 10, 1), ὁ (Hebrew לֵוִי a joining, from לָוָה, cf. Genesis 29:34), Levi;

1. the third son of the patriarch Jacob by his wife Leah, the founder of the tribe of Israelites which bears his name: Hebrews 7:5, 9; (Revelation 7:7).

2. the son of Melchi, one of Christ's ancestors: Luke 3:24.

3. the son of Simeon, also an ancestor of Christ: Luke 3:29.

4. the son of Alphaeus, a collector of customs ((A. V. publican)): Mark 2:14 (here WH (rejected) marginal reading Ἰάκωβον (see their note at the passage, cf. Weiss in Meyer on Matthew 7te Aufl., p. 2)); Luke 5:27, 29; according to common opinion he is the same as Matthew the apostle (Matthew 9:9); but cf. Grimm in the Theol. Studien und Kritiken for 1870. p. 727ff; (their identity is denied also by Nicholson on Matthew 9:9; yet see Patritius, De Evangeliis, 1., the passage cited i. quaest. 1; Venables in Alex.'s Kitto, under the word Matthew; Meyer, Commentary on Matthew, Introductory § 1).