{James the brother of John} (Iak(9362)on ton adelphon I(9361)nou).
He had been called by Jesus a son of thunder along with his
brother John. Jesus had predicted a bloody death for both of them
( Mr 10:38ff.  Mt 20:23 ). James is the first of the apostles to
die and John probably the last. He is not James the Lord's
brother ( Ga 1:19 ). We do not know why Luke tells so little
about the death of James and so much about the death of Stephen
nor do we know why Herod selected him as a victim. Eusebius
(_H.E_. ii. 9) quotes Clement of Alexandria as saying that a Jew
made accusations against James and was converted and beheaded at
the same time with him. {Killed with the sword} (aneilen
machair(8869)). The verb is a favourite one with Luke ( Ac 2:33  5:33,36  7:28  9:23-29  10:39 , etc.). Instrumental case and
Ionic form of machaira. The Jews considered beheading a
shameful death as in the case of the Baptist ( Mt 14:10 ).