Mark 3:33
in Mark 3But Jesus replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren?
KJV
And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
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This verse in Mark 3
Commentary
11 notes on this verseFor Jesus, our Creator and Redeemer, pretends not to know His mother, and indicates who is His mother and who are His relatives not through kinship of the flesh, but through union of the spirit, saying: "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."
This site's exposition
There came then his brethren and his mother
on Mark 3:31-35
His mother and brothers arrive and stand outside, sending word in rather than coming near, and the crowd relays the message, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee, the very family whose concern for his sanity opened this scene in verse 21. Jesus answers with a question that redefines the category itself, who is my mother, or my brethren, looking round on those sitting about him rather than toward the door where his blood relations wait. Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother states the standard plainly, obedience rather than bloodline as the true bond, and the bench reads this not as a rejection of Mary and his brothers but as an enlargement of the family to include every disciple who does the Father's will.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) But another Evangelist says, that His brethren did not believe on Him. With which this agrees, which says, that they sought Him, waiting without, and with this meaning the Lord does not mention them as relations. Wherefore it follows, And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother or my brethren? (John 7:5) But He does not here mention His mother and His brethren altogether with reproof, but to show that a man must honour his own soul above all earthly kindred; wherefore this is fitly said to those who called Him to speak with His mother and relations, as if it were a more useful task than the teaching of salvation.
The Medieval Church3 voices
(Ambr in Luc. 6, 36. Bede ubi sup.) Being asked therefore by a message to go out, He declines, not as though He refused the dutiful service of His mother, but to show that He owes more to His Father's mysteries than to His mother's feelings. Nor does He rudely despise His brothers, but, preferring His spiritual work to fleshly relationship, He teaches us that religion is the bond of the heart rather than that of the body. Wherefore it goes on, And looking round about on them which sat about him, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren.
But the Lord answers: It will be of no benefit to My Mother to be My Mother if She does not possess all the virtues within Herself. Likewise, kinship will be of no benefit to My brothers. For only those are true relatives of Christ …
He does not therefore say this, as denying His mother, but as showing that He is worthy of honour, not only because she bore Christ, but on account of her possessing every other virtue.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he answered them,.... The multitude that sat about him, and informed him of his mother and brethren being without, and desirous of speaking with him: saying, who is my mother, or my brethren? which is said not through ignorance or contempt, but either, as displeased with the interruption given him; or with a view to take an opportunity from hence of expressing his superior value to his spiritual relations; which looks with no favourable aspect on the superstitious notions, and veneration of the virgin Mary among the papists; See Gill on Mat 12:48.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
We had the narrative, Matt. xii. The patient's case was piteous; he had a withered hand, by which he was disabled to work for his living; and those that are so, are the most proper objects of charity; let those be helped that cannot help themselves.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
In the verses which immediately precede this passage, we see our blessed Lord accused by the Scribes of being in league with the devil. They said, "He has Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casts he out devils." In the verses we have now read, we find that this absurd charge of the Scribes was not all that Jesus had to endure at this time. We are told that "Jesus' mother and brothers arrived at the house where he was teaching. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them."
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
In the verses which immediately precede this passage, we see our blessed Lord accused by the Scribes of being in league with the devil. They said, "He has Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casts he out devils." In the verses we have now read, we find that this absurd charge of the Scribes was not all that Jesus had to endure at this time. We are told that "Jesus' mother and brothers arrived at the house where he was teaching. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them." They could not yet understand the beauty and usefulness of the life that our Lord was living. Though they doubtless loved Him well, they would sincerely have persuaded him to cease from His work, and "spare himself." Little did they know what they were doing! Little had they observed or understood our Lord's words when He was only twelve years old, "know you not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49.) It is interesting to mark the quiet, firm perseverance of our Lord, in the face of all discouragements. None of these things moved Him. The slanderous suggestions of enemies, and the well-meant remonstrances of ignorant friends, were alike powerless to turn Him from His course. He had set His face as a flint towards the cross and the crown. He knew the work He had come into the world to do. He had a baptism to be baptized, and was straitened until it was accomplished. (Luke 12:50.) So let it be with all true servants of Christ. Let nothing turn them for a moment out of the narrow way, or make them stop and look back. Let them not heed the ill-natured remarks of enemies. Let them not give way to the well-intentioned but mistaken entreaties of unconverted relations and friends. Let them reply in the words of Nehemiah, "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down." (Neh. 6:3.) Let them say, "I have taken up the cross, and I will not cast it away."
Who is my mother? - See on Mat 12:46-50 (note).
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀποκριθεὶς | apokritheis | answering | G611 → | 231 times |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| λέγει· | legei | He says; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| τίς | tis | Who | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μήτηρ | meter | mother | G3384 → | 83 times |
| μου | mou | of Mine | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφοί | adelphoi | brothers | G80 → | 343 times |
| μου; | mou | of Mine? | G3165 → | 1936 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀποκριθεὶςanswering
apokritheisG611 →231 times
αὐτοῖςthem
autoisG846 →5565 times
λέγει·He says;
legeiG3004 →1325 times
τίςWho
tisG5101 →563 times
ἐστινare
estinG1510 →2333 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
μήτηρmother
meterG3384 →83 times
μουof Mine
mouG3165 →1936 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφοίbrothers
adelphoiG80 →343 times
μου;of Mine?
mouG3165 →1936 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 2:49“Why were you looking for Me?” He asked. “Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
it leads to
- John 6:38
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.
- John 8:29
He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”
- Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He…
- Psalms 40:8
I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”
- John 4:34
Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.
- John 6:38
Through
2 Corinthians 5:16So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
it leads to
- Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
- John 6:63
The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
- Philippians 3:7–8
But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
- Colossians 3:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Mark
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 3; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.