He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister, and mother.”
Parallel Translations
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He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”
Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers!
For whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister, and mother.”
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And he answered them sayinge: who is my mother and my brethren?
And he loked rounde about on his disciples which sate in compasse about hym and sayde: beholde my mother and my brethren.
For who soever doeth the will of God he is my brother my syster and mother.
Show all 3 translations
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But hee answered them, saying, Who is my mother and my brethren?
And hee looked rounde about on them, which sate in compasse about him, and saide, Beholde my mother and my brethren.
For whosoeuer doeth the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Cross-references (22)
- 1 John 2:17 (v35) The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.
- Matthew 7:21 (v35) Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
- Matthew 12:49-50 (v34) He stretched out his hand toward his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father who is…
- 1 John 3:22-23 (v35) so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. This is his…
- Deuteronomy 33:9 (v33) He said of his father, and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him.’ He didn’t acknowledge his brothers, nor did he know his own children; for…
Show all 22 cross-references
- Mark 3:21 (v33) When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him; for they said, “He is insane.”
- Mark 6:3 (v33) Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” They were…
- Luke 11:27-28 (v34) It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him, “Blessed is the womb…
- John 7:17 (v35) If anyone desires to do his will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if I am speaking from myself.
- Romans 8:29 (v34) For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
- 2 Corinthians 5:16 (v33) Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.
- Matthew 25:40-45 (v34) “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’…
- Luke 2:49 (v33) He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
- John 2:4 (v33) Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come.”
- John 7:3-5 (v33) His brothers therefore said to him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works which you do. For no…
- James 1:25 (v35) But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be…
- Psalms 22:22 (v34) I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the assembly, I will praise you.
- Song of Solomon 4:9-10 (v34) You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride. You have ravished my heart with one of your eyes, with one chain of your neck. How…
- Song of Solomon 5:1-2 (v34) I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have…
- Matthew 28:10 (v34) Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”
- John 20:17 (v34) Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my…
- Hebrews 2:11-12 (v34) For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (11 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v34 The spiritual kindred is far otherwise to be accounted…
The spiritual kindred is far otherwise to be accounted of, than the carnal or fleshly.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On v33 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my…
33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
Ver. 33. Who is my mother, &c.] Bishop Ridley is likewise said to have been very kind to his kinsfolks, yet not bearing with them any otherwise than right would require. (Acts and Mon.)
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34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v34 Looking round on them who sat about him -…
Looking round on them who sat about him - With the utmost sweetness; He said, Behold my mother and my brethren -- in this preference of his true disciples even to the Virgin Mary, considered merely as his mother after the flesh, he not only shows his high and tender affection for them, but seems designedly to guard against those excessive and idolatrous honours, which he foresaw would in after ages be paid to her.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v33 Verse 33. Who is my mother?] See on Mt…
Verse 33. Who is my mother?] See on Mt 12:46-50.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv33–34 Our Lord does not refuse to go out through…
Our Lord does not refuse to go out through any, the least, inattention to his mother; he wishes hereby, to teach us the preference we should give to the business of our heavenly Father, before that of our earthly parents. Neither does he consider his brethren as beneath his attention, but prefers spiritual before temporal duties; and shews us, that a religious union of hearts and feelings is far more lasting, and better rooted than any other ties of affinity or friendship whatsoever. (Ven. Bede)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv33–34 33. Who is] It is thought that the “brethren”…
33. Who is] It is thought that the “brethren” wished to share in His fame, and to prove to the people their connection with Him and their influence over Him. But the tenderness of His love for His earthly mother, which He displayed so clearly upon the Cross, only brings out in stronger relief the devotion, with which He gave Himself up to the performance of the Will of His Father in heaven and the furtherance of His glory. “He despises not His Mother, He places before her His Father.” Bengel.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v34 (34) And he looked round about.—Literally, looking round on…
(34) And he looked round about.—Literally, looking round on those who sat in a circle round Him. Another graphic touch of this Evangelist.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv34–35 Looking round on them peribleqamenov which sat round about…
Looking round on them peribleqamenov which sat round about him. Here is one of the graphic touches of St. Mark, reproduced, it may be, from St. Peter. Our Lord"s intellectual and loving eye swept the inner circle of his disciples. The twelve, of course, would be with him, and others with them. His enemies were not far off. But immediately about him were those who constituted his chosen ones. As man, he had his human affections and his earthly relationships; but as the Son of God, he knew no other relatives but God"s children, to whom the performance of his will and the promotion of his glory are the first of all duties and the dominant principle of their lives.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alexander MacLaren 1905 · Public Domain On v35
Mark
THE MISTAKES OF CHRIST’S FOES AND FRIENDS
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CHRIST’S KINDRED
CHRIST’S RELATIONS
Mar 3:35.
There was a conspiracy to seize Jesus because He is ‘mad,’ and Mary was in the plot!
I. The example for us.
{1} Of how all natural and human ties and affections are to be subordinated to doing God’s will.
Obedience to Him is the first and main thing to which everything else bows, and which determines everything.
If others compete or interfere, reject them.
Out of that common obedience new ties are formed among men.
{2} Of how all these ties may be doubled in power and preciousness by being based on that obedience.
II. The promise for us.
Of Christ’s loving relationship in which He finds delight; in which He sustains and transcends all these in His own proper person and to each.
Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (1904–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v33 Who are my mother and my brothers?
Who are my mother and my brothers?
Jesus uses this question to teach the people. AT: "I will tell you who are really my mother and brothers" (See: Rhetorical Question)
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whoever does ... that person is
"those who do ... they are"
that person is my brother, and sister, and mother
This is a metaphor that means Jesus' disciples belong to Jesus' spiritual family. This is more important than belonging to his physical family. AT: "that person is like a brother, sister, or mother to me" (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
will of God
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv33, 35 3:33-34 In God’s Kingdom, one’s true relatives are determined…
3:33-34 In God’s Kingdom, one’s true relatives are determined not by blood but by a faith relationship (see also 10:29-30).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.