Matthew 12:46-48

Jesus’ True Family

12:46 While Jesus ¹  was still speaking to the crowds, ²  his mother and brothers ³  came and ⁴  stood outside, asking ⁵  to speak to him. 12:47 ⁶  Someone ⁷  told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting ⁸  to speak to you.” 12:48 To the one who had said this, Jesus ⁹  replied, ¹⁰  “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?”

¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Grk “crowds, behold, his mother.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

³ sn The issue of whether Jesus had brothers (siblings) has had a long history in the church. Epiphanius, in the 4th century, argued that Mary was a perpetual virgin and had no offspring other than Jesus. Others argued that these brothers were really cousins. Nothing in the text suggests any of this. See also John 7:3.

⁴ tn “His mother and brothers came and” is a translation of “behold, his mother and brothers came.”

⁵ tn Grk “seeking.”

⁶ tc A few ancient mss and versions lack this verse (א* B L Γ pc ff¹ k sy^s,c sa). The witness of א and B is especially strong, but internal considerations override this external evidence. Both v. 46 and 47 end with the word λαλῆσαι (“to speak”), so early scribes probably omitted the verse through homoioteleuton. The following verses make little sense without v. 47; its omission is too hard a reading. Thus v. 47 was most likely part of the original text.

⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁸ tn Grk “seeking.”

⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ tn Grk “And answering, he said to the one who had said this.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) at the beginning of the clause has not been translated.