“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
- KJV And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
- NKJV And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
- NASB But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things;
- NLT But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus gently names Martha's anxious, troubled state over many concerns. He addresses the heart behind her busyness.
Overview
The repeated 'Martha, Martha' conveys both affection and concern. Jesus diagnoses not her serving itself but the worry and inner turmoil driving it. He calls her from scattered anxiety toward settled trust and attentiveness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Phil 4:6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
- Mark 4:19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
- Luke 21:34But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
- Matt 6:25–34Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
- Luke 8:14The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature.
- Luke 12:22Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.
- 1 Cor 7:32–35I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.
- Eccl 6:11For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 10:41 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.