Looking at those seated in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
Parallel translations
- WEB Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers!
- KJV And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
- NKJV And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
- NASB And looking around at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
- NLT Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.
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
Looking at those seated around him, Jesus declares them his mother and brothers. It matters because it includes ordinary disciples in his own family.
Overview
With a sweeping look, Jesus identifies his gathered followers as his true family. This astonishing statement elevates discipleship above natural kinship in the kingdom of God. It assures believers that union with Christ brings them into the intimate household of God, sharing in his family by grace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Matt 12:49–50Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers.
- Luke 11:27–28As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and blessed are the breasts that nursed You!”
- Rom 8:29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
- Matt 25:40–45And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
- Matt 28:10“Do not be afraid,” said Jesus. “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see Me.”
- Heb 2:11–12For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
- Song 4:9–10You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your neck.
- Ps 22:22I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly.
- John 20:17“Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’”
- Song 5:1–2I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; drink freely, O beloved.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 3:34 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.