As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.
Parallel translations
- WEB While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.
- KJV While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
- BSB While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him.
- NKJV While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.
- NASB While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
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
While Jesus is teaching, his mother and brothers stand outside wanting to speak with him.
Overview
This scene introduces a lesson about Jesus' true family. The reference to his brothers reflects his natural kin according to the flesh. The setting prepares for Jesus' redefinition of kinship around obedience to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 24
- Matt 13:55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
- John 2:12After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.
- John 7:5For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
- John 7:3His brothers therefore said to him, “Depart from here, and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works which you do.
- Mark 3:31–35His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.
- Luke 8:19–21His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.
- Mark 6:3Isn’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 offended at him.
- Gal 1:19But of the other apostles I saw no one, except James, the Lord’s brother.
- Acts 1:14All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
- Luke 2:48When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.”
- 1 Cor 9:5Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
- Luke 8:10He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
- John 7:10But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly, but as it were in secret.
- Mark 2:21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made.
- John 2:5His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.”
- Luke 2:33Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him,
- Luke 2:51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
- John 2:1The third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there.
- Matt 2:11They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
- Matt 2:20“Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.”
- Matt 1:18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
- Matt 2:13–14Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”
- John 19:25But there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
- Luke 1:43Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 12:46 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.