And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Parallel translations
- WEB He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers!
- BSB Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers.
- NKJV And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
- NASB And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers!
- NLT Then he pointed to his disciples 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
Pointing to his disciples, Jesus declares that they are his mother and brothers.
Overview
Jesus identifies his true family as those who follow him in faith. Spiritual kinship in the kingdom transcends ties of blood. This welcomes all who come to him into the family of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Mark 3:34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
- John 20:17–20Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
- John 17:20Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
- Matt 28:7And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
- John 17:8–9For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
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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 12:49 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
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