Bible Strands
Mark 3:33
But Jesus replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus responds to messengers who reported that His mother and brothers were waiting outside while He taught a seated crowd. He poses the question directly to the messengers and to the listeners gathered around Him.
The words — ἀποκριθεὶς (apokritheis) translates literally as “answering,” and τὶς (tis) means “who.” Jesus uses these exact terms to frame His immediate reply to the reported request.
The thread — The text records His question before Mark 3:34 identifies the seated disciples as His true family. This sequence parallels Deuteronomy 33:9’s depiction of prioritizing divine command over biological kinship.
Why it lands — The verse states Jesus’ question without explanation, requiring the reader to determine who qualifies as family based on the surrounding context. It demands a direct evaluation of whether loyalty to Jesus’ teaching supersedes natural or social ties.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 33:9 He said of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them.’ He disregarded his brothers and did not know his own sons, for he kept Your word and maintained Your covenant.
- Mark 3:21 When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”
- Mark 6:3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him.
- 2 Corinthians 5:16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
- Luke 2:49 “Why were you looking for Me?” He asked. “Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
- John 2:4 “Woman, what is that to you and to Me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
- John 7:3 So Jesus’ brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that Your disciples there may see the works You are doing.