Mark 6:3 (WEB)
Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended at him.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Mark 6:3 (KJV)
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Key words
- ὁ τέκτωνho tektōn · Greek
- 'the carpenter' — a builder or craftsman.
- ὁ υἱὸς τῆς Μαρίαςho huios tēs Marias · Greek
- 'the son of Mary' — the only person the text calls Mary's son.
- ἀδελφόςadelphos · Greek
- 'brother.' In the Semitic idiom behind the Gospels (Hebrew ach), 'brother' also covers cousins and other kin: Lot is Abraham's 'brother' (Genesis 14:14), Laban is Jacob's 'brother' (Genesis 29:15).
Why it matters
The people of Nazareth name James, Joses, Judas and Simon as Jesus' 'brothers.' Pitre's answer to the objection has three parts: 'brother' in Semitic usage is broad; James and Joses are elsewhere the sons of a different Mary (Mark 15:40; Matthew 27:56); and no New Testament text ever calls anyone but Jesus 'the son of Mary.' The named brothers are relatives, and Mary's perpetual virginity stands.
Catechism · 1
- §500Paragraph 2 · "Conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary"Read at vatican.va
“Against this doctrine the objection is sometimes raised that the Bible mentions brothers and sisters of Jesus.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mk 3:31-35; 6:3; I Cor 9:5; Gal 1:19.
Fathers and councils · 20
Tertullian
“…not of one only, as in the case of Socrates’ own demon; but of seven spirits as in the case of the Magdalene; and of a legion in number, as in the Gadarene.” — editor's note: Mark vi. 1–9.
Read the whole comment“…of the prophet in the Psalms, “God hath reigned from the tree,” I wait to hear what you understand thereby; for fear you may perhaps think some carpenter-king is signified, and not Christ, who has reigned from that time onward when he overcame the death which ensued from His passion of “the tree.”” — editor's note: Lignarium aliquem regem. It is remarkable, in connection herewith, that our Lord is not only called by the Jews “the carpenter’s son” (Matt. xiii. 55; Luke iv.…
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Origen
- Origen, Against Celsus VI.36Book VI
“…in the Mosaic writings, and being blind also to this, that in none of the Gospels current in the Churches is Jesus Himself ever described as being a carpenter.” — editor's note: Cf., however, Mark vi. 3. [Some mss., though not of much value, have the reading here (Mark vi. 3), “Is not this the carpenter’s son, the son of Mary?” Origen…
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Eusebius of Caesarea
“They all with one consent pronounced Symeon, the son of Clopas, of whom the Gospel also makes mention; to be worthy of the episcopal throne of that parish.” — editor's note: This Symeon is to be distinguished from the apostle Simon, the Canaanite, and also from Simon, the brother of our Lord (mentioned in Matt. xiii. 55 and Mark…
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Augustine of Hippo
“Now Mark, indeed, gives this passage in terms almost precisely identical with those which meet us in Matthew; with the one exception, that what he says the Lord was called by His fellow-townsmen is, “the carpenter, and the son of Mary,” and not, as Matthew tells us, the “carpenter’s son.”” — editor's note: Mark vi. 1–6.
Read the whole commentChapter IV.—Of the Words, “The More He Charged Them to Tell No One, So Much the More a Great Deal They Published It;” And of the Question Whether that Statement is Not Inconsistent with His Prescience, Which is…
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John Chrysostom
“Are not his brethren all with us?” ( Matt. xiii. 55; Mark vi. 3; John vi. 42.)” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“That is, because the Jews were reproaching Him, and saying, “Is not this the carpenter’s son, whose father and mother we know? and His brethren, are not they with us?”they, willing to throw off the disparagement caused by His birth, were calling Him to the display of His miracles.” — editor's note: Matt. xiii. 55, 56. [Comp. Mark vi. 3. But the citation is freely made.—R.]
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
“But we understand by the brethren of the Lord, not the sons of Joseph, but cousins of the Saviour, sons of a sister of Mary, [margin note: Mark 6:3] an aunt of Our Lord, who is said to be the mother of James the Less, and Joseph, and Jude, whom in another place of the Gospel we find called the brethren of the Lord.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
“‘See,’ says Helvidius, ‘Jacob and Joseph are the sons of Mary the Lord’s mother, whom the Jews call the brethren of Christ. [marg. note: Mark 6:3] He is also called James the less, to distinguish him from James the greater, who was the son of Zebedee.’” — the author cites it
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Ephrem the Syrian
“Make Thou the yoke which is light, yea easy, for them that bear it; make the measure, in which there can be no falseness, which is full of Truth; yea, devise and make measures by righteousness; that he that is vile may be accused thereby, and he that is perfect, may be acquitted thereby.” — editor's note: St. Mark vi. 3, intimates that our Lord was a carpenter Himself, while on earth.
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Jerome
“Mark also and Matthew, “And coming into his own country he taught them in their synagogues, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and mighty works?” — editor's note: S. Matt. xiii. 54, 55. S. Mark vi. 1–3.
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Catena Aurea on Mark
- Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on Mark
After the miracles which have been related, the Lord returns into His own country, not that He was ignorant that they would despise Him, but that they might have no reason to say, If Thou hadst come, we had believed…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
He means by His country, Nazareth, in which He was brought up. But how great the blindness of the Nazarenes! they despise Him, Who by His words and deeds they might know to be the Christ, solely on account of His…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Mark
Matthew indeed says that He was called the son of a carpenter; nor are we to wonder, since both might have been said, for they believed Him to be a carpenter, because He was the son of a carpenter.
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Mark
Jesus is called the son of a workman, of that one, however, whose work was the morning and the sun, that is, the first and second Church, as a figure of which the woman and the damsel are healed.
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
For although human things are not to be compared with divine, still the type is complete, because the Father of Christ works by fire and spirit. It goes on: “The brother of James, and Joses, of Jude, and of Simon.…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Mark
Oftentimes also the origin of a man brings him contempt, as it is written, “Who is the son of Jesse?” [1 Sam 25:10] for the Lord “hath respect unto the lowly; as to the proud, He beholdeth them afar off.”
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on Mark
Or again, if the prophet has noble relations, his countrymen hate them, and on that account do not honour the prophet. There follows, “And He could there do no mighty work, &c.” What, however, is here expressed by He…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
Not as if He Who knows all things before they are done, wonders at what He did not expect or look forward to, but knowing the hidden things of the heart, and wishing to intimate to men that it was wonderful, He…
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Cross-references · 28
Cited together in Church History III.11.
Cited together in A Treatise on the Soul Chapter 25.
Cited together in Jerome on Matthew 27:51–56 (5) (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in Bede on Mark 6:1–6 (2) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Jerome on Matthew 27:51–56 (5) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh Hymn 6.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh Hymn 6.
Cited together in Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh Hymn 6.
Cited together in Jerome on Mark 6:1–6 (2) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.36.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.36.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.36.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.36.
Cited together in Catechism §500 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Jerome on Matthew 27:51–56 (5) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Jerome on Matthew 27:51–56 (5) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Catechism §500 and 2 other places.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.