The idea
John lists among the women at the cross 'his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas.' 'It seems extremely unlikely that Mary's parents would have given both her and her sister the name Mary. However, the text makes perfect sense if John is using the word sister (adelphē) to refer to a close relative' — independent proof that John, like Mark, stretches sibling words. And if Mary of Clopas is the woman Matthew and Mark place at the cross and the tomb, then James and Joses 'are not the sons of Jesus' mother. Nor are they the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage. Instead, they would be the sons of another man — a man named Clopas.' Pitre notes he does not need Jerome's identification of Clopas with Alphaeus.
Key verses
- John 19:25 — 'his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas.'
- Matthew 27:56 — 'Mary the mother of James and Joses' at the cross.
- Mark 15:40 — the same woman in Mark.
The connection
| Old Testament root | New Testament fulfilment | |
|---|---|---|
| 'Sister' for a kinswoman in John | → | The other Mary, wife of Clopas — mother of the 'brothers' |
John supplies the father the Synoptics leave unnamed. Once the other Mary is the wife of Clopas, the 'brothers of Jesus' have both a mother and a father who are not Mary and Joseph.