Mark 3:34 kjv
And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mark 3:34 nkjv
And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!
Mark 3:34 niv
Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
Mark 3:34 esv
And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
Mark 3:34 nlt
Then he looked at those around him and said, "Look, these are my mother and brothers.
Mark 3 34 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 12:49-50 | Pointing to His disciples, He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!... who does the will of My Father." | Direct parallel; emphasis on doing God's will. |
| Lk 8:21 | "My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." | Direct parallel; links family to hearing/doing Word. |
| Jn 1:12-13 | "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, ...born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." | Spiritual birth; becoming children of God by faith. |
| Lk 11:27-28 | "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" | Superiority of hearing and keeping God's word. |
| Jn 7:17 | "If anyone wills to do His will, he will know concerning the doctrine..." | Doing God's will leads to spiritual understanding. |
| Heb 5:8 | "though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered." | Jesus' own obedience as the model. |
| Ps 103:20 | "Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His commandment." | Angels are defined by doing God's will. |
| 1 Jn 2:3 | "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." | Knowing God linked to obedience. |
| Gal 3:28 | "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." | Unity in Christ transcends earthly divisions. |
| Col 3:11 | "Christ is all and in all." | New identity in Christ unites believers. |
| 1 Pt 2:9 | "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people." | The church as a newly constituted spiritual family. |
| Rom 8:14 | "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." | Sons of God by leading of the Holy Spirit. |
| Gal 4:5-7 | "that we might receive the adoption as sons... you are no longer a slave but a son..." | Adoption into God's family through Christ. |
| Mt 10:37-38 | "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me." | Call to prioritize Jesus over natural family ties. |
| Lk 14:26 | "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children... he cannot be My disciple." | Radical discipleship involves reordering loyalties. |
| Jn 7:5 | "For even His brothers did not believe in Him." | Jesus' own biological family initially disbelieved. |
| Acts 1:14 | "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers." | Jesus' family later join the believers. |
| Mk 10:29-30 | "There is no one who has left house or brothers... for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time..." | Promise of new spiritual family for those who sacrifice. |
| Jn 15:14 | "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." | Friendship with Jesus linked to obedience. |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." | New identity in Christ means a new reality. |
| Rom 9:6-8 | "For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham... But the children of the promise are counted as the seed." | Spiritual lineage, not just physical descent. |
| Eph 2:19-20 | "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." | Believers integrated into God's spiritual household. |
Mark 3 verses
Mark 3 34 Meaning
This verse dramatically declares a new definition of family, moving beyond biological ties to spiritual kinship. Jesus, by pointing to His disciples who sat around Him and were attentive to His teaching, identified them as His true mother and brothers. This highlights that membership in God's family is not determined by lineage but by hearing and doing the will of God, thus establishing a new community centered on faith and obedience to divine truth.
Mark 3 34 Context
Mark 3:34 follows a profound sequence of events. Jesus had just been accused by scribes from Jerusalem of being possessed by Beelzebul and casting out demons by the power of the prince of demons (Mk 3:22-30). This accusation was met with Jesus' stark warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Immediately after this grave theological exchange, His mother and brothers arrived (Mk 3:31) to take Him away, thinking He was out of His mind (Mk 3:21). The crowd, presumably His followers and those interested in His teaching, was sitting around Him. In this setting, with His physical family literally outside and challenging His sanity, Jesus looked at those gathered around Him and declared them His true family. This contrast highlights Jesus' shift from earthly kin to a spiritual kinship defined by faith and obedience to God's will, amidst accusations and family misunderstanding.
Mark 3 34 Word analysis
- And looking about (περιβλεψάμενος - periblepsamenos): A deliberate and intentional action, literally "having looked around." This word suggests a scanning gaze that encompasses everyone present, making His following statement specifically for the attentive disciples sitting near Him, rather than His biological family who remained outside. It signifies a careful assessment of His immediate audience.
- at those who sat around Him (τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν καθημένους - tous peri auton kathemenous): This phrase points to His disciples and other listeners who were physically close to Him and engaged with His teaching. They represent the responsive audience, in contrast to His natural family who sought to remove Him. It defines His spiritual household.
- He said (λέγει - legei): The present tense "says" (rather than past tense "said") in Greek is characteristic of Mark's style, often used to introduce a dramatic or pivotal statement, conveying immediacy and directness.
- Here are (Ἴδε - Ide): An emphatic imperative, meaning "Behold!" or "See!" It commands immediate attention, drawing focus to what Jesus is about to reveal as critically important.
- My mother and My brothers (Ἡ μήτηρ μου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου - Hē mētēr mou kai hoi adelphoi mou): This refers to His natural family who had just arrived seeking to control Him (v.31). The shocking aspect of Jesus' declaration is applying these terms, representing deepest family bonds, to those not of His biological lineage. It's a radical redefinition, not a denial, of family.
- Words-group analysis: "And looking about at those who sat around Him": This paints a vivid picture of Jesus deliberately turning His attention from the external world and the physical family waiting outside, to His immediate spiritual community gathered within. It emphasizes His intentional act of discerning and acknowledging who truly constituted His kin in the Kingdom.
- Words-group analysis: "He said, 'Here are My mother and My brothers!'": This phrase represents a profound theological pivot. It is not merely a statement but a redefinition of identity and belonging. Jesus sets a clear standard for kinship within the divine household, asserting that spiritual affinity through shared purpose and obedience to God's will supersedes traditional, biological bonds. This radical claim challenges deeply held societal and cultural norms about family structure and loyalty in Jewish society.
Mark 3 34 Bonus section
- This statement by Jesus functions as a pivotal teaching on who belongs to the "family of God." It implies a necessary reorientation of primary loyalties from earthly family to the divine family for discipleship.
- The "brothers" of Jesus here refer to His half-brothers born to Mary and Joseph (e.g., James, Joses, Judas, Simon, as mentioned in Mk 6:3). At this point, they did not believe in Him (Jn 7:5). Jesus' statement underscores their initial spiritual disconnect.
- The contrast between Jesus' natural family's desire to "take charge of Him" because they thought "He is out of His mind" (Mk 3:21) and His declaration about His true family emphasizes that following Jesus often requires a spiritual vision that even close family members may lack, and it may lead to misunderstanding or alienation from them.
- This verse prefigures the nature of the New Covenant community, where identity is found in Christ and the Father's will, open to anyone, irrespective of background.
Mark 3 34 Commentary
Mark 3:34 captures a transformative moment where Jesus radically redefines the concept of family. In the midst of familial misunderstanding and accusations from religious authorities, Jesus, through a deliberate action of observing His immediate audience, shifts the paradigm from blood lineage to spiritual alignment. By pointing to His listeners and followers, those committed to hearing and doing God's will, He declares them His true kin. This pronouncement establishes the church as a spiritual household, where belonging is predicated on faith and obedience to the Father's commands, not biological connection. It highlights that the bonds of the Kingdom of God are stronger and more significant than natural family ties, demanding ultimate loyalty to God's purpose. It’s a profound call to understand that true intimacy and family with Jesus come through spiritual commitment, a bond open to all who hear and embrace God's Word.