Mark 6 3

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.

Mark 6:3 nkjv

Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him.

Mark 6:3 niv

Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

Mark 6:3 esv

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

Mark 6:3 nlt

Then they scoffed, "He's just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Mark 6 verses

Mark 6 3 Meaning

Mark 6:3 captures the skepticism and disdain of Jesus' hometown community in Nazareth. They identify Him not by His extraordinary teachings or miraculous works, but by His earthly family and humble profession as a carpenter. Their question "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary... and are not his sisters here with us?" highlights their belief that His familiar human origins made Him incapable of being a prophet or Messiah. Their local knowledge bred contempt, leading them to be "offended at him" (Greek: eskandalizonto en autō), meaning they stumbled over or took offense at Him. This verse underscores the human tendency to reject divine truth when it comes to us in an unexpected or unprivileged form, preferring worldly recognition over spiritual revelation.

Mark 6 3 Context

Mark 6:3 is part of Jesus' visit to His hometown, Nazareth, following a period of extensive miracles and teaching in other Galilean towns. This passage (Mark 6:1-6a) describes Jesus returning to His "own country" and teaching in the synagogue. Rather than being embraced for His power and wisdom, the people of Nazareth, who had known Him since childhood, were astounded, but not in a way that led to faith. Their familiarity bred contempt, as they could not reconcile the carpenter's son they knew with the powerful teacher performing miracles. This deep-seated skepticism and personal offense prevented Jesus from performing many miracles there, demonstrating that belief is a necessary prerequisite for divine work in a community. The historical and cultural context underscores that Nazareth was an obscure, unimpressive village. The idea that a prophet or Messiah could originate from such a humble background, especially as a manual laborer's son rather than from a prominent rabbinic family or the Jerusalem elite, went against their conventional expectations and pride. Their reliance on social standing and physical appearance blinded them to the spiritual reality before them.

Mark 6 3 Word analysis

• Is not this: This phrase (Ouch houtos) indicates surprise and an almost rhetorical question, expecting agreement on what they "know" to be true about Jesus based on His past. It carries an implicit tone of dismissal.
• the carpenter: Greek: ho tektōn (ὁ τέκτων). This term is broader than simply a "woodworker." It means a craftsman, artisan, or builder, who might work with wood, stone, or even metal. It implies manual labor, a common and respectable but non-elite profession. Jesus sharing His step-father Joseph's trade indicates a normal, humble upbringing, counter to expectations of a divine leader from priestly or scholarly ranks.
• the son of Mary: Greek: ho huios tēs Marias (ὁ υἱὸς τῆς Μαρίας). This is significant because typically, a man would be identified by his father ("son of Joseph"). The use of "son of Mary" might suggest Joseph's death by this time, or it could subtly imply something irregular or controversial about Jesus' birth to outsiders who heard whispers about Mary's pregnancy before marriage. It certainly emphasized His earthly, common lineage from a known woman of the village, grounding Him firmly in their familiar, unexceptional world, and thus challenging any claim to special divine authority.
• and brother of James: Greek: kai adelphos Iakōbou (καὶ ἀδελφὸς Ἰακώβου). This refers to Jesus' actual siblings. James would become a prominent leader in the early church (Acts 15, Gal 2). The immediate presence and recognition of His family members in the community reinforced their perception of Jesus as just a "local boy" rather than a divine figure.
• and Joses: A common Jewish name. Also identified as a brother.
• and of Judas: A common Jewish name (not Judas Iscariot). Also identified as a brother.
• and Simon?: A common Jewish name. Also identified as a brother. The presence of these specific names solidifies the immediate, local familiarity.
• and are not his sisters here with us?: Greek: kai ouk eisin hai adelphai autou hōde pros hēmas (καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν αἱ ἀδελphai αὐτοῦ ὧδε πρὸς ἡμᾶς;). This confirms Jesus had sisters, implying at least two. The fact that His sisters were "here with us" (present in the community) further reinforced their intimate knowledge of His ordinary human background. They were surrounded by evidence, as they saw it, of His lack of "specialness."
• And they were offended at him: Greek: Kai eskandalizonto en autō (Καὶ ἐσκανδαλίζοντο ἐν αὐτῷ). This means they "stumbled," "took offense," or "were caused to fall" morally/spiritually by Him. Their preconceived notions about what a Messiah or prophet should be like made them unable to accept Jesus. His ordinary background, in their eyes, was an obstacle—a stumbling block—to believing His divine claims and message. Their familiarity bred contempt and an active rejection.

Word-groups analysis:

• "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary...": This group of words demonstrates their incredulous, dismissive attitude. They prioritize His earthly, humble background and professional identity over any miraculous works or profound teachings they have witnessed or heard of. Their local knowledge served as a barrier to faith, grounding Jesus too firmly in the familiar to recognize His divine authority.
• "...and brother of James, and Joses, and of Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?": This collective reference to His family members underscores the extent of their "intimate" knowledge of Jesus' background. They knew His entire family unit, highlighting His integration into the fabric of Nazareth society, which ironically made it harder for them to see Him as anything extraordinary. Their familiarity prevented fresh understanding.
• "And they were offended at him": This phrase reveals the spiritual consequence of their preconceived notions. Their judgmental attitude, based on human standards and local prejudice, caused them to stumble. The word "offended" (eskandalizonto) carries a strong implication of spiritual opposition, signifying that Jesus’ presence challenged their established worldview and beliefs so fundamentally that they recoiled and rejected Him.

Mark 6 3 Bonus section

The title "son of Mary" (Mark 6:3) is unique among the Gospels, as the parallel in Matthew 13:55 reads "the carpenter's son" (referring to Joseph). This subtle difference in Mark might imply Joseph was no longer alive, making Mary the immediate familial identifier, or it could be a slight directed at the supposed irregular circumstances of Jesus' birth known in gossip, implicitly de-emphasizing Joseph's fatherhood. While Tekton (carpenter) was not a high-status profession in Roman society, it was a respectable, self-sufficient trade. Jesus engaged in common labor, emphasizing His profound humility and identification with ordinary humanity, a point often overlooked by those who seek a glorious, worldly Messiah. This verse serves as a crucial example of "the offense of the cross," not yet realized, but foreshadowed by the offense taken at Christ's humble origins even before His ministry fully unfolded. It prefigures the wider rejection by those who expected a different kind of deliverer.

Mark 6 3 Commentary

Mark 6:3 succinctly captures the tragic irony of human shortsightedness when confronted with divine truth. The people of Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, were so bound by their familiarity with His humble origins as "the carpenter, the son of Mary," that they completely missed His divine identity and power. They couldn't reconcile the ordinary, hardworking man they knew with the miracle worker they were witnessing. Their expectation for a Messiah did not include a manual laborer from their own backwater village. This reaction underscores a timeless human flaw: our tendency to judge based on outward appearance, social status, and preconceived notions rather than spiritual revelation. Their prejudice turned Jesus into a "stumbling block" (Rom 9:32-33). Ultimately, their disbelief limited what Jesus could do there (Mark 6:5-6), demonstrating that faith, not familiarity, is the pathway to experiencing God's full power. The scene is a stark reminder that true recognition of Christ requires a willingness to transcend worldly assumptions and embrace God's often-unexpected ways.