Matthew 12:46 kjv
While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
Matthew 12:46 nkjv
While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.
Matthew 12:46 niv
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.
Matthew 12:46 esv
While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.
Matthew 12:46 nlt
As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.
Matthew 12 46 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Parallel Accounts | ||
| Mk 3:31-35 | And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside... | Direct parallel; highlights spiritual over biological family. |
| Lk 8:19-21 | Now his mother and his brothers came to him... | Direct parallel; emphasis on hearing and doing God's word. |
| Redefining Family | ||
| Dt 33:9 | ...who said of his father and mother, ‘I regard them not’... | Levites prioritizing God's law above familial ties. |
| Ps 27:10 | For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me up. | God's unfailing care compared to human abandonment. |
| Lk 14:26 | “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother..." | Hyperbole emphasizing absolute priority of allegiance to Christ. |
| Jn 1:12-13 | But to all who did receive him... born, not of blood... but of God. | Spiritual rebirth defining true children of God. |
| Jn 6:63 | It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. | Prioritizing spiritual truth over physical descent. |
| 2 Cor 5:16 | From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh... | Believers in Christ transcend physical or earthly distinctions. |
| Gal 3:26 | for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. | Identity as God's children is through faith in Christ. |
| Doing God's Will/Obedience | ||
| Ps 40:8 | I delight to do your will, O my God... | Christ's ultimate commitment to God's will. |
| Mt 7:21 | “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom..." | True discipleship is defined by doing God's will. |
| Jn 4:34 | Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me..." | Jesus' ultimate purpose and sustenance derived from God's will. |
| Heb 10:7 | Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God...’" | Christ's fulfillment of God's redemptive plan through obedience. |
| 1 Jn 2:17 | And the world is passing away... but whoever does the will of God abides... | Permanence and eternal life found in obeying God's will. |
| Challenges/Understanding Jesus' Identity | ||
| Mk 3:21 | And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him... | His family's concern, possibly thinking He was out of mind. |
| Jn 7:5 | For not even his brothers believed in him. | Initial lack of faith from His biological brothers. |
| Acts 1:14 | All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer...with Mary...and his brothers. | His brothers later became believers and followers. |
| Crowds and Ministry Context | ||
| Mt 9:36 | When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them... | Jesus' deep compassion for the scattered and struggling crowds. |
| Mt 15:30 | And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, blind... | Common scene of large crowds seeking healing and teaching. |
| Hearing God's Word | ||
| Lk 11:28 | But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" | Emphasizes blessedness in active obedience to God's word. |
| Jas 1:22 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | Call to action: hearing must be accompanied by doing. |
Matthew 12 verses
Matthew 12 46 Meaning
This verse serves as a crucial setup for Jesus' teaching on spiritual kinship, highlighting a scene where Jesus' biological mother and brothers arrive while He is engaged in ministry to a large crowd. Their arrival outside the immediate setting signifies a desire for communication or intervention, prompting Jesus to use the moment to redefine who His true family is: not merely those connected by blood, but those who hear and obey God's will.
Matthew 12 46 Context
Matthew 12:46 immediately follows Jesus' discourse concerning an "unclean spirit" (vv. 43-45) and precedes His teaching on spiritual family (vv. 47-50) and the parable of the sower (Ch. 13). The chapter itself is filled with increasing opposition from the Pharisees regarding Sabbath observance (vv. 1-14) and accusations of demon possession (vv. 22-37). Jesus' miracles, particularly healing the blind and mute man possessed by a demon, elicit wonder from the crowds, prompting the Pharisees' accusation that He casts out demons by Beelzebul. Jesus responds by challenging their logic and declaring the unpardonable sin. Amidst this rising tension and His public teaching, the unexpected arrival of His biological family presents a direct contrast between earthly claims and the heavenly priorities of God's kingdom. Culturally, family was a primary social unit, carrying obligations and influence, making Jesus' subsequent redefinition of family quite counter-cultural and revolutionary for His audience.
Matthew 12 46 Word analysis
- While (Ἔτι, Eti): Signifies that the event occurs during an ongoing action, emphasizing that Jesus' ministry and teaching were His immediate priority and not interrupted.
- Jesus (Ἰησοῦς, Iēsous): The central figure; His authority and divine mission are key to understanding the following events.
- was still speaking (λαλοῦντος, lalountos): The present participle emphasizes continuous, ongoing discourse. This implies He was deeply engaged in His public teaching. Laleō means to speak, utter, talk. It contrasts with their desire "to speak" to Him, implying an interruption.
- to the crowds (τοῖς ὄχλοις, tois ochlois): Indicates His public ministry setting. "Crowds" suggests a large, diverse audience, underscoring the public nature of His teachings and the immediate availability of His message.
- his mother (ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ, hē mētēr autou): Mary, Jesus' biological mother. Her presence signifies an earthly, biological connection that Jesus will immediately contrast with spiritual kinship.
- and his brothers (καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ, kai hoi adelphoi autou): Refers to Jesus' biological half-brothers (sons of Mary and Joseph born after Jesus). This further strengthens the emphasis on a specific, earthly family unit. This detail, corroborated by other Gospels, indicates that not all His family initially understood or fully supported His radical ministry.
- stood (εἱστήκεισαν, histēkeisan): Implies they took a stand, an active posture, positioned to attract attention or await audience.
- outside (ἔξω, exō): Physically separates them from the immediate teaching setting. This spatial separation will be mirrored by Jesus' upcoming teaching on spiritual distinction. It suggests either difficulty getting close due to the crowd or a deliberate attempt to remove Him from the public eye for private consultation.
- asking (ζητοῦντες, zētountes): From zēteō, meaning to seek, demand, inquire, or even "try to bring out." Their active "seeking" suggests a specific purpose or urgency in their request.
- to speak to him (αὐτῷ λαλῆσαι, autō lalēsai): Their desire for private or familial communication directly contrasts with Jesus' focus on public, spiritual discourse.
- "While Jesus was still speaking... his mother and his brothers stood outside": This immediate juxtaposition highlights a contrast between Jesus' divine mission of public proclamation and His family's attempt to engage Him on an earthly, private level. It sets the scene for a pivotal redefinition of true relationship.
- "standing outside, asking to speak to him": This phrase paints a picture of external concern or possibly an attempted intervention, perhaps stemming from a misunderstanding of Jesus' identity and mission, or concern over His well-being, as alluded to in parallel passages like Mark 3:21.
Matthew 12 46 Bonus section
This incident, particularly as recounted in Mark 3:21, suggests that Jesus' family members might have initially perceived His intense ministry as a sign of mental instability ("He is out of His mind") and sought to restrain or control Him. This context highlights the profound challenge even Jesus' closest relatives faced in comprehending His divine nature and mission. However, it's notable that by the time of Pentecost (Acts 1:14), His mother Mary and brothers, including James, were counted among His devoted followers. This shows their eventual belief and transformation from being merely His earthly family to becoming part of His spiritual family. This verse also implicitly touches upon the Nazareth effect where Jesus' own kin found it difficult to accept Him (Mark 6:4).
Matthew 12 46 Commentary
Matthew 12:46 acts as a narrative hinge, transitioning Jesus from debate with His adversaries to teaching His disciples about true allegiance. The arrival of His earthly family during His profound public instruction foregrounds the central point: the primacy of God's will over even the closest biological ties. Their standing "outside" underscores their present position in understanding Jesus' mission – separated from the inner circle of spiritual kinship that embraces all who hear and obey God. This moment subtly critiques the limitations of natural affinity without spiritual understanding and powerfully elevates spiritual obedience as the defining characteristic of true familial bond with Christ. It serves as a reminder that devotion to Christ may supersede traditional human relationships, calling believers to prioritize their spiritual family and mission above all else.