Matthew 13 56

Matthew 13:56 kjv

And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

Matthew 13:56 nkjv

And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?"

Matthew 13:56 niv

Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"

Matthew 13:56 esv

And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"

Matthew 13:56 nlt

All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?"

Matthew 13 verses

Matthew 13 56 Meaning

Matthew 13:56 is part of the account where Jesus visits His hometown, Nazareth, and teaches in their synagogue. The people there are astonished by His wisdom and miracles, yet they cannot reconcile His extraordinary abilities with His familiar, ordinary background. This verse specifically articulates their skeptical question: "And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" It reveals their contempt born of familiarity and their inability to accept that divine wisdom and power could emanate from someone they had known since childhood, whose humble family they knew intimately. Their question implies that Jesus' common origins, including His family, disqualify Him from such greatness, showcasing their human limitations in recognizing the divine.

Matthew 13 56 Context

Matthew chapter 13 is predominantly comprised of Jesus' parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. Immediately following these parables, Jesus returns to His hometown, Nazareth, which is described in verses 53-58. His teaching in the synagogue astonishingly reveals great wisdom, and He performs mighty works (though limited by their unbelief as noted in verse 58). The people, familiar with Jesus as a local resident, the son of the carpenter, and the brother of local folk, struggle to reconcile this divine power and wisdom with His humble and known origins. They ask rhetorical questions expressing their disdain and skepticism. This encounter highlights the tension between the "wisdom of God" as revealed in Jesus and the "wisdom of the world," which often relies on pedigree, social standing, and familiar associations rather than recognizing God's work in unexpected ways. Historically, prophets were often rejected in their hometowns, fulfilling the saying that a prophet has no honor in his own country. This incident is a stark example of such rejection, emphasizing a polemic against reliance on human expectations and outward appearances over the divine truth embodied in Christ.

Matthew 13 56 Word analysis

• And His sisters (Greek: καὶ αἱ ἀδελφαὶ αὐτοῦ, kai hai adelphai autou):
  • His sisters: The plural form ἀδελφαί (adelphai) indicates that Jesus had more than one sister. This strongly supports the traditional view that Mary had other children after Jesus (her firstborn). Some alternative interpretations suggest these were cousins or children from a previous marriage of Joseph, but the most natural reading of the Greek implies siblings of the same parents (Mary and Joseph), hence Jesus' half-sisters.
• are they not all (Greek: οὐχὶ πᾶσαι, ouchi pasai):
  • οὐχὶ (ouchi): A particle used in questions that expects an affirmative answer, meaning "is it not?" or "surely...is not?". It underscores the common knowledge of Jesus' sisters' presence in the community.
  • πᾶσαι (pasai): "All." Emphasizes that all of His known sisters were among them, highlighting their total familiarity with His entire immediate family.
• with us? (Greek: πρὸς ἡμᾶς, pros hēmas):
  • "With us" reinforces the deeply ingrained local familiarity. The question is posed by fellow townspeople who literally lived alongside Jesus' family for years. Their close acquaintance blinded them to Jesus' unique divine nature.
• Where then did this man get (Greek: Πόθεν οὖν τούτῳ ταῦτα, Pothen oun toutō tauta):
  • Where then did this man get: Their incredulity points to an implicit disbelief in His divine origin. They seek an earthly explanation for His extraordinary abilities.
  • τοῦτῳ (toutō): Literally "to this one" or "this man." Often used in a slightly dismissive or condescending way, underscoring their low estimation of Him due to His known background. It dehumanizes Him by denying His divine uniqueness.
  • get: The nuance here implies "obtain" or "receive." They are searching for a human source—a teacher, a school, or some other explainable origin for His unparalleled wisdom and power—because they reject the supernatural explanation.
• all these things? (Greek: πάντα ταῦτα, panta tauta):
  • All these things: This refers back to the "wisdom and mighty works" mentioned in Mt 13:54. It encompasses both Jesus' profound teaching and His miraculous deeds. The scope of their astonishment and disbelief is comprehensive.
• Word-group analysis:
  • "And His sisters, are they not all with us?": This rhetorical question highlights their utter familiarity with Jesus' ordinary family members. This familiarity is the precise "stumbling block" preventing them from seeing His divine nature. Their mindset is, "He is just one of us, from an ordinary family, so how can He be more?"
  • "Where then did this man get all these things?": This question expresses deep skepticism and a demand for an earthly, rational explanation for phenomena they perceive as supernatural. They refuse to attribute it to God's direct work through Him because it contradicts their established knowledge of His humble background. The emphasis is on this man – a man they knew – being incapable of such things naturally.

Matthew 13 56 Bonus section

The Nazareth incident (Mt 13:53-58; parallel in Mk 6:1-6a) is significant not only for demonstrating the "prophet without honor" theme (Jn 4:44) but also as a powerful teaching moment about the nature of belief and skepticism. The Greek word for "took offense" or "scandalized" used in Mt 13:57 is eskandalisthēsan (ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν), derived from skandalon, which means a trap, a snare, or a stumbling block. The people of Nazareth literally tripped over their familiarity with Jesus. Their "stumbling block" was not His lack of miracles or wisdom, but their own pre-judgments based on His ordinary social standing. This incident thus serves as a timeless caution against allowing human assumptions, pride, or intimate familiarity to hinder our recognition of God's work, especially when it challenges our established expectations.

Matthew 13 56 Commentary

Matthew 13:56 provides a poignant illustration of the human tendency to limit God based on our perceptions of His instruments. The people of Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, were witnesses to His unparalleled wisdom and mighty deeds, yet their intimate familiarity with His humble origins and family prevented them from recognizing His divine authority. Their contemptuous rhetorical questions about His sisters being among them ("are they not all with us?") underscore the root of their offense: how could someone so ordinary, so known, so utterly 'local,' be the recipient of such extraordinary power and knowledge?

They sought an earthly source for His greatness, refusing to accept the spiritual reality that God often works through what the world considers unimpressive (1 Cor 1:27-28). Their skepticism hardened into unbelief, and tragically, this unbelief limited Jesus' ability to perform many miracles among them (Mt 13:58). This passage serves as a sobering reminder that our preconceived notions and reliance on outward appearances can blind us to God's profound workings, causing us to miss His presence even when it is right before our eyes. It underscores the spiritual principle that faith is required to perceive and receive divine truth, unhindered by worldly logic or familiarity.