Lukas 8:19-20

Jesus’ True Family

8:19 Now Jesus’ ¹  mother and his brothers ²  came to him, but ³  they could not get near him because of the crowd. 8:20 So ⁴  he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

[8:19]  ¹ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:19]  ² sn The issue of whether Jesus had brothers (siblings) has had a long history in the church. Epiphanius, in the 4th century, argued that Mary was a perpetual virgin and had no offspring other than Jesus. Others argued that these brothers were really cousins. Nothing in the text suggests any of this. See also John 7:3.

[8:19]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[8:20]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the sequence of events.