Luke 8:19

Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19-21) Then came to him his mother and his brethren.—See Notes on Matthew 12:46-50, and Mark 3:31-35. There cannot be any doubt that we have in those passages a report of the same incident; but it may be noted that St. Luke places it after the teaching by parables, and the other two Gospels before. In this instance the evidence preponderates in favour of the latter sequence of events.

For the press.—Better, by reason of the multitude.

Benson Commentary

Luke 8:19-21. Then came to him his mother, &c. — See the notes on Matthew 12:46-50; and on Mark 3:31. My mother and my brethren are they which hear the word of God and do it — In these words we have an important branch of the character and the great dignity and happiness of the true disciples of Christ. As they make conscience of embracing all proper opportunities of hearing the word of God, so they take heed what and how they hear, as directed in Luke 8:18; and endeavour to hear it in the manner and spirit explained and inculcated in the last note. And their great honour and dignity Isaiah , 1 st, That they are regarded and esteemed by the Lord Jesus as his nearest and dearest relations; they are not only his subjects and his servants, but his brethren, his spouse, his members. They bear his name and image, and share his nature. The consequence of which is, that the relation in which they stand to him shall subsist, when all the relations of flesh and blood shall have ceased for ever. 2d, They are unspeakably dear to him; he loves them above all other men, and it should seem above all angels. He has their welfare infinitely at heart; in all respects acts the part of a kinsman, in caring and providing for them: he sympathizes with them in their infirmities and afflictions, and takes a share in their joys and sorrows. 3d, He admits them into his presence, — to his table, and the rich provisions of his house, — allows them the nearest access to, and greatest intimacy and familiarity with himself. He converses and corresponds freely with them, and even dwells among them. 4th, He is not ashamed of them, although poor and mean. When he died, he left them rich legacies; and does not forget them now he is in his kingdom; but defends, supports, directs, and comforts them many ways; sends them many rich presents and donations; will confess them as his friends and relations before all the principalities and powers of the universe, and will have them all, at last, to live eternally with him. Now from this near relation, in which those that hear the word of God, and do it, stand to the Lord Jesus, and from the great regard he has for them, it is easy to infer that all such should consider themselves as being nearly related to each other, and therefore should be very dear to one another. Being the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, 2 Corinthians 6:18; and the brethren and sisters of his blessed Son, they are of course brethren and sisters to each other; not only bearing the same common name of Christian, but partaking of the same heavenly nature, and manifesting the same divine likeness, as the children of the same family generally resemble each other. And as their relation to each other, like that in which they stand to the Lord Jesus, shall subsist and be a firm bond of union among them, when all the relations merely human, and all the ties of nature, civil society, and worldly interest shall have ceased for ever; surely a consideration of this ought to make them esteem and love each other with pure hearts fervently, notwithstanding any little difference of opinion, or mode of worship, or such like circumstance which may have place among them. And they should show how dear they are to each other every way in their power; and in particular by their delighting in each other’s company, and being free and familiar with each other, and by cultivating a spirit of sympathy and fellow-feeling with and toward one another; never being ashamed of each other, however poor or despised by the world; but acknowledging, supporting, and comforting one another, as children of the same family, and members of the same body; and, above all, always endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:4-21 There are many very needful and excellent rules and cautions for hearing the word, in the parable of the sower, and the application of it. Happy are we, and for ever indebted to free grace, if the same thing that is a parable to others, with which they are only amused, is a plain truth to us, by which we are taught and governed. We ought to take heed of the things that will hinder our profiting by the word we hear; to take heed lest we hear carelessly and slightly, lest we entertain prejudices against the word we hear; and to take heed to our spirits after we have heard the word, lest we lose what we have gained. The gifts we have, will be continued to us or not, as we use them for the glory of God, and the good of our brethren. Nor is it enough not to hold the truth in unrighteousness; we should desire to hold forth the word of life, and to shine, giving light to all around. Great encouragement is given to those who prove themselves faithful hearers of the word, by being doers of the work. Christ owns them as his relations.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 12:46-50.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Lu 8:19-21. His Mother and Brethren Desire to Speak with Him.

(See on [1600]Mt 12:46-50).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 19-21. See Poole on "Matthew 12:46", and following verses to Matthew 12:50. See Poole on "Mark 3:31" and following verses to Mark 3:35.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then came to him his mother and his brethren,.... It was when Christ was preaching in an house at Capernaum, that Mary his mother, and some of his near kinsmen with her, came from Nazareth to him: these brethren of his were relations according to the flesh, either by Joseph, or his mother's side: who they were, cannot be said with certainty: it may be they were Joses and Simon; for as for James and Judas, they were among the twelve apostles, and with him; and these are the four only persons that are mentioned by name, as his brethren, Matthew 13:55 though there were others that were so called, who did not believe in him, John 7:5

and could not come at him for the press; the multitude of people that were about him, who were so thick, that there was no coming near him, much less was there an opportunity of speaking privately, with him. The Syriac version renders it, "they could not speak unto him for the multitude".

Geneva Study Bible

{4} Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.

(4) There is no relationship of flesh and blood among men so intimate and upright as the band which is between Christ and those who embrace him with a true faith.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 8:19-21. See on Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35. Luke has the section in accordance with Mark, but in a shortened form,[114] without anything to indicate chronological sequence or connection of subject, and he gives it a different position.

Luke 8:20. λεγόντων] by its being said. See Winer, p. 519 [E. T. 736]; Bernhardy, p. 481; Borenemann, Schol. p. 53.

Luke 8:21. οὗτοι] my mother and my brethren are those who, etc.

[114] Therefore it is not to be said, with Baur, Evang. p. 467 f., that Luke purposely omitted the words in Matthew: καὶ ἐκτείνας τ. χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τ. μαθητὰς κ.τ.λ., in an interest adverse to the Twelve. It is not the Twelve alone that are meant in Matthew.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 8:19-21. Mother and brethren (Matthew 12:46-50, Mark 3:31-35). Given in a different connection from that in Mt. and Mk. The connection here seems purely topical: the visit of the friends of Jesus gives Him occasion to indicate who are they who represent the good, fruitful soil (Luke 8:21).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19-21. Christ’s Mother and His Brethren.

19. Then came to him his mother and his brethren] Our text has the plural; the reading paregeneto (sing.) would imply that the Virgin took a specially prominent part in the incident. Joseph is never mentioned after the scene in the Temple. This incident can hardly be the same as those in Mark 3:31-35; Matthew 12:46-50, because in both of those cases the context is wholly different. St Luke may however have misplaced this incident, since here, as in the other Evangelists, relatives of Jesus are represented as standing outside a house of which the doors were densely thronged; whereas the explanation of the Parable had been given in private. It is here merely said that they wished to see Him; but the fact that they came in a body seems to shew that they desired in some way to direct or control His actions. The fullest account of their motives is found in Mark 3:21, where we are told that they wished “to seize Him” or “get possession of His person,” because they said “He is beside Himself,”—perhaps echoing the feelings which had been encouraged by the Pharisees. We must remember that His brethren “did not believe in Him” (John 7:5), i.e. their belief in Him was only the belief that he was a Prophet who did not realize their Messianic ideal. It needed the Resurrection to convert them.

his brethren] James, Joses, Simon, Judas. Possibly (Matthew 12:50; Mark 3:35) His sisters also came.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 19-21. - Interference of Christ's mother and his brethren. Verse 19. - Then came to him his mother and his brethren. St. Mark, in his third chapter, gives us the reasons which led to this scene. It had been bruited abroad that a species of frenzy had seized upon that strange Man who had been brought up in their midst, and who had lately aroused such enthusiasm in all the crowded lake-district of Galilee. It is difficult to estimate aright the feelings of his own family towards him; admiration and love seem to have struggled in their hearts with prejudice and jealousy - not in the case of Mary, but in the case of the so-called brothers. They seem ever to have been close to him during his public ministry, not among his "own," but still near him, watching him, and listening to him with a half-wondering, half-grudging admiration. But John tells us (John 7:5) that they did not believe in him. It needed the Resurrection to convert them. The crowd round the Master at this juncture was so great that they - his kinsmen - could not press through it to speak to him. They conveyed to him, however, a message. The Heart-reader knew well what were the motives which induced them to come to him just then; the brothers were so distrustful that they had suffered themselves to be carried away by the Pharisees' evil surmises, that Jesus was possessed by a devil. The mother, influenced by her earthly fears for her Son, was induced to accompany the brothers, no doubt hoping to induce him to withdraw himself from the scene of excitement, at all events for a season. Luke 8:19