Luke 8:21
New International Version
He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

New Living Translation
Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”

English Standard Version
But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Berean Standard Bible
But He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out.”

Berean Literal Bible
But answering, He said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who are hearing and doing the word of God."

King James Bible
And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

New King James Version
But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

New American Standard Bible
But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.

NASB 1995
But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

NASB 1977
But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

Amplified Bible
But He answered, “My mother and My brothers are these who listen to the word of God and do it!”

Christian Standard Bible
But he replied to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But He replied to them, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.”

American Standard Version
But he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these that hear the word of God, and do it.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus answered, "My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God's message."

English Revised Version
But he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do what God's word says."

Good News Translation
Jesus said to them all, "My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

International Standard Version
But he answered those people, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear a message from God and heed it."

Majority Standard Bible
But He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out.”

NET Bible
But he replied to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."

New Heart English Bible
But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it."

Webster's Bible Translation
And he answered and said to them, My mother and my brethren are these who hear the word of God, and do it.

Weymouth New Testament
"My mother and my brothers," He replied, "are these who hear God's Message and obey it."

World English Bible
But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and He answering said to them, “My mother and My brothers! They are those who are hearing the word of God, and doing.”

Berean Literal Bible
But answering, He said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who are hearing and doing the word of God."

Young's Literal Translation
and he answering said unto them, 'My mother and my brethren! they are those who the word of God are hearing, and doing.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he having answered, said unto them, My mother and my brethren are they hearing the word of God, and doing it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who answering, said to them: My mother and my brethren are they who hear the word of God, and do it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And in response, he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

New American Bible
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

New Revised Standard Version
But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He answered and said to them, These are my mother and my brothers, those who hear the word of God and do it.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But he answered and said to them, “These are my mother and my brothers; those who are hearing the word of God and are practicing it.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But he answered and said to them: My mother and my brothers are they that hear the word of God and do it.

Godbey New Testament
And He responding said to them, My mother and my brothers are the ones hearing the word of God, and doing it.

Haweis New Testament
Then he answered and said to them, My mother and my brethren are they, who hear the word of God, and practise it.

Mace New Testament
but he answered them, my mother and brethren are these, who attend to the word of God, and practise it.

Weymouth New Testament
"My mother and my brothers," He replied, "are these who hear God's Message and obey it."

Worrell New Testament
And He, answering, said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it."

Worsley New Testament
And He answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these that hear the word of God and do it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
20He was told, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You.” 21But He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out.” 22One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side of the lake.” So He got into a boat with them and set out.…

Cross References
Matthew 12:49-50
Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. / For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3:33-35
But Jesus replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” / Looking at those seated in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! / For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”

John 15:14
You are My friends if you do what I command you.

James 1:22-25
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. / For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, / and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ...

Matthew 7:21
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

John 14:21
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”

Romans 8:14
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

1 John 2:17
The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.

John 8:31
So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.

1 John 3:10
By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. / But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ...

Hebrews 5:9
And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him

1 John 5:2-3
By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. / For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,

Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. What matters is faith expressing itself through love.

Romans 2:13
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.


Treasury of Scripture

And he answered and said to them, My mother and my brothers are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

My mother.

Luke 11:27,28
And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked…

Matthew 25:40,45
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me…

Matthew 28:10
Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

which.

Luke 8:15
But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Matthew 7:21-26
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven…

Matthew 17:5
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

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Luke 8
1. Women minister unto Jesus of their own means.
4. Jesus, after he had preached from place to place,
9. explains the parable of the sower,
16. and the candle;
19. declares who are his mother, and brothers;
22. rebukes the winds;
26. casts the legion of demons out of the man into the herd of pigs;
37. is rejected by the Gadarenes;
43. heals the woman of her bleeding;
49. and raises Jairus's daughter from death.














But He replied
In this passage, Jesus is responding to a situation where His mother and brothers are seeking Him. The Greek word for "replied" is "ἀποκριθεὶς" (apokritheis), which implies a thoughtful and deliberate response. This indicates that Jesus is not dismissing His family but is about to make a profound statement about spiritual kinship. His reply is not just a reaction but a teaching moment, emphasizing the importance of His message.

My mother and brothers
Here, Jesus uses familial terms to make a point about spiritual relationships. In the Jewish culture of the time, family ties were of utmost importance, often dictating social and religious obligations. By referring to "mother and brothers," Jesus acknowledges these ties but is about to redefine them in a spiritual context. This phrase sets the stage for a radical redefinition of what it means to be part of Jesus' family.

are those
The phrase "are those" signifies a shift from the biological to the spiritual. Jesus is about to identify a new criterion for family membership. The Greek word "εἰσίν" (eisin) is a form of "to be," indicating existence or identity. This suggests that Jesus is not merely adding to His family but is fundamentally redefining it. The emphasis is on being, not just doing or belonging by birth.

who hear
Hearing, in the biblical sense, often implies more than just auditory reception; it involves understanding and obedience. The Greek word "ἀκούοντες" (akouontes) is a present participle, indicating continuous action. This suggests that being part of Jesus' family requires ongoing engagement with His teachings. In the historical context, hearing was the primary means of learning, as literacy was not widespread. Thus, hearing implies active discipleship.

the word of God
The "word of God" is central to Jesus' teaching. In Greek, "λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ" (logon tou Theou) refers to the divine message or revelation. This phrase underscores the authority and sacredness of the teachings Jesus imparts. Historically, the "word of God" would have been understood as the Scriptures, but Jesus expands this to include His own teachings, positioning Himself as the ultimate revelation of God.

and carry it out
Carrying out the word of God involves action and obedience. The Greek phrase "καὶ ποιῶντες" (kai poiountes) uses a present participle, indicating continuous action. This implies that true kinship with Jesus is demonstrated through a lifestyle of obedience and application of His teachings. In the cultural context, this would have been a radical call to live out one's faith in tangible ways, beyond mere ritual or tradition.

(21) My mother and my brethren.--The answer agrees very closely with that in the other Gospels. But note the use of "the word of God," instead of "the will of God" in St. Mark, and "the will of my Father" in St. Matthew, as throwing light on the meaning of the former phrase, and showing its fulness and width of meaning.

Verse 21. - And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the Word of God, and do it. The Master used the opportunity to send home into the hearts of the many listeners the stern, grave lesson that there was something more solemn even than family ties, and that these, holy and binding though they were, must not be allowed to stand in the way of plain, unmistakable duty.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

He replied,
ἀποκριθεὶς (apokritheis)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 611: From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. to respond; by Hebraism to begin to speak.

“My
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

mother
Μήτηρ (Mētēr)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3384: A mother. Apparently a primary word; a 'mother'.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

brothers
ἀδελφοί (adelphoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

are
εἰσιν (eisin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

those
οὗτοί (houtoi)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

who
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

hear
ἀκούοντες (akouontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

word
λόγον (logon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

of God
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

carry it out.”
ποιοῦντες (poiountes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.


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