MAT 12:46 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT While he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brothers had stood outside, seeking to speak to him.

UST As Jesus was saying those things to the large groups of people, his mother and his younger brothers arrived and waited outside where he was. They wanted to talk with him.

BSB While [Jesus] was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him.

BLB Now while He was speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.

AICNT While he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to him.

OEB While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside, asking to speak to him.

WEBBE While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers came and stood outside, asking to speak to him.

LSV And while He was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers had stood outside, seeking to speak to Him,

FBV While he was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers arrived and stood outside, wanting to talk to him.

TCNT While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.

T4T While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his younger brothers arrived. They stood outside the house, wanting to speak with him.

LEB ¶ And[fn] while[fn] he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brothers were standing there outside, desiring to speak to him.

12:46 Some manuscripts omit “And”

12:46 *Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“speaking”)

BBE While he was still talking to the people, his mother and his brothers came, desiring to have talk with him.

Moff He was still speaking to the crowds when his mother and brothers came and stood outside; they wanted to speak to him.

Wymth While He was still addressing the people His mother and His brothers were standing on the edge of the crowd desiring to speak to Him.

ASV While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.

DRA As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.

YLT And while he was yet speaking to the multitudes, lo, his mother and brethren had stood without, seeking to speak to him,

Drby But while he was yet speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.

RV While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.
(While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren/brothers stood without, seeking to speak to him. )

SLT And he yet speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.

Wbstr While he was yet speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

KJB-1769 ¶ While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
(¶ While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren/brothers stood without, desiring to speak with him. )

KJB-1611 ¶ While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speake with him.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Whyle he yet talked to the people, beholde, his mother, and his brethren stoode without, desyryng to speake with hym.
(While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother, and his brethren/brothers stood without, desyring to speak with him.)

Gnva While he yet spake to ye multitude, beholde, his mother, and his brethren stood without, desiring to speake with him.
(While he yet spake to ye/you_all multitude, behold, his mother, and his brethren/brothers stood without, desiring to speak with him. )

Cvdl Whyle he yet talked vnto the people, beholde, his mother & his brethre stode without desyringe to speake wt him.
(While he yet talked unto the people, behold, his mother and his brethren/brothers stood without desyringe to speak with him.)

TNT Whill he yet talked to the people: beholde his mother and his brethren stode without desyringe to speake with him.
(Whill he yet talked to the people: behold his mother and his brethren/brothers stood without desyringe to speak with him. )

Wycl Yit whil he spak to the puple, lo! his modir and his bretheren stoden withouteforth, sekynge to speke to hym.
(Yet whil he spake to the people, lo! his mother and his bretheren stood withouteforth, seeking to speak to him.)

Luth Da er noch also zu dem Volk redete, siehe, da stunden seine Mutter und seine Brüder draußen, die wollten mit ihm reden.
(So he still also to/for to_him people talked, see/look, there hours his mother and his brothers outside, the wanted with him talk.)

ClVg Adhuc eo loquente ad turbas, ecce mater ejus et fratres stabant foris, quærentes loqui ei.[fn]
(Still by_him speaking to crowds, behold mother his and brothers they_were_standing outside, seeking to_speak to_him. )

12.46 Ecce mater ejus. RAB. Mystice. Mater et fratres populus est Judæorum qui Jesu intus docente non possunt intrare, quia spiritualiter ejus verba, etc., usque ad Fratres Domini sunt consobrini ejus, filii Mariæ materteræ ejus: quæ dicitur mater Jacobi minoris et Joseph, et Judæ et Simonis.

12.46 Behold mother his. RAB. Mystice. Mater and brothers the_people it_is Yudahorum who/which Yesu inside/within teache not/no they_can to_enter, because spiritually his words, etc., until to Brothers Master are consobrini his, children Mary materteræ his: which it_is_said mother Yacobi minors and Yoseph, and Yudah and Simon's.

UGNT ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος τοῖς ὄχλοις, ἰδοὺ, ἡ μήτηρ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ἵστήκεισαν ἔξω, ζητοῦντες αὐτῷ λαλῆσαι.
(eti autou lalountos tois oⱪlois, idou, haʸ maʸtaʸr kai hoi adelfoi autou histaʸkeisan exō, zaʸtountes autōi lalaʸsai.)

SBL-GNT Ἔτι ⸀δὲ αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος τοῖς ὄχλοις ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ εἱστήκεισαν ἔξω ζητοῦντες αὐτῷ λαλῆσαι.
(Eti ⸀de autou lalountos tois oⱪlois idou haʸ maʸtaʸr kai hoi adelfoi autou heistaʸkeisan exō zaʸtountes autōi lalaʸsai.)

RP-GNT Ἔτι δὲ αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος τοῖς ὄχλοις, ἰδού, ἡ μήτηρ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ εἱστήκεισαν ἔξω, ζητοῦντες αὐτῷ λαλῆσαι.
(Eti de autou lalountos tois oⱪlois, idou, haʸ maʸtaʸr kai hoi adelfoi autou heistaʸkeisan exō, zaʸtountes autōi lalaʸsai.)

TC-GNT Ἔτι [fn]δὲ αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος τοῖς ὄχλοις, ἰδού, ἡ μήτηρ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ [fn]εἱστήκεισαν ἔξω, ζητοῦντες [fn]αὐτῷ λαλῆσαι.
(Eti de autou lalountos tois oⱪlois, idou, haʸ maʸtaʸr kai hoi adelfoi autou heistaʸkeisan exō, zaʸtountes autōi lalaʸsai. )

12:46 δε ¦ — NA TH WH

12:46 ειστηκεισαν ¦ ιστηκεισαν TH WH

12:46 αυτω λαλησαι ¦ λαλησαι αυτω ANT

Key for above GNTs: red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 12:46–50: Jesus taught about who is his true family

In this section, Jesus showed that all who obey God are members of his/Jesus’ spiritual family.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The True Family of Jesus (NLT)

The people whom Jesus considered to be his true family

People who do the will of God are like the true family of Jesus

There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 3:31–35 and Luke 8:19–21.

12:46a

While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds,

¶ While Jesus was still speaking to the crowd,
¶ As Jesus continued talking to the people,

While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds: Verse 12:46a connects this paragraph with the preceding paragraphs. Even though Jesus had been speaking primarily to the scribes and Pharisees in 12:38–45, other people were also listening since 12:23.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

While Jesus was still talking to the crowds (GW)

Jesus continued talking with the people.

12:46b

His mother and brothers stood outside,

his mother and younger brothers arrived and stood outside the house.
his mother and his younger brothers arrived at the house. They stood outside

The Greek word that begins this clause is left untranslated in the BSB, but some English versions translate it as “behold.” This word focuses attention on what follows and indicates that it is important, unexpected, or amazing. In this context, this word introduces the main topic of this paragraph: Jesus’ mother and brothers. Many English versions translate this word as “look” or “behold” in this context.

His…brothers: Church groups differ in what they believe about Jesus’ brothers. Here are the three main views:

They were the sons of Joseph and Mary, born after Jesus.
They were Jesus’ cousins.Scholars who follow this view most commonly think that they were the children of Clopas (Joseph’s brother or brother-in-law) and Mary (the sister of Jesus’ mother). For a good presentation and analysis of the various views, see Arndt’s commentary on 8:19.
They were children of Joseph from a previous marriage. That is, they were Jesus’ step-brothers.

The Hebrew and Aramaic words for “brother” do not distinguish between biological brothers and cousins. It is good to use a general word for “brother” that could apply to any of the views above. For example, you may have a word that could refer to:

brothers with the same father and mother,
brothers with the same father but different mothers, and
cousins who are children of one of the parents’ brothers or sisters.

If you must use a more specific word, it is recommended that you consult with all major church groups in your language area. You will want to choose a word that is acceptable to the churches.

If your language must distinguish between “older” and “younger” brothers, it is recommended that you use a term for “younger brothers” here. If your language does not use terms that distinguish male and female, such as brother or sister, it may be more natural to use general terms. For example:

siblings

younger-siblings

stood outside: There is some implied information in this part of the verse:

Jesus was at this time speaking from inside a house.
Jesus mother and brothers had not been present in the crowd in the previous paragraph, but now they arrived.

In some languages, it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:

came and stood outside (CEV)

stood outside the house

when his mother and brothers arrived. They stood outside (GNT)

12:46c

wanting to speak to Him.

They wanted to talk to him.
and said that they wanted to speak to him.

wanting to speak to Him: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as wanting can mean “seeking/trying,” “wanting,” or “asking.” So this clause can simply mean that “they wanted to speak to Jesus.” Or it can mean that “they told people that they wanted to speak with him.” Either one is possible and acceptable.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

They wanted to talk to him. (GW)

trying to find a way to talk to him. (NCV)

They said that they wanted to speak with Jesus.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἰδοὺ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἔτι Αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος τοῖς ὄχλοις ἰδού ἡ μήτηρ καί οἱ ἀδελφοί αὐτοῦ εἱστήκεισαν ἔξω ζητοῦντες αὐτῷ λαλῆσαι)

The word behold draws the attention of the audience and asks them to listen carefully. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express behold with a word or phrase that asks the audience to listen, or you could draw the audience’s attention in another way. Alternate translation: [take note] or [look]

Note 2 topic: translate-kinship

οἱ ἀδελφοὶ

the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἔτι Αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος τοῖς ὄχλοις ἰδού ἡ μήτηρ καί οἱ ἀδελφοί αὐτοῦ εἱστήκεισαν ἔξω ζητοῦντες αὐτῷ λαλῆσαι)

These were Jesus' younger brothers. They were sons of Mary and Joseph. Since the Father of Jesus was God, and their father was Joseph, they were actually his half-brothers. That detail is not normally translated, but if your language has a specific word for “younger brother,” you could use it here.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἵστήκεισαν ἔξω

Matthew implies that Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived and then stood outside wherever Jesus was. Since [13:1](../13/01.md) describes Jesus leaving a house, he may have been in a house while he was teaching. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make some or all of this information more explicit. Alternate translation: [had come and stood outside the house] or [had arrived outside the place where he was teaching]

Parallel MAT 12:46

Section 12:46–50: Jesus taught about who is his true family

12:46a

12:46b

12:46c