Matthew 12:45-47 New English Translation
45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so[a] the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”
Jesus’ True Family
46 While Jesus[b] was still speaking to the crowds,[c] his mother and brothers[d] came and stood outside, asking[e] to speak to him. 47 [f] Someone[g] told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting[h] to speak to you.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 12:45 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.
- Matthew 12:46 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Matthew 12:46 tn Grk “crowds, behold, his mother.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
- Matthew 12:46 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.
- Matthew 12:46 tn Grk “seeking.”
- Matthew 12:47 tc A few ancient mss and versions lack this verse (א* B L Γ ff1 k sys,c sa), while almost all the rest have it. The witness of א and B is especially strong, but internal considerations override this external evidence. Both v. 46 and v. 47 end with the word λαλῆσαι (“to speak”), so early scribes probably omitted the verse through homoioteleuton. Without v. 47 the passage is nonsensical: v. 46 says Jesus’ family members wanted to speak to him, and v. 48 begins with “to the one who said this.” The antecedent of “the one who said this” must surely be “someone” in v. 47. Thus, the omission of v. 47 is too hard a reading. This verse therefore should be regarded as part of the Ausgangstext.
- Matthew 12:47 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 12:47 tn Grk “seeking.”
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.