Parallel Texts in Matthew, Mark
& Luke
1. True Kin
Matt 12:46-50 // Mark 3:31-35
// Luke 8:19-21
Turn off Pop-up blocker to insure hyperlinks work properly.
Texts
JESUS'
KIN |
Matthew
12 |
Mark
3 |
Luke
8 |
46 |
While he was still
speaking |
|
|
|
|
|
to the people, |
|
|
|
|
|
behold, |
31 |
And |
19 |
[Then] |
|
his mother |
|
his mother |
|
his mother |
|
and his brothers |
|
and his brothers |
|
and his brothers |
|
|
|
came |
|
came
to
him, |
|
stood outside |
|
and,
standing
outside, |
|
but |
|
asking |
|
they sent to him, |
|
they could not reach |
|
to speak to
him. |
** |
<calling>
him. |
|
him |
|
|
32 |
And a
crowd was sitting |
|
for the crowd. |
|
|
|
about him; |
|
|
47* |
[Someone told him |
|
and they said to him, |
20 |
[And] he was told, |
|
"Your mother |
|
"Your mother |
|
"Your mother
and |
|
and your brothers
are |
|
and your brothers
are |
|
your brothers are
|
|
standing outside, |
|
outside, |
|
standing outside, |
|
asking to speak to you."] |
|
asking for you." |
|
desiring to see
you." |
48 |
But
he replied |
33 |
And
he replied, |
|
|
|
to the man who told him, |
|
|
|
|
|
"Who is my mother, |
|
"Who are my mother |
|
|
|
and
|
|
and |
|
|
|
who are my
brothers?" |
|
my brothers?" |
|
|
49 |
And
|
34 |
And
|
21 |
[But] |
|
stretching out
his hand |
|
looking around |
|
|
|
toward his disciples, |
|
on those who sat about him, |
|
|
|
he said, |
|
he said, |
|
he said to
them, |
|
"Here
are my mother |
|
"Here are my
mother |
|
"My mother |
|
and my brothers! |
|
and my brothers! |
|
and my brothers |
50 |
For
whoever does
the will |
35 |
Whoever does the will |
|
are those who hear |
|
of my Father in heaven |
|
of God |
|
the word
of
God |
|
is my brother, |
|
is my brother, |
|
|
|
and sister, |
|
and sister, |
|
|
|
and
mother." |
|
and
mother." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and do
it." |
*
Note:
Matt 12:47 is not in the two earliest codices
(before 400 CE): Sinaiticus
& Vaticanus.
But it is found in most mss.
after 400 CE.
Which explanation of these facts is more plausible?
-
It was omitted by accident. Scribes copying a ms. in which the same words occurred a line or so
apart sometimes omitted the words between them. Note that the ending of Matt 12:47 echoes the
narrative in Matt 12:46. Or...
-
It was added by later scribes to bring Matthew in line with the other synoptic versions of this
anecdote. Note parallels to Luke 8:20.
If Matt 12:47 was missing from
later mss., a scribal lapse would be clear. But since it is lacking in both of
the oldest mss., accidental omission is less likely. This verse was in the
Diatesseron,
a 2nd c. harmony of the four gospels.
But there is no evidence for it in Greek mss. of Matthew before the 5th c.
CE.
** Editorial Note: The RSV tried to salvage the awkward grammar of Mark 3:31 by translating Mark's
second participle as a main verb: "and called him." For the sake of analysis, I have restored Mark's bad
grammar.
|
Color
Code |
Blue |
Three
gospels use same vocabulary. |
Teal |
Two
gospels use same vocabulary. |
Black |
Words unique to a
particular gospel. |
[it] |
RSV wording;
not in Greek text. |
<all> |
RSV wording
altered to reflect Greek |
last revised
28 February 2023
|