Mark / Chapter 3

Mark 3

35 verses • SBL Greek New Testament 1 tradition available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Mark 3 concludes the five controversy stories with a Sabbath healing that provokes the Pharisees to conspire with the Herodians against Jesus. Crowds from across the region press in on Jesus, and unclean spirits fall before him, recognizing him as the Son of God. Jesus withdraws to a mountain to appoint the Twelve as his inner circle. The chapter closes with two linked controversies: scribes from Jerusalem accuse Jesus of operating by Beelzebul's power, and Jesus's own family comes to seize him, thinking he is out of his mind. Jesus redefines family as those who do God's will.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The Beelzebul controversy contains some of Jesus's most tightly reasoned argumentation: the divided-kingdom analogy, the strong-man parable, and the warning about blaspheming the Holy Spirit. The appointment of the Twelve echoes Israel's twelve tribes and signals the reconstitution of God's people. The tension between Jesus's biological family and his spiritual family is stark — Mark uniquely records that his family thought he was 'out of his mind' (3:21). The twelve are called both to 'be with him' (relationship) and to 'be sent out' (mission).

Translation Friction

The 'unforgivable sin' passage (vv. 28-30) has generated centuries of theological debate. We render the Greek faithfully and note the interpretive range without resolving it. The list of the Twelve varies slightly across the Synoptics; we follow the SBLGNT text of Mark. The identity of Jesus's 'brothers' (adelphoi) in verse 31 is disputed among Christian traditions — biological siblings, half-siblings, or cousins.

Connections

The appointment of twelve apostles on a mountain echoes Moses and the twelve tribes at Sinai. The Beelzebul accusation connects to the broader theme of cosmic conflict in Mark. The redefinition of family anticipates the new community that will form around Jesus. The 'strong man' parable illuminates Jesus's exorcism ministry as plundering Satan's household. **Tradition comparisons:** JST footnote at Mark 3:24: Kingdom/house divided saying clarified See the [JST notes](/jst/mark).

Mark 3:1

Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πάλιν εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν, καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπος ἐξηραμμένην ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα.

He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

KJV And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The perfect participle exērammenēn ('having been withered, dried up') suggests a condition that was not congenital but developed over time — the hand had dried up and remained in that state. The scene is set for a confrontation: Jesus, the synagogue, a person in need, and watching opponents.
Mark 3:2

καὶ παρετήρουν αὐτὸν εἰ τοῖς σάββασιν θεραπεύσει αὐτόν, ἵνα κατηγορήσωσιν αὐτοῦ.

They were watching him closely to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath, so that they could accuse him.

KJV And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The imperfect paretēroun ('they were watching closely') implies sustained, hostile surveillance. The verb carries connotations of lying in wait. The purpose clause hina katēgorēsōsin ('so that they might accuse') reveals their intent from the outset — they are not seeking truth but building a case. Later rabbinic law permitted healing on the Sabbath only when life was in danger; a withered hand was not life-threatening.
Mark 3:3

καὶ λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ τὴν ξηρὰν χεῖρα ἔχοντι· ἔγειρε εἰς τὸ μέσον.

He said to the man with the withered hand, "Stand up here in the middle."

KJV And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Jesus deliberately makes the healing public by calling the man to the center (eis to meson). He does not heal secretly to avoid confrontation but forces the issue in full view of his opponents. The command egeire ('rise, stand up') is the same word used in resurrection contexts.
Mark 3:4

καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· ἔξεστιν τοῖς σάββασιν ἀγαθὸν ποιῆσαι ἢ κακοποιῆσαι, ψυχὴν σῶσαι ἢ ἀποκτεῖναι; οἱ δὲ ἐσιώπων.

Then he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?" But they were silent.

KJV And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Jesus reframes the legal question in stark binary terms: not healing is not neutral — it is 'doing evil' and 'killing.' The Pharisees' silence (esiōpōn) is telling — they cannot answer without either condemning themselves or conceding Jesus's point. The verb sōsai ('to save') and apokteinai ('to kill') may be doubly ironic, since the Pharisees are about to plot to kill Jesus (v. 6) on the very Sabbath when they forbid saving a life.
Mark 3:5

καὶ περιβλεψάμενος αὐτοὺς μετ' ὀργῆς, συλλυπούμενος ἐπὶ τῇ πωρώσει τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ· ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρα. καὶ ἐξέτεινεν, καὶ ἀπεκατεστάθη ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ.

He looked around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness of their hearts, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

KJV And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Mark is the only evangelist who records Jesus's anger (met' orgēs) and grief (syllypoumenos) together in this scene. The combination reveals a complex emotional response: anger at the opponents' callousness, grief at their spiritual blindness. The word pōrōsis ('hardness, callousness') literally refers to the calcification of bone — their hearts have become petrified. The same word describes Pharaoh's hardened heart in the Septuagint. The healing requires no touch, no word of power — just a command to stretch, and the restoration is immediate.
Mark 3:6

καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι εὐθὺς μετὰ τῶν Ἡρῳδιανῶν συμβούλιον ἐδίδουν κατ' αὐτοῦ ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν.

The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against him, plotting how to destroy him.

KJV And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The alliance between Pharisees and Herodians is deeply ironic — these were natural enemies. The Pharisees represented strict Jewish piety; the Herodians supported the Herodian dynasty and its accommodation with Rome. Their shared hostility toward Jesus unites them. The verb apolesōsin ('might destroy') makes the murderous intent explicit. The word euthys ('immediately') underscores the urgency of their response — the Sabbath healing has pushed them to decisive action.
Mark 3:7

Καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἀνεχώρησεν πρὸς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ πολὺ πλῆθος ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἠκολούθησεν· καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. Also from Judea,

KJV But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb anechōrēsen ('withdrew') indicates a strategic retreat from the hostility described in verse 6. The geographic catalog that follows (vv. 7-8) shows that Jesus's fame has spread far beyond Galilee, drawing people from virtually every region of Jewish settlement.
Mark 3:8

καὶ ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰδουμαίας καὶ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου καὶ περὶ Τύρον καὶ Σιδῶνα, πλῆθος πολύ, ἀκούοντες ὅσα ἐποίει ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτόν.

Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon — a large crowd, hearing about all that he was doing, came to him.

KJV And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The geographic scope is remarkable: Galilee (north), Judea and Jerusalem (south), Idumea (far south — Edomite territory), Transjordan (east), and Tyre and Sidon (Phoenician northwest, Gentile territory). This represents virtually the entire extent of the Jewish diaspora in the region, plus Gentile areas. Mark presents Jesus's appeal as transcending all geographic and ethnic boundaries.
Mark 3:9

καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ἵνα πλοιάριον προσκαρτερῇ αὐτῷ διὰ τὸν ὄχλον ἵνα μὴ θλίβωσιν αὐτόν·

He told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him.

KJV And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb thlibōsin ('press upon, crush, squeeze') conveys genuine physical danger from the pressing crowd. The small boat (ploiarion, diminutive form) would serve as both an escape route and a floating platform from which to teach (as in 4:1). This practical detail adds eyewitness vividness to the narrative.
Mark 3:10

πολλοὺς γὰρ ἐθεράπευσεν, ὥστε ἐπιπίπτειν αὐτῷ ἵνα αὐτοῦ ἅψωνται ὅσοι εἶχον μάστιγας.

For he had healed many, so that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch him.

KJV For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb epipiptein ('to fall upon, press against') describes an almost frantic surge. The noun mastigas (literally 'whips, scourges') is used metaphorically for diseases — afflictions experienced as divine scourging. The desire to touch (hapsōntai) reflects the ancient belief that healing power could be transmitted through physical contact, a belief Mark affirms in the case of the woman with the hemorrhage (5:28-30).
Mark 3:11

καὶ τὰ πνεύματα τὰ ἀκάθαρτα, ὅταν αὐτὸν ἐθεώρουν, προσέπιπτον αὐτῷ καὶ ἔκραζον λέγοντα ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.

Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God!"

KJV And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The imperfect tenses (etheōroun, prosepipten, ekrazon) indicate repeated, habitual action — this happened consistently, not just once. The demons' recognition of Jesus as 'the Son of God' (ho huios tou theou) contrasts sharply with the human characters' inability to grasp his identity. The prostration (prosepipten, 'fell before') could express both involuntary submission to superior power and an attempt to gain control by naming Jesus.
Mark 3:12

καὶ πολλὰ ἐπετίμα αὐτοῖς ἵνα μὴ αὐτὸν φανερὸν ποιήσωσιν.

He sternly ordered them not to make him known.

KJV And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The adverb polla ('much, repeatedly') with epetima ('rebuked, commanded') indicates that Jesus had to silence the demons repeatedly and emphatically. The messianic secret continues — Jesus controls the revelation of his identity. The phrase phaneron poiēsōsin ('make manifest, make known') implies public disclosure of his messianic identity.
Mark 3:13

Καὶ ἀναβαίνει εἰς τὸ ὄρος καὶ προσκαλεῖται οὓς ἤθελεν αὐτός, καὶ ἀπῆλθον πρὸς αὐτόν.

He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted, and they came to him.

KJV And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The mountain setting (to oros, with the article — 'the mountain') evokes Sinai, where God constituted Israel as a people through Moses. Jesus now constitutes a new community. The verb proskaleitai ('summons, calls to himself') emphasizes Jesus's sovereign initiative — he chose them, not the reverse. The phrase hous ēthelen autos ('whom he himself wanted') stresses the personal, deliberate nature of the selection.
Mark 3:14

καὶ ἐποίησεν δώδεκα, οὓς καὶ ἀποστόλους ὠνόμασεν, ἵνα ὦσιν μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἵνα ἀποστέλλῃ αὐτοὺς κηρύσσειν

He appointed twelve — whom he also named apostles — so that they would be with him and so that he could send them out to preach

KJV And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb epoiēsen ('made, appointed, created') is striking — the same verb used for God's creative acts. Jesus 'makes' the Twelve as a new creation. The number twelve corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel, signaling the reconstitution of God's people. The dual purpose is significant: first, 'to be with him' (relationship and formation), and second, 'to be sent out' (mission). Some manuscripts omit 'whom he also named apostles,' but the SBLGNT includes it.
Mark 3:15

καὶ ἔχειν ἐξουσίαν ἐκβάλλειν τὰ δαιμόνια·

To have authority to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:.

KJV And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The SBLGNT does not include 'to heal sicknesses' (therapeuin tas nosous), which appears in some later manuscripts. The authority (exousia) given to the Twelve is a delegated form of Jesus's own authority demonstrated in chapters 1-2. The focus on exorcism aligns with Mark's emphasis on Jesus's ministry as cosmic conflict with demonic powers.
Mark 3:16

καὶ ἐποίησεν τοὺς δώδεκα, καὶ ἐπέθηκεν ὄνομα τῷ Σίμωνι Πέτρον,

He appointed the Twelve: Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter;

KJV And Simon he surnamed Peter;

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The repetition of 'he appointed the Twelve' (epoiēsen tous dōdeka) may indicate that verses 14-15 state the general purpose while verses 16-19 list the specific members. The name Petros is the Greek translation of the Aramaic Kepha ('rock, stone'). The renaming signifies a new identity and mission, echoing the Old Testament pattern of God renaming Abram to Abraham and Jacob to Israel.
Mark 3:17

καὶ Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Ἰακώβου, καὶ ἐπέθηκεν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα Βοανηργές, ὅ ἐστιν υἱοὶ βροντῆς·

James the son of Zebedee and his brother John — he gave them the name Boanerges, which means "Sons of Thunder";

KJV And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Aramaic nickname Boanerges is difficult to reconstruct — the Greek transliteration does not correspond neatly to known Aramaic forms. It may derive from bene regesh ('sons of tumult/thunder'). Mark provides the translation for his Greek-speaking audience. The nickname may reflect the brothers' temperament (cf. Luke 9:54, where they want to call fire from heaven) or their powerful speaking style.
Mark 3:18

καὶ Ἀνδρέαν καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ Βαρθολομαῖον καὶ Μαθθαῖον καὶ Θωμᾶν καὶ Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ἁλφαίου καὶ Θαδδαῖον καὶ Σίμωνα τὸν Καναναῖον

Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,

KJV And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The name Kananaion is not 'Canaanite' (an ethnicity) but a transliteration of the Aramaic qan'ana ('zealot, enthusiast'), which Luke renders with the Greek Zēlōtēs. This may indicate membership in the Zealot movement or simply a zealous temperament. Thaddaeus appears here and in Matthew's list, while Luke has 'Judas son of James' in the same position — these may be the same person with different names, or the lists may reflect some variation in the group's composition.
Mark 3:19

καὶ Ἰούδαν Ἰσκαριώθ, ὃς καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτόν.

Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him — then they traveled into an home.

KJV And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Judas is listed last, and the note about his betrayal (paredōken, 'handed over') is attached immediately, ensuring the reader knows from the start what role he will play. The name Iskariōth may mean 'man of Kerioth' (a Judean town), which would make Judas the only non-Galilean among the Twelve. The verb paradidōmi ('hand over, betray, deliver up') is the same verb used for John's arrest in 1:14 and for Jesus's passion predictions.
Mark 3:20

Καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς οἶκον· καὶ συνέρχεται πάλιν ὁ ὄχλος, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς μηδὲ ἄρτον φαγεῖν.

Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat a meal.

KJV And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase eis oikon ('into a house' or 'home') likely refers again to the house in Capernaum. The detail that they cannot even eat (mēde arton phagein, literally 'not even bread to eat') underscores the overwhelming demand on Jesus — the ministry has become so consuming that basic needs go unmet.
Mark 3:21

καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐξῆλθον κρατῆσαι αὐτόν· ἔλεγον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξέστη.

When his family heard about it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind."

KJV And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase hoi par' autou ('those from beside him') most likely refers to Jesus's family, as confirmed by verse 31 where his mother and brothers arrive. The verb kratēsai ('to seize, take hold of forcibly') is strong — the same verb used for arresting someone. The word exestē ('he has lost his mind, is beside himself') is a frank assessment that Jesus's behavior appeared mentally unstable. This remarkably candid detail is unique to Mark and would not have been invented by the early church.
Mark 3:22

καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς οἱ ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων καταβάντες ἔλεγον ὅτι Βεελζεβοὺλ ἔχει, καὶ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια.

The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He has Beelzebul," and "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons."

KJV And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. These are not local scribes but representatives from Jerusalem — an official delegation sent to investigate and pronounce judgment. The accusation has two parts: Jesus is himself possessed ('He has Beelzebul'), and his exorcisms operate through demonic power. The name Beelzebul likely derives from the Philistine deity Ba'al Zebub ('Lord of the Flies,' 2 Kings 1:2), modified to Beelzebul ('Lord of the Dwelling/Dung'). The charge is devastating: Jesus's power is real, but its source is satanic.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on 2 Kings 1:2. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
Mark 3:23

καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτοὺς ἐν παραβολαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· πῶς δύναται σατανᾶς σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν;

He called them to himself and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan?

KJV And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase en parabolais ('in parables') here refers to figurative speech and analogies rather than the extended narrative parables of chapter 4. Jesus addresses the scribes' charge with logical argumentation. The question itself exposes the absurdity of the accusation — if Satan were working against his own forces, his realm would collapse.
Mark 3:24

καὶ ἐὰν βασιλεία ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δύναται σταθῆναι ἡ βασιλεία ἐκείνη·

That kingdom cannot stand, and if a kingdom be divided against itself.

KJV And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The conditional clause presents a self-evident political principle that any listener could verify from history. The verb meristhē ('is divided') implies internal faction and civil war. Jesus is arguing from common experience to expose the logical impossibility of the scribes' accusation.

Joseph Smith Translation (Footnotes)theological

Kingdom/house divided saying clarified

The JST footnote adjusts the logic of Jesus's response to accusations of casting out demons by Beelzebub, providing greater clarity on the divided-kingdom argument.

Mark 3:25

καὶ ἐὰν οἰκία ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δυνήσεται ἡ οἰκία ἐκείνη σταθῆναι.

And if a household is divided against itself, that household will not be able to stand.

KJV And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The word oikia can mean both a physical 'house' and a 'household' (the extended family and its affairs). The second analogy moves from the political sphere to the domestic, making the point more personal and immediate. The same principle applies at every level of social organization.
Mark 3:26

καὶ εἰ ὁ σατανᾶς ἀνέστη ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐμερίσθη, οὐ δύναται στῆναι ἀλλὰ τέλος ἔχει.

And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand — his end has come.

KJV And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Jesus applies the principle to the specific case: if Satan is fighting against his own agents (the demons Jesus expels), then Satan's kingdom is in self-destructive civil war. The phrase telos echei ('has an end') means 'is finished, is done for.' Jesus's argument is: either the accusation is false (Satan is not behind the exorcisms) or Satan's kingdom is collapsing — either way, the scribes' position fails.

Joseph Smith Translation (Footnotes)theological

Satan rising against himself — conclusion of the Beelzebub discourse revised

Complements v. 24. The JST footnote here provides a revised conclusion to the argument about Satan's self-division, clarifying the logic of Jesus's defense against the scribes' accusation.

Mark 3:27

ἀλλ' οὐ δύναται οὐδεὶς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ εἰσελθὼν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον τὸν ἰσχυρὸν δήσῃ, καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει.

But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.

KJV No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Jesus now offers his own explanation of the exorcisms through the 'strong man' parable. Satan is the 'strong man' (ischyros); his 'house' is the domain of demonic oppression; his 'possessions' (skeuē) are the people held captive. Jesus is the one who has 'bound' (dēsē) the strong man — likely a reference to the wilderness testing (1:12-13) — and is now systematically plundering Satan's realm through exorcisms. The verb diarpasai ('plunder, thoroughly rob') implies a complete ransacking.
Mark 3:28

Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πάντα ἀφεθήσεται τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰ ἁμαρτήματα καὶ αἱ βλασφημίαι ὅσα ἐὰν βλασφημήσωσιν·

"Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of humanity, and whatever blasphemies they utter.

KJV Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The introductory amēn legō hymin ('truly I say to you') is a solemn formula of authority unique to Jesus in the Gospels — no rabbi preceded his own statements with 'amen.' The sweeping scope of forgiveness — 'all sins' (panta ta hamartēmata) and 'all blasphemies' (hai blasphēmiai) — makes the exception in the next verse all the more striking. The phrase tois huiois tōn anthrōpōn ('to the sons of men') is a Semitic expression for human beings in general.
Mark 3:29

ὃς δ' ἂν βλασφημήσῃ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐκ ἔχει ἄφεσιν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ ἔνοχός ἐστιν αἰωνίου ἁμαρτήματος.

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin."

KJV But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The SBLGNT reads 'eternal sin' (aiōniou hamartēmatos) rather than 'eternal condemnation/judgment' found in some manuscripts. The phrase ouk echei aphesin eis ton aiōna ('has no forgiveness into the age') is an emphatic negation. The context (v. 30) defines this blasphemy specifically as attributing the Holy Spirit's work to Satan — calling divine good demonic evil. This is not a momentary sin of speech but a settled, deliberate posture of calling light darkness. Many interpreters note that the very anxiety about having committed this sin is itself evidence that one has not, since it presupposes sensitivity to the Spirit.
Mark 3:30

ὅτι ἔλεγον· πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον ἔχει.

He said this because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

KJV Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Mark provides the explicit reason for Jesus's warning: the scribes had attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to an unclean spirit. The imperfect elegon ('they were saying') suggests this was not a one-time remark but a sustained accusation. The blasphemy against the Spirit consists precisely in this inversion — seeing the Spirit's liberating work and calling it demonic.
Mark 3:31

Καὶ ἔρχεται ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔξω στήκοντες ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτὸν καλοῦντες αὐτόν.

Then his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him, calling for him.

KJV There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This resumes the narrative begun in verse 21 — the family that set out to 'seize' Jesus has now arrived. The word adelphoi ('brothers') most naturally means biological siblings in Greek, though Catholic tradition interprets it as 'cousins' or 'step-brothers.' They stand 'outside' (exō), which becomes symbolically significant: they are on the outside while those sitting around Jesus are on the inside (v. 34).
Mark 3:32

καὶ ἐκάθητο περὶ αὐτὸν ὄχλος, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ σου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ἔξω ζητοῦσίν σε.

A crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Look, your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you."

KJV And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The spatial arrangement is significant: the crowd sits 'around' (peri) Jesus in a circle, while the family stands 'outside' (exō). The verb zētousin ('are seeking, looking for') recalls the earlier note that the family came to seize him (v. 21). The crowd serves as messengers, informing Jesus of his family's presence.
Mark 3:33

καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτοῖς λέγει· τίς ἐστιν ἡ μήτηρ μου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου;

He replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"

KJV And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The question is not a denial of his biological family but a redefinition of family itself. In a culture where kinship was the primary social bond and honoring parents was a foundational commandment, this question would have been shocking. Jesus does not go outside to his family; instead, he uses their arrival as a teaching moment.
Mark 3:34

καὶ περιβλεψάμενος τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν κύκλῳ καθημένους λέγει· ἴδε ἡ μήτηρ μου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου.

Looking around at those seated in a circle around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!

KJV And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb periblepsámenos ('looking around') is characteristically Markan — Jesus surveys the circle of listeners with a deliberate gaze. The demonstrative 'Here are' (ide, 'look, see') draws attention to those physically present. The insiders (those seated around Jesus, doing God's will) are his true family; the outsiders (his biological family, who think he is mad) are not.
Mark 3:35

ὃς ἂν ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, οὗτος ἀδελφός μου καὶ ἀδελφή καὶ μήτηρ ἐστίν.

Whoever does the will of God — that person is my brother and sister and mother."

KJV For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The criterion for belonging to Jesus's family is singular: doing the will of God (to thelēma tou theou). The list — 'brother and sister and mother' — is inclusive of both genders but notably omits 'father,' perhaps because God alone holds that role in Jesus's reconstituted family. This saying creates a new kinship structure based on obedience to God rather than biological descent, a radical redefinition with profound implications for the early church's self-understanding as a family of faith.
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