3:34a

In some languages you may need a word that connects Jesus’ question with his next action (looking at the people around him) and his next speech. Use a natural connector if it is needed in your language for this context.

Looking at those seated in a circle around Him, He said: This part of the verse introduces an important statement that Jesus would make in 3:34b. He looked around at the people who were waiting for what he was about to say. This pause emphasized his statement to the people. Try to express this emphasis in a natural way in your language.

Looking at: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Looked at is literally “to look around at.”

those seated in a circle around Him: The words those seated in a circle around Him refers to a smaller group than the crowd in 3:32. The phrase in 3:32 did not include the words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in a circle. You should probably make that clear by using a different expression here than you used in 3:32.

The group that Jesus indicated in 3:34 probably included his disciples and other people who believed in him and followed him. It did not include the teachers of the law from Jerusalem, whom Jesus called to him in 3:23a. In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that this group was his followers. For example:

his followers seated in a circle around him

He said: The words He said introduce what Jesus said in 3:34b–35. In some languages it may be necessary to use an indirect quotation. See the General Comment on 3:34b–35 at the end of the notes for 3:35 for an example.

3:34b

Here are My mother and My brothers!: In Greek this part of the verse is literally, “Look! My mother and my brothers.” Jesus used these words to point out his disciples and other followers who were sitting there around him. He indicated that they were his mother and his brothers. Use a natural way to do this in your language.

Here: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Here is literally “see!” It is used to call attention to something and to emphasize a point. Translate it in a natural way in your language.

My mother and My brothers: Here Jesus used the words mother and brothers in a figurative way. Those who obey God (3:35) are like his family. He did not mean that all of his followers were literally from the same earthly family.

© 2008 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.