AMMCK :
It is important to understand the historical and linguistic context of the Bible. When the New Testament mentions the “brothers” of Jesus, it does not necessarily mean biological brothers in the modern sense.
In the Semitic languages spoken at that time (Aramaic and Hebrew), the same word was commonly used for brothers, cousins, or close relatives. There was no precise distinction like we have today in many modern languages. Because of this, when the Greek translation of the Gospel uses the word “brothers,” it can refer more broadly to relatives.
Many biblical scholars therefore understand these “brothers of Jesus” to be his cousins or extended family members.
Another hypothesis sometimes mentioned historically is that they could have been stepbrothers, meaning children Joseph may have had from a previous marriage before he was betrothed to Mary. However, this remains a tradition found in some early writings and is not clearly established historically.
What is clear in the Christian tradition, especially in the early Church, is the belief that Jesus was the only child of Mary. This understanding is connected to the long-held belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary, affirmed by many early Christian writers.
Therefore, the references to “brothers” in the Gospel should be understood within the cultural and linguistic context of the time, rather than through the narrow meaning the word “brother” has in modern languages.
2026-04-08 05:31:52