Armour of God
Well-Known Member
Refer to post #493.
The Koine Greek language can distinguish “brother,” “relative,” and “cousin,” but Scripture does not consistently use those distinctions—especially in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek Old Testament that shaped New Testament vocabulary.
Koine Greek includes:
These distinctions exist, but Scripture does not use them with modern English precision.
- ἀνεψιός (anepsios) — cousin (Colossians 4:10); also used more broadly in Greek for “nephew”
- συγγενίς (syngenis) — female relative (Luke 1:36)
- συγγενής (syngenes) — relative/kinsman, fellow countryman (Mark 6:4; Luke 1:58; 2:44; 14:12; 21:16; John 18:26; Acts 10:24; Romans 9:3; 16:7, 11, 21)
- ἀδελφός (adelphos) — brother, kinsman, relative, fellow Israelite, fellow believer
- ἀδελφή (adelphe) — sister, kinswoman, female believer
The LXX routinely uses adelphos to translate the broad Hebrew term ’ach, which covers many kinds of kinship. As a result, adelphos often refers to relatives who are not biological siblings:
1. Abraham and Lot (uncle–nephew)
2. Jacob and Laban (uncle–nephew)
- Genesis 13:8 (LXX): “We are adelphoi.”
- Genesis 14:14 (LXX): Lot is called Abraham’s adelphos.
3. Eleazar’s daughters and their cousins
- Genesis 29:15 (LXX): Laban calls Jacob adelphos.
This is not an anomaly—it is the standard LXX pattern. In scriptural Greek, adelphos has a much wider semantic range than modern English “brother.”
- 1 Chronicles 23:22 (LXX): their cousins are called their adelphoi.
So in scriptural Greek, adelphos has a much wider semantic range than modern English “brother.”
Even when a more specific term existed, NT writers did not always use it. For example, when Luke identifies Elizabeth as Mary’s relative, he uses syngenis, not anepsios, even though Christian tradition understands them as cousins (Luke 1:36). This shows NT writers were comfortable using broader kinship terms, just as the LXX did.
More importantly, the Gospels explicitly identify another Mary—not Mary the Mother of Jesus—as the mother of James and Joseph, the same individuals listed among Jesus’s adelphoi:
So yes, Greek can say “cousin.” But:
- Mary Magdalene, Mary (of Clopas/Cleophas) the mother of James (the Less), and Salome (Mark 16:1).
- Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary (of Clopas/Cleophas) the mother of James (the Less) (Luke 24:10).
- Mary (of Clopas/Cleophas) the mother of James (the Less) and Joseph (Matthew 27:56).
- Mary (of Clopas/Cleophas) the mother of James the Younger (the Less) and of Joses (Joseph) (Mark 15:40).
- His Mother and His Mother’s sister, Mary (the mother of James the Less and Joseph) the wife of Clopas/Cleophas (John 19:25).
- Scripture often uses broader family terms instead of the narrowest one.
- Adelphos frequently includes relatives who are not biological siblings.
- NT writers did not feel obligated to use anepsios even when a cousin‑type relationship was involved.
- And Scripture itself identifies two of Jesus’ “brothers” as the sons of another Mary, not Mary the Mother of Jesus.
I don't see the gospels explicitly referring to another Mary.
But if Mary really did refuse to submit to her husband as scripture demands then I would consider Mary to be a bad wife for creating an unhealthy relationship and defying Gods word
