Luke 3.30 and Mark 6.3 (Matthew 13.55)? September 6, 2008
Posted by Lee in Luke's Genealogy, MET Blogger Archive.add a comment
I once posted on the seeming likeness of these three passages. Matthew evidently follows Mark (or a similar tradition). In Mark 6.1ff., Matthew 13.53ff., and Luke 4.16ff. (the closest Lucan parallel) all describe a synagogue episode in which Jesus’ listeners rhetorically question from which family Jesus hails. Mark 6.3 reads, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon…?” Matthew follows Mark closely, though mixing the order of names. But Luke 4.22 mentions only Joseph: “Is not this Joseph’s son?” Luke is probably continuing the thought from 3.23, the beginning of Jesus’ genealogy where Jesus is said to be of Joseph, “as was supposed.”
A comparison of four names in Luke’s genealogy (3.30) seem close to the names of Jesus brothers in Mark 6.3:
Mark Luke
Iakwbou Iwnam
Iwsetos Iwseph
Iouda Iouda
Simwnos Sumewn
Is there anything to this similarity? I have previously argued that Luke’s genealogy ought not be taken as a sequential list of generations (with a notable exception in one large block of names), since several groups of names allign well with lists of priestly individuals elsewhere (in, for example, TLevi and Josephus’ Antiquities.)
In my previous attempts to sort out Luke’s genealogy, I failed to make any significant conclusions. I intend to review the study and eventually post my findings. When I do, I’ll mention in detail those priestly lists found elsewhere. In the meantime, I’d appreciate any insights regarding the possible relationship between Mark 6.3 and Luke 3.30, if there be any.
