Reference: Brother
American
Signifies in Scripture the son of the same parent or parents, Mt 1:2; Lu 6:14; a cousin or near kinsman, Ge 13:8; 14:16; Joh 7:3; Ac 1:14; one of the same stock or country, Mt 5:47; Ac 3:22; Heb 7:5; a fellow-man, and equal, Mt 5:23; 7:3; one beloved, 2Sa 1:26; Christians, as sons of God, Ac 9:30; 11:29. In Mt 12:46-50; 13:55-56; Mr 3:31-35, the brothers of Christ are so mentioned, in connection with his mother and sisters, as almost to require us to believe they were children of Joseph and Mary, younger than Jesus. Yet this is not quite certain, as it may be that the James, Joses, and Judas in Mt 13:55, are the nephews of Christ alluded to in Mt 27:56; Lu 6:15-16; Joh 19:25; Cleophas and Alphaeus being probably the same.
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And Abram will say to Lot, Now there shall not be strife between me and between thee, and between my shepherds and between thy shepherds, for we are men brethren.
And he shall turn back all the substance, and also Lot, his brother, and having turned back his cattle, and also the women and the people.
Distress to me for thee, my brother Jonathan: thou wert sweet to me exceedingly: thy love to me was wonderful above the love of women.
Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob: and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
If therefore, thou bring thy gift upon the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother has anything against thee,
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye above ordinary? and do not the tax collectors the same?
And why seest thou the mote which is in thy brother's eye, and the beam in thine eye thou observest not?
And he yet speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. And a certain one said to him, Behold, thy mother, and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee. read more. And he having answered, said to him speaking to him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And having stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whoever should do the will of my Father, him in the heavens, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Is not this the son of the carpenter? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Is not this the son of the carpenter? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then to him all these?
Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Then came his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, they sent to him, calling him. And the crowd sat about him, and they said to him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek thee. read more. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, and my brethren? And having looked round upon those sitting round about him, he says, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whoever should do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Simon, (and he named him Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James, him of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes, read more. Judas, of James, and Judas Iscariot, and he was the traitor.
Then said his brethren to him, Go away thence, and retire to Judea, that also thy disciples might see thy works which thou doest.
And by the cross of Jesus stood his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
All these were persevering unanimously in prayer and supplication, with women, and Mary mother of Jesus, with his brethren.
For Moses truly said to the fathers, That a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you from your brethren, like me; him shall ye hear according to all whatever he speak to you.
And the brethren having known, brought him down to Cesarea, and they sent him forth to Tarsus.
And certain of the disciples, as he was able, determined, each of them, to send for service to the brethren dwelling in Judea:
And they truly of the sons of Levi, receiving the office of priest, have a command to take a tenth part from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, although having come out of the loins of Abraham:
Easton
(1.) In the natural and common sense (Mt 1:2; Lu 3:1,19).
(2.) A near relation, a cousin (Ge 13:8; 14:16; Mt 12:46; Joh 7:3; Ac 1:14; Ga 1:19).
(3.) Simply a fellow-countryman (Mt 5:47; Ac 3:22; Heb 7:5).
(4.) A disciple or follower (Mt 25:40; Heb 2:11-12).
(5.) One of the same faith (Am 1:9; Ac 9:30; 11:29; 1Co 5:11); whence the early disciples of our Lord were known to each other as brethren.
(6.) A colleague in office (Ezr 3:2; 1Co 1:1; 2Co 1:1).
(7.) A fellow-man (Ge 9:5; 19:7; Mt 5:22-23,24; 7:5; Heb 2:17).
(8.) One beloved or closely united with another in affection (2Sa 1:26; Ac 6:3; 1Th 5:1). Brethren of Jesus (Mt 1:25; 12:46,50; Mr 3:31-32; Ga 1:19; 1Co 9:5, etc.) were probably the younger children of Joseph and Mary. Some have supposed that they may have been the children of Joseph by a former marriage, and others that they were the children of Mary, the Virgin's sister, and wife of Cleophas. The first interpretation, however, is the most natural.
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And surely, your blood of your lives I will search out, from the hand of every living thing I will search it out, and from the hand of man; from the hand of a man's brother I will search out the life of man.
And Abram will say to Lot, Now there shall not be strife between me and between thee, and between my shepherds and between thy shepherds, for we are men brethren.
And he shall turn back all the substance, and also Lot, his brother, and having turned back his cattle, and also the women and the people.
Distress to me for thee, my brother Jonathan: thou wert sweet to me exceedingly: thy love to me was wonderful above the love of women.
And Joshua the son of Josedek, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and they will build the altar of the God of Israel, to bring up upon it burnt-offerings as written in the law of Moses the man of God.
Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn it back, for their delivering over the whole captivity to Edom, and they remembered not the covenant of their brethren:
Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob: and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
And he took to himself his wife, and knew her not till she brought forth her first born son: and be called his name Jesus.
But I say to you, That every one becoming angry with his brother, shall be subject to judgment: and whoever should say to his brother, Raca, should be, subject to the council: and whoever should say, O foolish, shall be subject to a hell of fire. If therefore, thou bring thy gift upon the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother has anything against thee, read more. Let go there thy gift, before the altar, and retire; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then, having come, bring thy gift.
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye above ordinary? and do not the tax collectors the same?
Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam from thine eye, and thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote from thy brother's eye.
And he yet speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.
And he yet speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.
For whoever should do the will of my Father, him in the heavens, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
And the king having answered, will say to them, Trull I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did to one of the least of my brethren, ye did to me.
Then came his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, they sent to him, calling him. And the crowd sat about him, and they said to him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek thee.
Now in the fifteenth year of the supremacy of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being leader of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother being tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
And Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod did,
Then said his brethren to him, Go away thence, and retire to Judea, that also thy disciples might see thy works which thou doest.
All these were persevering unanimously in prayer and supplication, with women, and Mary mother of Jesus, with his brethren.
For Moses truly said to the fathers, That a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you from your brethren, like me; him shall ye hear according to all whatever he speak to you.
Therefore, survey, brethren, seven men of you, being witnesses full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom ye shall set over this need.
And the brethren having known, brought him down to Cesarea, and they sent him forth to Tarsus.
And certain of the disciples, as he was able, determined, each of them, to send for service to the brethren dwelling in Judea:
And other of the sect I saw not, except James the Lord's brother.
And other of the sect I saw not, except James the Lord's brother.
Paul, sent of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy the brother,
Paul, sent of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy the brother,
For be consecrating and they being consecrated all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will announce thy name to my brethren, in the midst of the church will I praise thee.
Wherefore in all things it was necessary to be made like to the brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful chief priest in things towards God, in order to propitiate for the sin of the people.
And they truly of the sons of Levi, receiving the office of priest, have a command to take a tenth part from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, although having come out of the loins of Abraham:
Fausets
Includes, besides sons of the same parents, cousins and near relatives, as a nephew (Ge 13:8; 14:16; De 25:5-6 margin). One of the same tribe (2Sa 19:12). Of the same or a kindred people (Ex 2:11; Nu 20:14). A friend (Job 6:15). A fellow man (Le 19:17). "A brother to (i.e. a fellow on a level with) the dragons" or "jackals" (Job 30:29). As the outer pagan world knew believers by the name "Christian," so they know one another by the name "brethren" (Ac 11:26; 26:28; 1Pe 4:16; compare Mt 25:40; Ac 11:29). The Jews distinguished a "brother" as an Israelite by birth, and a "neighbor" a proselyte, and allowed neither title to the Gentiles. But Christ applied "brother" to all Christians, and "neighbor" to all the world (1Co 5:11; Lu 10:29-30). The arguments for the "brethren" of Jesus (James, Joses, Simon, and Judas) mentioned in Mt 13:56 being literally His brothers, born of Joseph and Mary, are:
(1) their names are always connected with Mary, "His brethren" is the phrase found nine times in the Gospels, once in Acts (Ac 1:14);
(2) nothing is said to imply that the phrase is not to be taken literally. But:
(1) "My brethren" is found in the wide sense (Mt 28:10; Joh 20:17).
(2) If Joseph had been their father, they would have been some one time at least designated in the usual mode "sons of Joseph." The statement that. His "brethren did not believe in Him" (Joh 7:5) may refer to His near relations generally, excepting the two apostles James (who is expressly called "the Lord's brother," Ga 1:19) and Jude (Jg 1:1). In Ac 1:14 His "brethren," as distinct from the apostles, may refer to Simon and Joses and other near relatives. It is not likely there would be two pairs of brothers named alike, of such eminence; James and Jude. His brethren are, most probably, the writers of the epistles.
(3) It is expressly stated that Mary, wife of Cleophas and sister of the Virgin Mary (Joh 19:25), had sons, of whom James and Joses are named (Mt 27:56; Mr 15:40). How unlikely that two mothers of the same name, Mary the Virgin and her sister, should have sons also bearing the same names.
(4) If the Virgin had had sons of her own, Jesus would not have given her in charge to John (Joh 19:26), who was not a relative.
(5) It is a fitting thing that in Jesus the line of David should have its final consummation. The naming of Jesus' brethren with His virgin mother so often may be because Jesus and she took up their abode at the home of Mary, the Virgin's sister, after Joseph's death; for that he soon died appears from his name being never mentioned after Luke 2. Hence the cousins would grow up as brothers. The very difficulty implies the absence of collusion or mythical origin in the gospel narrative.
Firstborn son (Mt 1:25) does not imply that any sons were born of the Virgin afterwards, but that none were born before Him. Ex 13:2 defines "the firstborn" "whatsoever openeth the womb": whether other children followed or not. "Knew her not until" does not necessarily imply he even then knew her; compare Ge 28:15, "I will not leave thee until I have done," not meaning He would leave Jacob even then. The main truth asserted is the virginity of Mary up to Jesus' birth. What was afterward is not dearly revealed, being of less consequence to us.
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And Abram will say to Lot, Now there shall not be strife between me and between thee, and between my shepherds and between thy shepherds, for we are men brethren.
And Abram will say to Lot, Now there shall not be strife between me and between thee, and between my shepherds and between thy shepherds, for we are men brethren.
And he shall turn back all the substance, and also Lot, his brother, and having turned back his cattle, and also the women and the people.
And he shall turn back all the substance, and also Lot, his brother, and having turned back his cattle, and also the women and the people.
And behold, I am with thee, and I preserved thee in all which thou shalt go, and I turned thee back to this land; for I will not forsake thee, till that I have done what I said to thee.
And behold, I am with thee, and I preserved thee in all which thou shalt go, and I turned thee back to this land; for I will not forsake thee, till that I have done what I said to thee.
And it will be in these days, and Moses will become great, and he will go forth to his brethren, and he will see their burdens: and he will see a man, an Egyptian, smiting a man, a Hebrew, from his brethren.
And it will be in these days, and Moses will become great, and he will go forth to his brethren, and he will see their burdens: and he will see a man, an Egyptian, smiting a man, a Hebrew, from his brethren.
Consecrate to me every first-born bursting open every womb among the sons of Israel, of man and of cattle: it is to me.
Consecrate to me every first-born bursting open every womb among the sons of Israel, of man and of cattle: it is to me.
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: rebuking, thou shalt rebuke thy neighbor, and thou shalt not take sin upon him.
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: rebuking, thou shalt rebuke thy neighbor, and thou shalt not take sin upon him.
And Moses will send messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, Thus said thy brother Israel, Thou knewest all the distress which found us:
And Moses will send messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, Thus said thy brother Israel, Thou knewest all the distress which found us:
If brethren shall dwell together and one of them died, and a son not to him, the wife of the dead shall not be without to a man a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in to her, and he took her to him for a wife, and he acted the husband's brother to her.
If brethren shall dwell together and one of them died, and a son not to him, the wife of the dead shall not be without to a man a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in to her, and he took her to him for a wife, and he acted the husband's brother to her. And it is the first-born which she shall bear shall rise up upon the name of his brother the dead, and his name shall not be wiped from Israel
And it is the first-born which she shall bear shall rise up upon the name of his brother the dead, and his name shall not be wiped from Israel
And it will be after the death of Joshua, and the sons of Israel will ask of Jehovah, saying, Who will go up for us against the Canaanites in the beginning to war against them?
And it will be after the death of Joshua, and the sons of Israel will ask of Jehovah, saying, Who will go up for us against the Canaanites in the beginning to war against them?
Ye my brethren; my bone and flesh are ye: and wherefore will ye be last to turn back the king?
Ye my brethren; my bone and flesh are ye: and wherefore will ye be last to turn back the king?
My brethren dealt faithlessly as a torrent; as a channel of torrents they shall pass away;
My brethren dealt faithlessly as a torrent; as a channel of torrents they shall pass away;
I was a brother to jackals, and a companion to the daughters of the ostrich.
I was a brother to jackals, and a companion to the daughters of the ostrich.
And he took to himself his wife, and knew her not till she brought forth her first born son: and be called his name Jesus.
And he took to himself his wife, and knew her not till she brought forth her first born son: and be called his name Jesus.
And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then to him all these?
And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then to him all these?
And the king having answered, will say to them, Trull I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did to one of the least of my brethren, ye did to me.
And the king having answered, will say to them, Trull I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did to one of the least of my brethren, ye did to me.
Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Then says Jesus to them, Be ye not afraid: retire, and announce to my brethren that they should go away into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
Then says Jesus to them, Be ye not afraid: retire, and announce to my brethren that they should go away into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
And women also were beholding from far: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary of James the small and the mother of Joses, and Salome;
And women also were beholding from far: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary of James the small and the mother of Joses, and Salome;
And he, wishing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor
And he, wishing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor And Jesus having replied said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers : and having stripped him, and laid on blows, they departed, leaving him half dead.
And Jesus having replied said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers : and having stripped him, and laid on blows, they departed, leaving him half dead.
For neither believed his brethren in him.
For neither believed his brethren in him.
And by the cross of Jesus stood his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
And by the cross of Jesus stood his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus then having seen the mother, and the disciple standing near, whom he loved, says to his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Jesus then having seen the mother, and the disciple standing near, whom he loved, says to his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Jesus says to her, Touch me not; for I have not yet ascended to my Father: and go thou to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God.
Jesus says to her, Touch me not; for I have not yet ascended to my Father: and go thou to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God.
All these were persevering unanimously in prayer and supplication, with women, and Mary mother of Jesus, with his brethren.
All these were persevering unanimously in prayer and supplication, with women, and Mary mother of Jesus, with his brethren.
All these were persevering unanimously in prayer and supplication, with women, and Mary mother of Jesus, with his brethren.
All these were persevering unanimously in prayer and supplication, with women, and Mary mother of Jesus, with his brethren.
And having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it was for a whole year they were assembled together in the churches, and taught a sufficient crowd. And the disciples were Christians by divine intimation first in Antioch.
And having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it was for a whole year they were assembled together in the churches, and taught a sufficient crowd. And the disciples were Christians by divine intimation first in Antioch.
And certain of the disciples, as he was able, determined, each of them, to send for service to the brethren dwelling in Judea:
And certain of the disciples, as he was able, determined, each of them, to send for service to the brethren dwelling in Judea:
And Agrippa said to Paul, In a little thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
And Agrippa said to Paul, In a little thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
And now I wrote to you not to mix together, if any called a brother is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or intoxicated, or rapacious; not to eat with such.
And now I wrote to you not to mix together, if any called a brother is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or intoxicated, or rapacious; not to eat with such.
And other of the sect I saw not, except James the Lord's brother.
And other of the sect I saw not, except James the Lord's brother.
Hastings
Morish
Besides the ordinary use of the word in its literal sense, it is applied to cousins and nephews, Ge 14:14; Le 10:4; and to kinsmen generally. Ex 2:11; 2Ki 10:13; 2Ch 22:8. Also employed where there is a moral likeness. Job 30:29; Pr 18:9. See BRETHREN.
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And Abram shall hear that his brother was carried away captive, and he will draw forth his trained, born in his house, eighteen and three hundred, and will pursue, even to Dan.
And it will be in these days, and Moses will become great, and he will go forth to his brethren, and he will see their burdens: and he will see a man, an Egyptian, smiting a man, a Hebrew, from his brethren.
And Moses will call to Mishael and to Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel, Aaron's uncle, and say to them, Draw near; lift up your brethren from before the holy place, to without the camp.
I was a brother to jackals, and a companion to the daughters of the ostrich.
Also he being slothful in his work, he the brother of the master of destruction.
Smith
Brother.
The Hebrew word is used in various senses in the Old Testament, as,
1. Any kinsman, and not a mere brother; e.g. nephew,
husband,
2. One of the same tribe.
3. Of the same people,
or even of a cognate people.
4. An ally.
5. Any friend,
6. One of the same office.
7. A fellow man.
8. Metaphorically of any similarity, as in
The word adelphos has a similar range of meanings in the New Testament.
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And Abram will say to Lot, Now there shall not be strife between me and between thee, and between my shepherds and between thy shepherds, for we are men brethren.
And he shall turn back all the substance, and also Lot, his brother, and having turned back his cattle, and also the women and the people.
And it will be in these days, and Moses will become great, and he will go forth to his brethren, and he will see their burdens: and he will see a man, an Egyptian, smiting a man, a Hebrew, from his brethren.
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: rebuking, thou shalt rebuke thy neighbor, and thou shalt not take sin upon him.
And Moses will send messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, Thus said thy brother Israel, Thou knewest all the distress which found us:
And to Amass. ye shall say, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? thus will God do to me and thus will he add, if thou shalt not be chief of the army before me all the days, instead of Joab.
And he will say, What these cities which thou gavest to me, my brother? And he will call them the land Cabul even to this day.
And he saved the needy from the sword, from their mouth and from the band of the strong one.
He cast me to the clay; I shall become like as dust and ashes.
Watsons
BROTHER. 1. A brother by the same mother, a uterine brother, Mt 4:21; 20:2. A brother, though not by the same mother, Mt 2:3. A near kinsman, a cousin, Mt 13:55; Mr 6:3. Observe, that in Mt 13:55, James, and Joses, and Judas, are called the ???????, brethren, of Christ, but were most probably only his cousins by his mother's side; for James and Joses were the sons of Mary, Mt 27:56; and James and Judas, the sons of Alpheus, Lu 6:15-16; which Alpheus is therefore probably the same with Cleopas, the husband of Mary, sister to our Lord's mother, Joh 19:25.
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And Herod the king having heard, was stirred up, and all Jerusalem with him.
And having proceeded thence, he saw other two brethren, James him of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the ship with Zebedee their father, adjusting their nets; and he called them.
Is not this the son of the carpenter? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Is not this the son of the carpenter? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
And having agreed for a drachma a day, he sent them to his vineyard.
Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Is not this the carpenter, son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Jude, and Simon and are not his sisters here with us? And they were scandalized in him.
Matthew and Thomas, James, him of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes, Judas, of James, and Judas Iscariot, and he was the traitor.
And by the cross of Jesus stood his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.