Harper’s Bible Dictionary
edited by Paul J. Achtemier (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1985)
You are strongly recommended to add to your library the excellent revised edition of Harper's Bible Dictionary titled, The Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, Revised Edition, edited by Paul J. Achtemeier, with the Society of Biblical Literature (NY: Harper Collins, 1996). It is currently the best one-volume Bible dictionary in English, and it is available at Border's Books, Christian Science Reading Rooms, http://www.borders.com, or http://www.christianbook.com.
Mary (Gk. Maria or Mariam; Heb. Marah, ‘bitter’ or ‘grieved,’ or Miryam, ‘rebellion’), a name borne by seven women in the nt, unless two or more are identical.
1 Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary, the Virgin, the wife of Joseph, known as the Virgin because of her reported virginal conception of Jesus and perpetual virginity according to post-nt Mariology.
Paul refers to her obliquely in describing Jesus as born of a woman, born under the law (Gal. 4:4). James the Lords brother in Gal. 1:19 suggests another son of Mary.
She is negatively portrayed in Mark, less so in Matthew, and positively in Luke. In Mark 3:21 Jesus family seemingly accepts the verdict of the crowd that he is deranged and of the Jerusalem scribes that he is possessed by demons (3:21-30). When his mother and brothers come to seize him and ask for him, he characterizes those about him and those who do Gods will as his family (Mark 3:33-35). Matt. 12:46-50 and Luke 8:19-21 contain the same story, but unconnected with the accusations and attempted seizure. Lukes wording in 8:21, My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it, includes them in Jesus true family.
In Mark 6:1-6 people of his own country take offense at him as the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon and unnamed sisters (6:3; taken to be relatives, not siblings, by those holding to Marys perpetual virginity). Jesus response, A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house (6:4), evidently includes his mother. Lukes version (4:16-30) excludes the reference to his mother, brothers, and sisters and identifies Jesus as Josephs son (4:22).
Matt. 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-38 give differing birth stories, but both include the virginal conception, announced to Joseph in a dream in Matt. 1:18, 25, to Mary by the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:26-38. Mary accepts as Gods servant the angels announcement (Luke 1:38) and travels from Nazareth to Judea, to her pregnant kinswoman Elizabeth, who hails her as blessed among women and the mother of my Lord (1:39-45). Mary responds with a hymn of praise (1:46-55, the Magnificat). In Matthew Mary and Joseph are in Bethlehem at the birth, in a home where Mary and the child are found by wise men from the east, bringing precious gifts (2:1-13). Joseph takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape Herods slaughter of male children, eventually to settle in Nazareth (2:12-23). In Luke the couple travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem for a Roman census, where Mary gives birth (2:1-7), and angels and shepherds pay homage (2:8-20).
In Luke the scene moves to the Temple for after-birth purification and consecration of the firstborn (2:21-24). Here the aged Simeon and Anna acknowledge the Messiahs birth (2:25-38), with Simeon telling Mary, a sword will pierce through your soul also (2:35), perhaps characterizing her as hearing and doing Gods word (cf. 1:38; 8:21 with Heb. 4:12). Luke also has a blessing on Jesus mother from a woman in the crowd, which he applies to those who hear and keep Gods word (11:27-28).
Luke tells of an exchange between the boy Jesus and his mother in the Temple, in which he places God above his parents (2:21-40). Luke also includes her among the women disciples praying in the upper room with the Twelve (Acts 1:14), and so also as one who received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as she did at Jesus conception (Luke 1:35; Acts 2:1-4).
Jesus mother is unnamed in Johns Gospel. Her belief in Jesus power is demonstrated at the wedding in Cana (2:1-11), though he initially resists her appeal (v. 4). She and his brothers accompany him to Capernaum (2:13). Later she is excluded from the brothers unbelief (7:1-10), appearing at the cross with her sister, Mary (wife of) Clopas, Mary Magdalene, and the beloved disciple, whom Jesus commends to his mother as her son, and this son to her as mother. She is then taken into his home (19:25-27).
The woman who gives birth
to the Messiah in Rev. 12:2, 5 is not taken to be Mary, but as a symbol of
Gods people (Israel and the church) who bring forth the Christ.
2 Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke 10:38-39; John 11:1). She appears once in Luke, sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening as a disciple to his teaching (10:38-42). Martha objects that Mary has left her to serve alone, but Jesus commends Mary’s choice as that ‘which shall not be taken away from her’ (10:42). In John’s version Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with costly ointment and wipes them with her hair while Martha serves (12:1-3). Jesus defends her against Judas Iscariot’s objection that the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor (12:4-8). John also mentions her as present with Martha at the death and raising of Lazarus (11:19, 20, 28-32). Others follow her when she goes out to Jesus (11:31), and her grief moves him deeply (11:33).
3 Mary Magdalene, or ‘of Magdala,’ mentioned first in every listing of Jesus’ female disciples (Mark 15:40-41, 47; 16:1; Matt. 27:55-56, 61; 28:1; Luke 8:2-3; 24:10). She therefore seems to have been the leader of a group of women who ‘followed’ and ‘served’ Jesus constantly from the outset of his ministry in Galilee to his death and beyond. Matthew and Mark acknowledge them only immediately after Jesus’ death, but Luke mentions their presence with the Twelve in Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (8:1-3). Here Mary is included among the many women who provided for Jesus’ ministry from their own means and among a smaller number ‘healed of evil spirits and infirmities.’ That she was healed of some serious affliction is expressed by describing her as one ‘from whom seven demons had gone out’ (v. 2). She is foremost as a witness to Jesus’ death according to all four Gospels (Mark 15:40-41, 47; Matt. 27:55-56, 61; Luke 23:49, 55-56; John 19:25), to the empty tomb (Mark 16:1-6; Matt. 28:1, 6; Luke 24:1-3, 10; John 20:1-2), and in receiving the news or appearance of the risen Christ to tell to the disciples (Mark 16:6-7; Matt. 28:5-9; Luke 24:4-10). According to Luke the women’s testimony was not believed but was later vindicated (24:11, 22-48). According to John 20:11-18 the risen Jesus appeared first to her and talked with her about his coming ascension (v. 17). She is characterized as an apostle in some apocryphal nt writings (e.g., The Gospel of Philip). She rivals Peter in that she receives revelations from the risen Christ to pass on to the rest of the apostles.
4 Mary, the mother of James, or of James and Joses or Joseph, or ‘the other Mary,’ among the women disciples at the cross (Mark 15:40; Matt. 27:55-56), with Mary Magdalene at the burial, empty tomb (Mark 15:47; 16:1; Matt. 27:61; 28:1), and first appearance of the risen Christ (Matt. 28:9).
5 Mary, the wife of Clopas, one of the women at the cross in John 19:25, often taken to be the same as Mary the mother of James and Joses.
6 Mary of Jerusalem, whose home was used as a meeting place for Jesus’ followers after his death. Many were praying there when Peter arrived after his escape from prison to leave a message for James and the brothers and sisters (Acts 12:11-17). That no husband is mentioned may mean that she is the widowed head of the household and so perhaps leader of one of the house-churches mentioned in Acts 2:46. Rhoda, the ‘maid’ or ‘little girl’ who went to the door (v. 13), could be a slave member of the household, pointing to it as substantial. Mary’s son John, also known as Mark, accompanied her nephew Barnabas (Col. 4:10) and also Paul on some of their missionary travels (Acts 12:25; 13:5, 13; 15:37-39).
7 Mary, one among many greeted by Paul in Rom. 16:1-16 and described as having ‘worked hard among you’ (16:6), perhaps as a teacher or administrator (see 1 Cor. 12:28).
Edited for BibleTexts.com by Robert Nguyen Cramer