And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee and the paps that gave thee suck.
εγενετο δε εν τω λεγειν αυτον ταυτα επαρασα τις γυνη φωνην εκ του οχλου ειπεν αυτω μακαρια η κοιλια η βαστασασα σε και μαστοι ους εθηλασας
9 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 10 commentaries
While the Pharisees and scribes disparage the miraculous works of the Lord, a humble and sincere woman praises Him. Where are those who claim that the Lord was merely a phantom? For here is proof that He also partook of nourishment!
Where do brothers originate? The relatives of Mary (regardless of their degree of kinship) can be considered the brothers of the Lord. How can we establish this? By examining the Scriptures directly. Abraham's sibling is identified as Lot, the son of his brother (cf. Gen. 13:8; 14:14). If you read carefully, you will discover that Abraham was Lot's paternal uncle (cf. Gen. 12:5), yet they are referred to as brothers. Why is this, if not due to their familial connection? Likewise, Jacob had Laban the Syrian as his maternal uncle; Laban was the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's mother and the wife of Isaac (see Gen. 28:2). When you study the Scriptures, you will notice that a maternal uncle and a sister's son are referred to as brothers (see Gen. 29:12-15).
With this understanding, you will recognize all of Mary’s relatives as brothers of Christ. Moreover, those disciples are indeed His brothers, for even if they were related, they would not be considered His brothers had they not become His disciples, nor would they have that distinction without acknowledging the Master as their brother. For instance, when it was told to Him that His mother and brothers were outside the house while He was speaking to His disciples, He responded, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" Then, gesturing toward His disciples, He declared, "These are My brothers. Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (cf. Matthew 12:46-50). Therefore, Mary is undoubtedly His mother, as she adhered to the will of the Father. The Lord exalted her for fulfilling the Father's intentions, not merely that flesh resulted in flesh. Listen to this, dear ones! Furthermore, when the amazed crowd witnessed the Lord performing wonders and disclosing what lay hidden beneath the surface, some astonished individuals exclaimed, "Blessed is the womb that bore Him" (Luke 11:27). Yet He replied, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it" (Lk. 11:28). He was indicating that even His Mother, whom they deemed fortunate, is blessed by keeping the word of God—not solely because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:14), but because she fulfilled the will of the Word of God Himself, through whom she was brought into existence and in whom the Word took on flesh. Let people not take delight in fleeting offspring; rather, let them find joy in being spiritually united with God.
Among the faithful, Mary is more greatly favored due to her deep faith in Christ than simply because she gave birth to His physical form. When someone proclaimed, "Blessed is the womb that bore you," the Lord responded, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it" (Lk 11:27). Ultimately, to His relatives by blood who did not believe in Him, what advantage did that familial connection provide? Likewise, Mary's physical motherhood would have meant little if she had not embraced Christ with greater joy in her spirit than in her body.
"Blessed is the womb that bore You." Marcion interprets this as a challenge to determine whether He was truly born. Similarly, the mention of "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers seek You" (cf. Matt. 12:47) conveys the same sentiment. He also provided His Body as nourishment. For what reason? To hide His divine glory and imply to them that He was indeed physical, given their inability to comprehend fully. But why did He refute His birth? If His intention in dismissing it was to indicate that He was not generated, He simultaneously would not have acknowledged Himself as a brother to His disciples, who were born of flesh. If it follows from His denial that He was not generated, then based on His declaration of brotherhood to His disciples, it must be concluded that He indeed was.
For if, in rejecting birth from His Mother, He overlooked the equality of His nature, the shared lineage from the Father becomes clear through His recognition of His brothers. Even without recognizing His mother and siblings, He indicated His freedom from earthly parents. Nonetheless, we must recall what He said: "No one is good except One" (Matt. 19:17). Are not He, the Holy Spirit, and the chosen angels considered good? In what context did He inquire: "Why do you call Me good?" (cf. Matt. 19:17, Mk. 10:18). Similarly, in this instance, He asked, "Why do you call Me conceived and begotten?"
lifting her voice from the crowd... By exalting, for her declaration was filled with authority and boldly proclaimed the blessedness of the One who bore Him, as she was esteemed to be the mother of such a Son.
The profound mystery surrounding the exalted status of the Virgin Mary was partially revealed by celestial beings, the star, the Magi, the shepherds, and Simeon. However, the angels returned to Heaven, the Magi journeyed back to the East, the star vanished, and Simeon departed this life peacefully. The glory of Bethlehem was dimmed by Herod's fury and the slaughter of innocents. Mary retreated to Egypt and later to Nazareth, yet her dignity and renown resided within her heart. ‘But Mary kept all these sayings, composing them in her heart’ (Luke 2:19).
The moment arrived when the wondrous wisdom and miracles of Mary’s Son began to radiate throughout Judea and Galilee. The brilliance of the Son's glory was destined to reflect upon the face of His Mother. There came a day when this revelation commenced, as a woman—perhaps a mother or one longing for motherhood—envisioned the joy of the blessed Mother more vividly than others, resulting in an overwhelming impulse to exalt Jesus and, by extension, His Mother. ‘A certain woman raised up a voice from the people, saying unto Him, Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the teat that thou didst suck’ (Luke 11:27). It is noteworthy that she uses euphemistic expressions; she praises ‘the womb and the sucklings’ yet refrains from naming the one she exalts. Why is this? Surely because she does not know Her personally nor by name.
The unnamed woman likely was unaware that the Mother of Jesus had once said to Elizabeth, ‘Bless me all my parents.’ Nevertheless, how aptly she fulfills this prophecy, both in thought and in expression: ‘Blessed is the womb!’ Can we not observe here, from the prophecy to its realization, the singular path of God, through which emerges ‘the glory that is from God’—the breath of the one Spirit of God that begins to inspire ‘all generations, that they may please’ the Mother of God?
The arrival of Christ's mother and brothers occurred under the circumstances described in Hebrews, Matthew, and Mark. Before the news of their approach reached Him, it circulated among the crowd surrounding Him. When this information reached an emotionally sensitive and fervent woman—perhaps one without children or discontent with her own—she instinctively exclaimed, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and nourished you!” This reaction came after Jesus had confronted the Pharisees, who accused Him of casting out demons by the authority of Beelzebub, as illustrated in Luke 11:27-28.
Following this, Christ replied to those seeking a sign from Him, acknowledged the arrival of His mother and brothers, and in response, He directed attention to His faithful disciples, whom He identified as His true mother and brothers. This signifies a deeper spiritual connection with them than with His biological relatives, provided that the latter are also His devoted followers.
The Jewish people awaited the arrival of the Messiah, fully aware that He would be born to a Jewish woman. As a result, every Jewish mother dreamed of being the one to give birth to Him, considering this the greatest honor a woman of the chosen community could attain. Thus, one such woman, deeply moved by the divine nature of Jesus' teachings and acknowledging Him as the Messiah, instinctively thought of the woman chosen to be the mother of the Christ. She exalted her, proclaiming with a loud voice, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the teats that nourished you!"
The phrase "One woman" appears solely in the Gospel of Luke. The Lord's dialogue made a profound impact on this woman, as she was so filled with joy that she could not hold back her admiration, praising both the Lord and His pure Mother. They were present with His named brothers nearby, but outside the dwelling. "Blessed is the womb," signifies the honor of the woman who conceived and nurtured such an extraordinary Teacher and Miracle Worker—her Son.
While a woman in the crowd listened to the teachings of the Lord, she expressed her joyful admiration by saying to Him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breast that nursed You.’ However, He responded by redirecting the focus of her praise, offering her a deeper blessing: ‘Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.’
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 26 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS