Mary's pertetual virginity QUESTION from Kevin November 18, 2000 A protestant apologist states that Mary obviously had other children after Jesus. In addition to several quotes from the New Testament which refer to Jesus' siblings, he cites Messianic Ps.69, verse 8 specifically.I have become estranged from my brothers, and an alien to my mother's sons. I understand that the original Greek terms in the NT for brothers and sisters can and should be interpreted as cousins, but does this hold true for Psalm 69 as well? Thanks for your reply.
ANSWER by Mrs. Suzanne Fortin, B.A. on November 25, 2000 Dear Kevin,
I don't know Greek, so you might want to ask a Scripture scholar (perhaps ask Bro. Anthony in the Scripture and Tradition Forum). What you also might want to do is check the writings of the Fathers, especially the Greek Fathers and see what they have to say. I know that St. John Chrysostome wrote a number of commentaries on various psalms, though I was not able to track down a commentary on Psalm 68.
The important thing to remember is not the Greek translation, but the original Hebrew words and their meaning. Greek translations give us an understanding on how the words were understood. But ultimately, the argument should rest on the original Hebrew so that there is no misunderstanding due to translation.
Hope that helps.
Thank you for your question.
God Bless, Suzanne Fortin
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