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Maria
Maria {mar-ee'-ah} or Mariam {mar-ee-am'}
Greek: personal noun feminine
Possible Definitions:
1) Mary or Miriam meaning "their rebellion", was the mother of Jesus. There is no person perhaps in sacred or profane history around whom so many legends have been grouped as the Virgin Mary; and there are few whose authentic history is more concise. She like Joseph was of the tribe of Judah and of the lineage of David. Ps 132:11, Luke 1:32; Rom. 1:3. She had a sister named Mary, John 19:25. There were not two Marys in one family. Mary the mother of Jesus, should be translated Miriam. At this late date, it would be very unpopular to change the Bible translations to reflect this. Mary was connected by marriage Luke 1:36, with Elisabeth, who was of the tribe of Levi and of the lineage of Aaron. This is all we know of her ancestors. She was betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth; but before her marriage she became with child of the Holy Ghost, and became the mother of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. Her history at this time, her residence at Bethlehem, flight to Egypt, and return to her early home at Nazareth, are well known. Four times only does she appear after the start of Christ's ministry. The four occasions area) The marriage at Cana in Galilee took place in the three months which intervened between the baptism of Christ and the passover of the year 27. Mary was present, and witnessed the first miracle performed by Christ, when he turned the water into wine. She had probably become a widow before this time. b) Capernaum, John 2:12 and Nazareth, Mat. 4:13, 13:54, Mark 6:1, appear to have been the residence of Mary for a considerable period. The next time she is brought before us we find her at Capernaum, where she, with other relatives, had gone to inquire about strange stories they had heard of her son Jesus. They sought an audience with our Lord, which was not granted, as he refused to admit any authority on the part of his relatives, or any privilege on the account of their relationship. c) The next scene in Mary's life brings us to the foot of the cross. With almost his last words Christ commended his mother to the care of him who had borne the name of the disciple whom Jesus loved: "Women, behold thy son." And from that hour John assures us that he took her to his own abode. So far as Mary is portrayed to us in Scripture, she is, as we should have expected, the most tender, the most faithful, humble, patient and loving woman, but a woman still. d) In the days succeeding the ascension of Christ, Mary met with the disciples in the upper room, Acts 1:14, waiting for the coming of the Holy Ghost with power.
2) Mary Magdalene. Different explanations have been given of this name; but the most natural is that she came from the town of Magdala. She appears before us for the first time in Luke 8:2, among the women who "ministered unto him of their substance". All appear to have occupied a position of comparative wealth. With all the chief motive was that of gratitude for their deliverance from "evil spirits and infirmities". Of Mary it is said specifically that "seven devils went out of her", and the number indicates a "possession" of more than ordinary malignity. She was present during the closing hours of the agony on the cross. John 19:25. She remained by the cross till all was over, and waited till the body was taken down and placed in the garden sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathaea, Mat. 27:61; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55, when she, with Salome and Mary the mother of James, "brought sweet spices that they might come and anoint" the body. Mark 16:1. The next morning accordingly, in the earliest dawn, Mat. 28:1; Mark 16:2, they came with Mary the mother of James to the sepulchre. Mary Magdalene had been at the tomb and had found it empty, and had seen the "vision of the angels." Mat. 28:5; Mark 16:5. To her first of all Jesus appeared after the resurrection. John 20:14,15. Mary Magdalene has become the type of a class of repentant sinners; but there is no authority for identifying her with the "sinner" who anointed the feet of Jesus in Luke 7:36-50; neither is there any authority for the supposition that Mary Magdalene is the same as the sister of Lazarus. Neither of these theories has had the slightest foundation in fact.
3) Mary, the sister of Lazarus. She and her sister Martha appear in Luke 10:40 as receiving Christ in their house. Mary sat listening eagerly for every word that fell from the divine Teacher. She had chosen the good part, the "one thing needful". The same character shows itself in the history of John 11. Her grief was deeper, but less active. Her first thought, when she saw the Teacher in whose power and love she had trusted, was one of complaint. But the great joy and love which her brother's return to life called up in her poured themselves out in larger measure than had been seen before. The treasured alabaster box of ointment was brought forth at the final feast of Bethany. John 12:3.
4) Mary of Cleophas. So in the Authorized Version, but accurately "of Clopas", i.e. the wife of Clopas (or Alphaeus). She is brought before us for the first time on the day of the crucifixion, standing by the cross. John 19:25. In the evening of the same day we find her sitting desolate at the tomb with Mary Magdalene, Mat. 27:61, Mark 15:47; and at the dawn of Easter morning she was again there with sweet species, which she had prepared on the Friday night, Mat. 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56, and was one of those who had "a vision of angels which said that he was alive." Luke 24:23. She had four sons and at least three daughters. The names of the daughters are unknown to us; those of the sons are James, Joses, Jude and Simon, two of whom became enroled among the twelve apostles [James], and a third [Simon] may have succeeded his brother in charge of the church of Jerusalem. By many she is thought to have been the sister to the Virgin Mary.
5) Mary the mother of Mark, Col. 4:10, was a sister of Barnabas. Acts 4:36; 12:12. she was among the earliest disciples, and lived at Jerusalem. She gave up her house to be used as one of the chief places of meeting. The fact that Peter went to that house on his release from prison indicates that there was some special intimacy. Acts 12:12, between them. (There is a tradition that the place of meeting of the disciples, and hence Mary's house, was on the upper slope of Zion, and that it was here that the Holy Ghost came upon the disciples with tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost)
6) Mary, a Roman Christian who is greeted by Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, Rom. 16:6, as having toiled hard for him.
Maria {mar-ee'-ah} or Mariam {mar-ee-am'}
Greek: personal noun feminine
of Hebrew origin [4813];
Translated as:
Mary the mother of Jesus (19 times)
Mary Magdalene (13 times)
Mary the sister of Martha (11 times)
Mary the mother of James (9 times)
Mary the mother of John Mark (1 time)
Mary of Rome (1 time)
Total: 54 times
Strong's Number 3137
TDNT - omitted,omitted
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