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Martha in the Bible.

Lazarus's sister in Bethany, busy serving while Mary listened to Jesus. The King James Version names Martha in 12 verses, from Luke 10:38 to John 12:2.

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Martha’s family.

Brothers and sisters
Herself
Martha

Her family as Theographic Bible Metadata lists it; each name opens its own page.

Martha’s own words.

Martha speaks in 7 verses of the King James Version: 6 in John, 1 in Luke.

Her first words in the Bible
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
Luke 10:40 ›

In BibleLectio, turn on Voices and every word Martha says shows in her own colour.

Who Martha was.

Bitterness, the sister of Lazarus and Mary, and probably the eldest of the family, who all resided at Bethany (Luke 10:38, 40, 41; John 11:1-39). From the residence being called “her house,” some have supposed that she was a widow, and that her brother and sister lodged with her. She seems to have been of an anxious, bustling spirit, anxious to be helpful in providing the best things for the Master’s use, in contrast to the quiet earnestness of Mary, who was more concerned to avail herself of the opportunity of sitting at his feet and learning of him. Afterwards at a supper given to Christ and his disciples in her house “Martha served.” Nothing further is known of her.

“Mary and Martha are representatives of two orders of human character. One was absorbed, preoccupied, abstracted; the other was concentrated and single-hearted. Her own world was the all of Martha; Christ was the first thought with Mary. To Martha life was ‘a succession of particular businesses;’ to Mary life ’was rather the flow of one spirit.’ Martha was Petrine, Mary was Johannine. The one was a well-meaning, bustling busybody; the other was a reverent disciple, a wistful listener.” Paul had such a picture as that of Martha in his mind when he spoke of serving the Lord “without distraction” (1 Cor. 7:35).

From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897).

Places in Martha’s story.

Each opens its own page: where it is on the map and every verse.

All 12 verses that name Martha.

Luke 3

  • Luke 10:38Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
  • Luke 10:40But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
  • Luke 10:41And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

John 9

  • John 11:1Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
  • John 11:5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
  • John 11:19And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
  • John 11:20Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
  • John 11:21Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
  • John 11:24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
  • John 11:30Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
  • John 11:39Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
  • John 12:2There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

Questions about Martha.

Who was Martha in the Bible?

Lazarus's sister in Bethany, busy serving while Mary listened to Jesus. The King James Version names Martha in 12 verses, from Luke 10:38 to John 12:2.

Where does Martha speak in the Bible?

In 7 verses of the King James Version, most of them in John. Her first words are in Luke 10:40.

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