Who was Mary in the bible?

Mary (Greek Μαρία) is the woman identified in Matthew’s genealogy as “the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ” (Matthew 1:16). In the infancy narrative, she is presented as Jesus’ mother, engaged to Joseph, and found pregnant “by the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18).

Mary in Scripture

In Matthew 1, Mary appears first within the genealogy that introduces “Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:1). The line culminates by naming Joseph in relation to her and then naming Jesus in relation to her.

“Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Matthew 1:16)

After summarizing the generations leading to “the Christ” (Matthew 1:17), the chapter turns to the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth. Mary is described as Joseph’s betrothed, and the timing is emphasized: before the couple came together, she is discovered to be pregnant, with the pregnancy attributed to divine agency.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18)

Joseph’s response is then narrated: “Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man” plans to “put her away secretly” rather than expose her publicly (Matthew 1:19). In that context, a message is delivered to Joseph in a dream by “an angel of the Lord,” addressing his fear and directly naming Mary as the woman he is to take as wife, while explaining the origin of the child.

“But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’” (Matthew 1:20)

The angel’s speech continues with a prediction and a command about the child: “She shall give birth to a son,” and Joseph is instructed to name him Jesus, with an explanation of the name’s purpose (Matthew 1:21). The narrator then frames these events as fulfillment of a prophetic saying, quoting, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son” (Matthew 1:23). Joseph obeys the angelic instruction, “took his wife to himself,” and the narrative adds that he “didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son” (Matthew 1:24–25). The chapter closes with Joseph naming the child: “He named him Jesus” (Matthew 1:25).

In Matthew’s later narrative, Mary also appears in a scene where visitors “saw the young child with Mary, his mother” (Matthew 2:11), placing her with the child Jesus in a household setting.

“They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” (Matthew 2:11)

In Jesus’ hometown setting, Mary is identified as his mother in the people’s speech: “Isn’t his mother called Mary…?” (Matthew 13:55). Mark similarly records Jesus being called “the son of Mary” (Mark 6:3), with both passages listing brothers’ names alongside the identification.

“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?” (Matthew 13:55)

“Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” (Mark 6:3)

Other women named Mary appear in the passion and burial narratives. Matthew names “Mary Magdalene” and another Mary who is identified by her children, along with “the mother of the sons of Zebedee” (Matthew 27:56). Matthew then refers again to “Mary Magdalene” and “the other Mary” at the tomb (Matthew 27:61), and states that after the Sabbath “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb” (Matthew 28:1). Mark also lists “Mary Magdalene,” “Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses,” and “Salome” among observers (Mark 15:40), and later notes “Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid” (Mark 15:47). After the Sabbath, Mark again names “Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome” as those who bought spices to anoint Jesus (Mark 16:1).

“Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.” (Matthew 27:56)

“Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.” (Matthew 27:61)

“When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him.” (Mark 16:1)

Multiple people named Mary

The verses present more than one bearer of the name Mary. One Mary is “his mother,” connected to Jesus’ birth and early life: “Mary… from whom was born Jesus” (Matthew 1:16) and “Mary, his mother” (Matthew 2:11). Other Marys are distinguished by additional identifiers: “Mary Magdalene” (Matthew 27:56; Matthew 28:1; Mark 15:40; Mark 16:1) and “Mary the mother of James and Joses” (Matthew 27:56), also called “Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses” (Mark 15:40), “Mary, the mother of Joses” (Mark 15:47), and “Mary the mother of James” (Mark 16:1). Matthew additionally speaks of “the other Mary” in connection with the tomb (Matthew 27:61; Matthew 28:1).

Name and Meaning

In Greek the name is written Μαρία (transliteration Maria, pronounced mar-ee’-ah). The lexicon information given states that it is of Hebrew origin (H04813) and glosses the name simply as Mary.

Observation

Across these passages, Mary is repeatedly identified by her relationship to Jesus—“Mary, his mother” (Matthew 2:11)—while the narratives also show that the same name is shared by other women present at Jesus’ death and tomb (Matthew 27:56; Mark 16:1).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Mary mean?

Mary is given as the meaning of the name Maria, a Greek form of a Hebrew-origin name.

How many times does Mary appear in the Bible?

Mary (Maria) occurs 54 times in the listed data.

Who was Mary?

Mary was the mother of Jesus and the wife of Joseph (Matthew 1:16; Matthew 1:18).

What happened when Jesus was born to Mary?

Before Mary and Joseph came together, Mary was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18).

Explore Further

If you found this page about Mary interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.

Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).