"Woman” and/or “Mother"? An Examination of the Address γύναι in John 2:4 and 19:26
Abstract
The Johannine Jesus addresses his mother using the vocative γύναι/“woman” at the wedding at Cana (2:4) and at the Cross (19:26). Scholars are divided over the precise implications of a son addressing his mother as γύναι, since no clear parallels exist in Greek literature. This paper examines how the evangelist’s reference to Jesus’ mother as μήτηρ and Jesus’ own address to her as γύναι function within these narratives, suggesting that they construct a dual identity for Jesus’ mother. Examples drawn from 4 Maccabees help to illuminate the implications of γυνή and μήτηρ when used in reference to a mother. In addition, the study engages documentary papyri that attest to instances in which a mother is addressed as κυρία, thereby challenging the assumption that maternal address was restricted to the term μῆτερ alone.
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Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Berly Pappachan, PhD researcher in Biblical Studies at KU Leuven. Her doctoral research is titled “A New Family in John 19:24h–27? Family as a Hermeneutical Key for the Interpretation of the Gospel of John.” Supervised by Prof. Dr. Reimund Bieringer and co-supervised by Prof. Dr. Dominika Kurek-Chomycz, her work explores new directions in the “theology of the family,” drawing on the Johannine use of familial terms and relationships. She has previously published: “Jesus’ Family and the Disciples Near the Cross: A Redaction-Critical Study of John 19:25–27 in Light of Its Synoptic Parallel,” Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection 90/5 (2026) 90 (5): 348–365.
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