Is there really no word for "cousin"?

[Danp]

Hi: I’m fairly clear on the arguments made against the claim that Our Lady had other children, i.e., Our Lord’s “brothers”, and how part of the problem is the lack of a word for “cousin” in Aramaic. But in Saint Luke’s gospel, at least in the Douay-Rheims version and the New Jerusalem versions, both use the word “cousin” to describe the relationship between Saint Elizabeth and Our Lady. So why is it that 1) the “Jesus’s brothers” argument never mentions the use of cousin here, and 2) how should a Catholic explain this apparent inconsistency, i.e., that the Evangelists chose to use the word “cousin” in this instance, but the word “brother” in the other instance?

Thanks and God Bless!

Dan P.

 

[Augusta_Crowley]

The following link should help explain the confusion over the terms “brother” and “cousin” in Scripture. If you have any further questions, please contact Catholic Answers directly.

Recommended Reading:

Brethren of the Lord