Meaning of the Name Martha
The Aramaic name Martha means 'lady, mistress of the house'; it is the feminine form of 'mar', meaning 'lord, master'.
Origin
The name Martha is of Aramaic origin.
Who is Martha in the Bible?
Martha is the woman of Bethany who lived with Mary and Lazarus and welcomed Jesus into her home; the scene about her busy serving is told in Luke. In John, at her brother's death, she makes one of the clearest confessions of faith in Jesus: 'I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God's Son, he who comes into the world.'
The story of Martha in the Bible
Martha lives in Bethany with her sister Mary and brother Lazarus; Jesus is a close friend of their home. In Luke's scene she welcomes Jesus into her house and is swallowed up by the work of serving, while Mary sits at the Lord's feet listening. When Martha complains, Jesus answers her gently: she is worried and troubled about many things, yet only one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen the good portion. John shows her at a very different moment: her brother Lazarus has died and Jesus is approaching the village. Martha goes out to meet him, says that her brother would not have died had Jesus been there, yet voices her hope. To his declaration that he is the resurrection and the life she responds with one of the clearest confessions in the Gospels: she believes he is the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world. Martha is remembered both as hardworking hostess and bearer of a profound confession — fitting for an Aramaic name meaning lady of the house.
Is Martha mentioned in the Quran?
The name Martha does not appear in the Quran; it belongs to the Gospels. Martha's story is told in the New Testament, in the Gospels of Luke and John.
Verses where Martha appears
- Luke 10:38-42 —
As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was…
- John 11:20-27 —
Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house. Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now I know that,…