But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

But he said, Yes, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

And he said, 'Yea, rather, happy those hearing the word of God, and keeping it!'

But he said, Yes rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

"Nay rather," He replied, "they are blessed who hear God's Message and carefully keep it."

But he said, More happy are they who give hearing to the word of God and keep it.

Then he said, "Yes, but moreover: blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it."

But Jesus replied, "Rather, happy are those who listen to God's message and keep it."

But he said,.... Christ said "to the woman", Persic version reads, as correcting her, though not denying it, nor reproving her for it, but improving upon it:
yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it; intimating, that though his mother was happy in bearing and suckling such a son, yet it was a far greater happiness to hear the word of God; meaning either himself, the eternal "Logos", so as to embrace him, believe on him, and have him formed in the heart; or the Gospel preached by him, so as to understand it, receive it as the ingrafted word, and bring forth fruit, and act in obedience to it, observe it, and abide by it, and never relinquish it. This is a greater happiness than to be related to Christ in the flesh, though ever so nearly. The Ethiopic version reads, "that hear the word of God, and believe, and keep it": for faith comes by hearing, and shows itself in doing. Barely to hear the word, and even give an assent to it, will be of little avail, unless what is heard and believed is put in practice.

Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it - For if even she that bare him had not done this, she would have forfeited all her blessedness.