It sounds like an error from cultural bias to me; why would a mother with young children leave them when her husband could search for the young man with other male relatives ? He was no longer a baby and it was a patriarchal society. And there is that word syngeneusin ... translated as relatives in this case, while sometimes as cousins; cousins = relatives ...
Yes...and in this context it tells us these were relatives. They were traveling with extended families. Every commentary I read found no alarm with this.
You're looking for something in the text that isn't there to help prove the catholic talking point of Mary being ever virgin. It's called eisegesis....the process of interpreting a text or portion of text in such a way that the process introduces one's own presuppositions, agendas, or biases into and onto the text. This is commonly referred to as reading into the text. The act is often used to "prove" a pre-held point of concern to the reader and to provide him or her with confirmation bias in accordance with his or her pre-held agenda.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisegesis
Have you not learned yet that context is key to understanding a passage?
Have you not learned yet that context is key to understanding a passage?
Cousins, cousins, everywhere ...