Matius 2:9

2:9 After listening to the king they left, and once again ¹  the star they saw when it rose ²  led them until it stopped above the place where the child was.

Matius 3:3-4

3:3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: ³ 

“The voice ⁴  of one shouting in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make ⁵  his paths straight.’” ⁶ 

3:4 Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. ⁷ 

Matius 3:9

3:9 and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

Matius 3:11

3:11 “I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am – I am not worthy ⁸  to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ⁹ 

Matius 3:16

3:16 After ¹⁰  Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the ¹¹  heavens ¹²  opened ¹³  and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove ¹⁴  and coming on him.

Matius 5:18

5:18 I ¹⁵  tell you the truth, ¹⁶  until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter ¹⁷  will pass from the law until everything takes place.

Matius 5:32

5:32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Matius 6:23

6:23 But if your eye is diseased, ¹⁸  your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Matius 7:26

7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Matius 9:2

9:2 Just then ¹⁹  some people ²⁰  brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. ²¹  When Jesus saw their ²²  faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.” ²³ 

Matius 9:6

9:6 But so that you may know ²⁴  that the Son of Man ²⁵  has authority on earth to forgive sins” – then he said to the paralytic ²⁶  – “Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.” ²⁷ 

Matius 9:9

The Call of Matthew; Eating with Sinners

9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. ²⁸  “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him.

Matius 9:17

9:17 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; ²⁹  otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Instead they put new wine into new wineskins ³⁰  and both are preserved.”

Matius 9:22

9:22 But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, “Have courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well.” ³¹  And the woman was healed ³²  from that hour.

Matius 9:28

9:28 When ³³  he went into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus ³⁴  said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”

Matius 9:35

Workers for the Harvest

9:35 Then Jesus went throughout all the towns ³⁵  and villages, teaching in their synagogues, ³⁶  preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. ³⁷ 

Matius 10:23

10:23 Whenever ³⁸  they persecute you in one place, ³⁹  flee to another. I tell you the truth, ⁴⁰  you will not finish going through all the towns ⁴¹  of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Matius 11:11

11:11 “I tell you the truth, ⁴²  among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least ⁴³  in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.

Matius 11:19

11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him, ⁴⁴  a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors ⁴⁵  and sinners!’ ⁴⁶  But wisdom is vindicated ⁴⁷  by her deeds.” ⁴⁸ 

Matius 11:25

Jesus’ Invitation

11:25 At that time Jesus said, ⁴⁹  “I praise ⁵⁰  you, Father, Lord ⁵¹  of heaven and earth, because ⁵²  you have hidden these things from the wise ⁵³  and intelligent, and revealed them to little children.

Matius 12:1

Lord of the Sabbath

12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His ⁵⁴  disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat ⁵⁵  and eat them.

Matius 12:4

12:4 how he entered the house of God and they ate ⁵⁶  the sacred bread, ⁵⁷  which was against the law ⁵⁸  for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? ⁵⁹ 

Matius 12:11

12:11 He said to them, “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out?

Matius 12:39-40

12:39 But he answered them, ⁶⁰  “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 12:40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish ⁶¹  for three days and three nights, ⁶²  so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

Matius 13:32

13:32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree, ⁶³  so that the wild birds ⁶⁴  come and nest in its branches.” ⁶⁵ 

Matius 13:52

13:52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law ⁶⁶  who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”

Matius 13:55

13:55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? ⁶⁷  And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

Matius 14:2

14:2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead! And because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Matius 14:15

14:15 When evening arrived, his disciples came to him saying, “This is an isolated place ⁶⁸  and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

Matius 15:5

15:5 But you say, ‘If someone tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” ⁶⁹ 

Matius 15:28

15:28 Then ⁷⁰  Jesus answered her, “Woman, ⁷¹  your faith is great! Let what you want be done for you.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Matius 16:3

16:3 and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.’ ⁷²  You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky, ⁷³  but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times.

Matius 16:13

Peter’s Confession

16:13 When ⁷⁴  Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, ⁷⁵  he asked his disciples, ⁷⁶  “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

Matius 16:23-24

16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” ⁷⁷  16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, ⁷⁸  he must deny ⁷⁹  himself, take up his cross, ⁸⁰  and follow me.

Matius 16:27

16:27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. ⁸¹ 

Matius 17:4

17:4 So ⁸²  Peter said ⁸³  to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make ⁸⁴  three shelters ⁸⁵  – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Matius 17:12

17:12 And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In ⁸⁶  the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”

Matius 17:17

17:17 Jesus answered, ⁸⁷  “You ⁸⁸  unbelieving ⁸⁹  and perverse generation! How much longer ⁹⁰  must I be with you? How much longer must I endure ⁹¹  you? ⁹²  Bring him here to me.”

Matius 17:20

17:20 He told them, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, ⁹³  if you have faith the size of ⁹⁴  a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing ⁹⁵  will be impossible for you.”

Matius 18:9

18:9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to have ⁹⁶  two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell. ⁹⁷ 

Matius 18:28

18:28 After ⁹⁸  he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. ⁹⁹  So ¹⁰⁰  he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, ¹⁰¹  saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ ¹⁰² 

Matius 19:1

Questions About Divorce

19:1 Now when ¹⁰³  Jesus finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan River. ¹⁰⁴ 

Matius 19:14

19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ¹⁰⁵ 

Matius 19:21

19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money ¹⁰⁶  to the poor, and you will have treasure ¹⁰⁷  in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Matius 20:8

20:8 When ¹⁰⁸  it was evening ¹⁰⁹  the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give the pay ¹¹⁰  starting with the last hired until the first.’

Matius 20:21

20:21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, ¹¹¹  “Permit ¹¹²  these two sons of mine to sit, one at your ¹¹³  right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”

Matius 21:9

21:9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those following kept shouting, ¹¹⁴  “Hosanna ¹¹⁵  to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! ¹¹⁶  Hosanna in the highest!”

Matius 21:16

21:16 and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself’?” ¹¹⁷ 

Matius 21:24

21:24 Jesus ¹¹⁸  answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.

Matius 21:38

21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’

Matius 21:42

21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. ¹¹⁹ 

This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? ¹²⁰ 

Matius 22:24-25

22:24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children ¹²¹  for his brother.’ ¹²²  22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother.

Matius 22:37

22:37 Jesus ¹²³  said to him, “‘Love ¹²⁴  the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ¹²⁵ 

Matius 24:2

24:2 And he said to them, ¹²⁶  “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, ¹²⁷  not one stone will be left on another. ¹²⁸  All will be torn down!” ¹²⁹ 

Matius 24:29

The Arrival of the Son of Man

24:29 “Immediately ¹³⁰  after the suffering ¹³¹  of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. ¹³² 

Matius 25:20-21

25:20 The ¹³³  one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, ¹³⁴  you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 25:21 His master answered, ¹³⁵  ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Matius 25:23-24

25:23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed,

Matius 25:26

25:26 But his master answered, ¹³⁶  ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter?

Matius 25:34

25:34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Matius 26:26

The Lord’s Supper

26:26 While ¹³⁷  they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is my body.”

Matius 26:31

The Prediction of Peter’s Denial

26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away because of me, for it is written:

‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ¹³⁸ 

Matius 26:45

26:45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Matius 26:55

26:55 At that moment Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw? ¹³⁹  Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet ¹⁴⁰  you did not arrest me.

Matius 26:64

26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand ¹⁴¹  of the Power ¹⁴²  and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ¹⁴³ 

Matius 27:24

Jesus is Condemned and Mocked

27:24 When ¹⁴⁴  Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. You take care of it yourselves!” ¹⁴⁵ 

Matius 27:40

27:40 and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! ¹⁴⁶  If you are God’s Son, come down ¹⁴⁷  from the cross!”

Matius 27:46

27:46 At ¹⁴⁸  about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice, ¹⁴⁹  “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ¹⁵⁰ 

Matius 27:54

27:54 Now when the centurion ¹⁵¹  and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified and said, “Truly this one was God’s Son!”

[2:9]  ¹ tn Grk “and behold the star.”

[2:9]  ² tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.

[3:3]  ³ tn Grk “was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legonto") is redundant and has not been translated. The passive construction has also been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.

[3:3]  ⁴ tn Or “A voice.”

[3:3]  ⁵ sn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.

[3:3]  ⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.

[3:4]  ⁷ sn John’s lifestyle was in stark contrast to many of the religious leaders of Jerusalem who lived in relative ease and luxury. While his clothing and diet were indicative of someone who lived in the desert, they also depicted him in his role as God’s prophet (cf. Zech 13:4); his appearance is similar to the Prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8). Locusts and wild honey were a common diet in desert regions, and locusts (dried insects) are listed in Lev 11:22 among the “clean” foods.

[3:11]  ⁸ tn Grk “of whom I am not worthy.”

[3:11]  sn The humility of John is evident in the statement I am not worthy. This was considered one of the least worthy tasks of a slave, and John did not consider himself worthy to do even that for the one to come, despite the fact he himself was a prophet.

[3:11]  ⁹ sn With the Holy Spirit and fire. There are differing interpretations for this phrase regarding the number of baptisms and their nature. (1) Some see one baptism here, and this can be divided further into two options. (a) The baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire could refer to the cleansing, purifying work of the Spirit in the individual believer through salvation and sanctification, or (b) it could refer to two different results of Christ’s ministry: Some accept Christ and are baptized with the Holy Spirit, but some reject him and receive judgment. (2) Other interpreters see two baptisms here: The baptism of the Holy Spirit refers to the salvation Jesus brings at his first advent, in which believers receive the Holy Spirit, and the baptism of fire refers to the judgment Jesus will bring upon the world at his second coming. One must take into account both the image of fire and whether individual or corporate baptism is in view. A decision is not easy on either issue. The image of fire is used to refer to both eternal judgment (e.g., Matt 25:41) and the power of the Lord’s presence to purge and cleanse his people (e.g., Isa 4:4-5). The pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost, a fulfillment of this prophecy no matter which interpretation is taken, had both individual and corporate dimensions. It is possible that since Holy Spirit and fire are governed by a single preposition in Greek, the one-baptism view may be more likely, but this is not certain. Simply put, there is no consensus view in scholarship at this time on the best interpretation of this passage.

[3:16]  ¹⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[3:16]  ¹¹ tn Grk “behold the heavens.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[3:16]  ¹² tn Or “sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ourano") may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The same word is used in v. 17.

[3:16]  ¹³ tc ‡ αὐτῷ (autw, “to/before him”) is found in the majority of witnesses (א¹ C D^s L W 0233 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat), perhaps added as a point of clarification or emphasis. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[3:16]  ¹⁴ sn The phrase like a dove is a descriptive comparison. The Spirit is not a dove, but descended like one in some sort of bodily representation.

[5:18]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “For I tell.” Here an explanatory γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[5:18]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[5:18]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “Not one iota or one serif.”

[5:18]  sn The smallest letter refers to the smallest Hebrew letter (yod) and the stroke of a letter to a serif (a hook or projection on a Hebrew letter).

[6:23]  ¹⁸ tn Or “if your eye is sick” (L&N 23.149).

[6:23]  sn There may be a slight wordplay here, as this term can also mean “evil,” so the figure uses a term that points to the real meaning of being careful as to what one pays attention to or looks at.

[9:2]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “And behold, they were bringing.” Here καὶ ἰδού (kai idou) has been translated as “just then” to indicate the somewhat sudden appearance of the people carrying the paralytic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1), especially in conjunction with the suddenness of the stretcher bearers’ appearance.

[9:2]  ²⁰ tn Grk “they”; the referent (some unnamed people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:2]  ²¹ tn Traditionally, “on a bed,” but this could be confusing to the modern reader who might envision a large piece of furniture. In various contexts, κλίνη (klinh) may be translated “bed, couch, cot, stretcher, or bier” (in the case of a corpse). See L&N 6.106.

[9:2]  ²² sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.

[9:2]  ²³ sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.

[9:6]  ²⁴ sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).

[9:6]  ²⁵ sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.

[9:6]  ²⁶ sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.

[9:6]  ²⁷ tn Grk “to your house.”

[9:9]  ²⁸ tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telwnion, so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.

[9:9]  sn The tax booth was a booth located on the edge of a city or town to collect taxes for trade. There was a tax booth in Capernaum, which was on the trade route from Damascus to Galilee and the Mediterranean. The “taxes” were collected on produce and goods brought into the area for sale, and were a sort of “sales tax” paid by the seller but obviously passed on to the purchaser in the form of increased prices (L&N 57.183). It was here that Jesus met Matthew (also named Levi [see Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27]) who was ultimately employed by the Romans, though perhaps more directly responsible to Herod Antipas. It was his job to collect taxes for Rome and he was thus despised by Jews who undoubtedly regarded him as a traitor.

[9:17]  ²⁹ sn Wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, used for storing wine in NT times. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched, would result in the bursting of the wineskins.

[9:17]  ³⁰ sn The meaning of the saying new wine into new wineskins is that the presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. It could not be confined within the old religion of Judaism, but involved the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of God.

[9:22]  ³¹ tn Or “has delivered you”; Grk “has saved you.” This should not be understood as an expression for full salvation in the immediate context; it refers only to the woman’s healing.

[9:22]  ³² tn Grk “saved.”

[9:28]  ³³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[9:28]  ³⁴ tn Grk “to him, and Jesus.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, but a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[9:35]  ³⁵ tn Or “cities.”

[9:35]  ³⁶ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[9:35]  ³⁷ tn Grk “and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[10:23]  ³⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:23]  ³⁹ tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.”

[10:23]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.

[10:23]  ⁴¹ tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.” “Town” was chosen here to emphasize the extensive nature of the disciples’ ministry. The same word is translated earlier in the verse as “place.”

[11:11]  ⁴² tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[11:11]  ⁴³ sn After John comes a shift of eras. The new era is so great that the lowest member of it (the one who is least in the kingdom of God) is greater than the greatest one of the previous era.

[11:19]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “Behold a man.”

[11:19]  ⁴⁵ sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

[11:19]  ⁴⁶ sn Neither were they happy with Jesus (the Son of Man), even though he was the opposite of John and associated freely with people like tax collectors and sinners. Either way, God’s messengers were subject to complaint.

[11:19]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “shown to be right.”

[11:19]  ⁴⁸ tc Most witnesses (B² C D L Θ Ë¹ 33 Ï lat) have “children” (τέκνων, teknwn) here instead of “deeds” (ἔργων, ergwn), but since “children” is the reading of the parallel in Luke 7:35, scribes would be motivated to convert the less colorful “deeds” into more animate offspring of wisdom. Further, ἔργων enjoys support from א B* W (˹³) as well as early versional and patristic support.

[11:25]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “At that time, answering, Jesus said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[11:25]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “thank.”

[11:25]  ⁵¹ sn The title Lord is an important name for God, showing his sovereignty, but it is interesting that it comes next to a reference to the Father, a term indicative of God’s care. The two concepts are often related in the NT; see Eph 1:3-6.

[11:25]  ⁵² tn Or “that.”

[11:25]  ⁵³ sn See 1 Cor 1:26-31.

[12:1]  ⁵⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[12:1]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stacus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1).

[12:4]  ⁵⁶ tc The Greek verb ἔφαγεν (efagen, “he ate”) is found in a majority of witnesses (Ì⁷⁰ C D L W Θ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt sy co) in place of ἔφαγον (efagon, “they ate”), the wording found in א B pc. ἔφαγεν is most likely motivated by the parallels in Mark and Luke (both of which have the singular).

[12:4]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “the bread of presentation.”

[12:4]  sn The sacred bread refers to the “bread of presentation,” “showbread,” or “bread of the Presence,” twelve loaves prepared weekly for the tabernacle and later, the temple. See Exod 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Lev 24:5-9. Each loaf was made from 3 quarts (3.5 liters; Heb “two tenths of an ephah”) of fine flour. The loaves were placed on a table in the holy place of the tabernacle, on the north side opposite the lampstand (Exod 26:35). It was the duty of the priest each Sabbath to place fresh bread on the table; the loaves from the previous week were then given to Aaron and his descendants, who ate them in the holy place, because they were considered sacred (Lev 24:9). See also Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-5.

[12:4]  ⁵⁸ sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.

[12:4]  ⁵⁹ sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.

[12:39]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[12:40]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “large sea creature.”

[12:40]  ⁶² sn A quotation from Jonah 1:17.

[13:32]  ⁶³ sn This is rhetorical hyperbole, since technically a mustard plant is not a tree. This could refer to one of two types of mustard plant popular in Palestine and would be either ten or twenty-five ft (3 or 7.5 m) tall.

[13:32]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[13:32]  ⁶⁵ sn The point of the parable seems to be that while the kingdom of God may appear to have insignificant and unnoticeable beginnings (i.e., in the ministry of Jesus), it will someday (i.e., at the second advent) be great and quite expansive. The kingdom, however, is not to be equated with the church, but rather the church is an expression of the kingdom. Also, there is important OT background in the image of the mustard seed that grew and became a tree: Ezek 17:22-24 pictures the reemergence of the Davidic house where people can find calm and shelter. Like the mustard seed, it would start out small but grow to significant size.

[13:52]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “every scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4. It is possible that the term translated “expert in the law” (traditionally, “scribe”) here is a self-description used by the author, Matthew, to represent his role in conveying the traditions about Jesus to his intended audience. See David E. Orton, The Understanding Scribe [JSNTSup].

[13:55]  ⁶⁷ sn The reference to Jesus as the carpenter’s son is probably derogatory, indicating that they knew Jesus only as a common laborer like themselves. The reference to his mother…Mary (even though Jesus’ father was probably dead by this point) appears to be somewhat derogatory, for a man was not regarded as his mother’s son in Jewish usage unless an insult was intended (cf. Judg 11:1-2; John 4:41; 8:41; 9:29).

[14:15]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).

[15:5]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “is a gift,” that is, something dedicated to God.

[15:28]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “Then answering, Jesus said to her.” This expression has been simplified in the translation.

[15:28]  ⁷¹ sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

[16:3]  ⁷² tn Or “red and gloomy” (L&N 14.56).

[16:3]  ⁷³ tn Grk “The face of the sky you know how to discern.”

[16:13]  ⁷⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[16:13]  ⁷⁵ map For location see Map1 C1; Map2 F4.

[16:13]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “he asked his disciples, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has been left untranslated.

[16:23]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “people.”

[16:24]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “to come after me.”

[16:24]  ⁷⁹ tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.

[16:24]  ⁸⁰ sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.

[16:27]  ⁸¹ sn An allusion to Pss 28:4; 62:12; cf. Prov 24:12.

[17:4]  ⁸² tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that the appearance of Moses and Elijah prompted Peter’s comment.

[17:4]  ⁸³ tn Grk “Peter answering said.” This construction is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[17:4]  ⁸⁴ tc Instead of the singular future indicative ποιήσω (poihsw, “I will make”), most witnesses (C³ D L W Θ [Φ] 0281 Ë^[1],13 33 Ï lat sy co) have the plural aorist subjunctive ποιήσωμεν (poihswmen, “let us make”). But since ποιήσωμεν is the reading found in the parallel accounts in Mark and Luke, it is almost surely a motivated reading. Further, the earliest and best witnesses, as well as a few others (א B C* 700 pc) have ποιήσω. It is thus more likely that the singular verb is authentic.

[17:4]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “booths,” “dwellings” (referring to the temporary booths constructed in the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles).

[17:4]  sn Peter apparently wanted to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles or Booths that looked forward to the end and wanted to treat Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as equals by making three shelters (one for each). It was actually a way of expressing honor to Jesus, but the next verse makes it clear that it was not enough honor.

[17:12]  ⁸⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[17:17]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[17:17]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “O.” The marker of direct address, ὦ (w), is functionally equivalent to a vocative and is represented in the translation by “you.”

[17:17]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “faithless.”

[17:17]  sn The rebuke for lack of faith has OT roots: Num 14:27; Deut 32:5, 30; Isa 59:8.

[17:17]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “how long.”

[17:17]  ⁹¹ tn Or “put up with.” See Num 11:12; Isa 46:4.

[17:17]  ⁹² sn The pronouns you…you are plural, indicating that Jesus is speaking to a group rather than an individual.

[17:20]  ⁹³ tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[17:20]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “faith as,” “faith like.”

[17:20]  ⁹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[18:9]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “than having.”

[18:9]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire.”

[18:9]  sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.

[18:28]  ⁹⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:28]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “one hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be about three month’s pay.

[18:28]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so.” A new sentence was started at this point in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[18:28]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “and he grabbed him and started choking him.”

[18:28]  ¹⁰² tn The word “me” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:1]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “it happened when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[19:1]  ¹⁰⁴ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity. The region referred to here is sometimes known as Transjordan (i.e., “across the Jordan”).

[19:14]  ¹⁰⁵ sn The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.

[19:21]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:21]  ¹⁰⁷ sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.

[20:8]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[20:8]  ¹⁰⁹ sn That is, six o’clock in the evening, the hour to pay day laborers. See Lev 19:13b.

[20:8]  ¹¹⁰ tc ‡ Most witnesses (including B D W Θ Ë^1,13 33^vid Ï latt sy) have αὐτοῖς (autois, “to them”) after ἀπόδος (apodos, “give the pay”), but this seems to be a motivated reading, clarifying the indirect object. The omission is supported by א C L Z 085 Or. Nevertheless, NA²⁷ includes the pronoun on the basis of the greater external attestation.

[20:21]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “said to him.”

[20:21]  ¹¹² tn Grk “Say that.”

[20:21]  ¹¹³ tc A majority of witnesses read σου (sou, “your”) here, perhaps for clarification. At the same time, it is possible that the pronoun dropped out through haplography or was excised because of perceived redundancy (there are two other such pronouns in the verse) by א B. Either way, the translation adds it due to the requirements of English style. NA²⁷ includes σου here.

[21:9]  ¹¹⁴ tn Grk “were shouting, saying.” The participle λέγοντας (legontas) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[21:9]  ¹¹⁵ tn The expression ῾Ωσαννά (Jwsanna, literally in Hebrew, “O Lord, save”) in the quotation from Ps 118:25-26 was probably by this time a familiar liturgical expression of praise, on the order of “Hail to the king,” although both the underlying Aramaic and Hebrew expressions meant “O Lord, save us.” In words familiar to every Jew, the author is indicating that at this point every messianic expectation is now at the point of realization. It is clear from the words of the psalm shouted by the crowd that Jesus is being proclaimed as messianic king. See E. Lohse, TDNT 9:682-84.

[21:9]  sn Hosanna is an Aramaic expression that literally means, “help, I pray,” or “save, I pray.” By Jesus’ time it had become a strictly liturgical formula of praise, however, and was used as an exclamation of praise to God.

[21:9]  ¹¹⁶ sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.

[21:16]  ¹¹⁷ sn A quotation from Ps 8:2.

[21:24]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:42]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “capstone,” “keystone.” Although these meanings are lexically possible, the imagery in Eph 2:20-22 and 1 Cor 3:11 indicates that the term κεφαλὴ γωνίας (kefalh gwnia") refers to a cornerstone, not a capstone.

[21:42]  sn The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The use of Ps 118:22-23 and the “stone imagery” as a reference to Christ and his suffering and exaltation is common in the NT (see also Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:6-8; cf. also Eph 2:20). The irony in the use of Ps 118:22-23 here is that in the OT, Israel was the one rejected (or perhaps her king) by the Gentiles, but in the NT it is Jesus who is rejected by Israel.

[21:42]  ¹²⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 118:22-23.

[22:24]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “and raise up seed,” an idiom for fathering children (L&N 23.59).

[22:24]  ¹²² sn A quotation from Deut 25:5. This practice is called levirate marriage (see also Ruth 4:1-12; Mishnah, m. Yevamot; Josephus, Ant. 4.8.23 [4.254-256]). The levirate law is described in Deut 25:5-10. The brother of a man who died without a son had an obligation to marry his brother’s widow. This served several purposes: It provided for the widow in a society where a widow with no children to care for her would be reduced to begging, and it preserved the name of the deceased, who would be regarded as the legal father of the first son produced from that marriage.

[22:37]  ¹²³ tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[22:37]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).

[22:37]  ¹²⁵ sn A quotation from Deut 6:5. The threefold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.

[24:2]  ¹²⁶ tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (ajpokriqei") is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[24:2]  ¹²⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[24:2]  ¹²⁸ sn With the statement not one stone will be left on another Jesus predicted the total destruction of the temple, something that did occur in a.d. 70.

[24:2]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “not one stone will be left here on another which will not be thrown down.”

[24:29]  ¹³⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[24:29]  ¹³¹ tn Traditionally, “tribulation.”

[24:29]  ¹³² sn An allusion to Isa 13:10, 34:4 (LXX); Joel 2:10. The heavens were seen as the abode of heavenly forces, so their shaking indicates distress in the spiritual realm. Although some take the powers as a reference to bodies in the heavens (like stars and planets, “the heavenly bodies,” NIV) this is not as likely.

[25:20]  ¹³³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[25:20]  ¹³⁴ tn Grk Or “Lord; or “Master” (and so throughout this paragraph).

[25:21]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “His master said to him.”

[25:26]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “But answering, his master said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[26:26]  ¹³⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:31]  ¹³⁸ sn A quotation from Zech 13:7.

[26:55]  ¹³⁹ tn Or “a revolutionary.” This term can refer to one who stirs up rebellion: BDAG 594 s.v. λῃστής 2 has “revolutionary, insurrectionist, guerrilla” citing evidence from Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]). However, this usage generally postdates Jesus’ time. It does refer to a figure of violence. Luke uses the same term for the highwaymen who attack the traveler in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30).

[26:55]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “and” (καί, kai), a conjunction that is elastic enough to be used to indicate a contrast, as here.

[26:64]  ¹⁴¹ sn An allusion to Ps 110:1. This is a claim that Jesus shares authority with God in heaven. Those present may have thought they were his judges, but, in fact, the reverse was true.

[26:64]  ¹⁴² sn The expression the right hand of the Power is a circumlocution for referring to God. Such indirect references to God were common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.

[26:64]  ¹⁴³ sn An allusion to Dan 7:13 (see also Matt 24:30).

[27:24]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[27:24]  ¹⁴⁵ sn You take care of it yourselves! Compare the response of the chief priests and elders to Judas in 27:4. The expression is identical except that in 27:4 it is singular and here it is plural.

[27:40]  ¹⁴⁶ sn There is rich irony in the statements of those who were passing by, “save yourself!” and “come down from the cross!” In summary, they wanted Jesus to come down from the cross and save his physical life, but it was indeed his staying on the cross and giving his physical life that led to the fact that they could experience a resurrection from death to life.

[27:40]  ¹⁴⁷ tc ‡ Many important witnesses (א* A D pc it sy^[s],p) read καί (kai, here with the force of “then”) before κατάβηθι (katabhqi, “come down”). The shorter reading may well be due to homoioarcton, but judging by the diverse external evidence (א² B L W Θ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) it is equally possible that the shorter reading is original (and is so considered for this translation). NA²⁷ puts the καί in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[27:46]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[27:46]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Grk “with a loud voice, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[27:46]  ¹⁵⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 22:1.

[27:54]  ¹⁵¹ sn See the note on the word centurion in Matt 8:5.