Matius 9:9-13

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. ¹  “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him. 9:10 As ²  Jesus ³  was having a meal ⁴  in Matthew’s ⁵  house, many tax collectors ⁶  and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples. 9:11 When the Pharisees ⁷  saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ⁸  9:12 When ⁹  Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. ¹⁰  9:13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ ¹¹  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Markus 2:13-17

The Call of Levi; Eating with Sinners

2:13 Jesus ¹²  went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them. 2:14 As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth. ¹³  “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him. 2:15 As Jesus ¹⁴  was having a meal ¹⁵  in Levi’s ¹⁶  home, many tax collectors ¹⁷  and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 2:16 When the experts in the law ¹⁸  and the Pharisees ¹⁹  saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ²⁰  2:17 When Jesus heard this he said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. ²¹  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Lukas 5:27-32

The Call of Levi; Eating with Sinners

5:27 After ²²  this, Jesus ²³  went out and saw a tax collector ²⁴  named Levi ²⁵  sitting at the tax booth. ²⁶  “Follow me,” ²⁷  he said to him. 5:28 And he got up and followed him, leaving everything ²⁸  behind. ²⁹ 

5:29 Then ³⁰  Levi gave a great banquet ³¹  in his house for Jesus, ³²  and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting ³³  at the table with them. 5:30 But ³⁴  the Pharisees ³⁵  and their experts in the law ³⁶  complained ³⁷  to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” ³⁸  5:31 Jesus ³⁹  answered them, “Those who are well don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. ⁴⁰  5:32 I have not come ⁴¹  to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” ⁴² 

[9:9]  ¹ 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.

[9:10]  ² tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[9:10]  ³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:10]  ⁴ tn Grk “was reclining at table.”

[9:10]  sn As Jesus was having a meal. 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[9:10]  ⁵ tn Grk “in the house.” The Greek article is used here in a context that implies possession, and the referent of the implied possessive pronoun (Matthew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:10]  ⁶ sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

[9:11]  ⁷ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[9:11]  ⁸ sn The issue here is inappropriate associations. Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean.

[9:12]  ⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[9:12]  ¹⁰ sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is healthy (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.

[9:13]  ¹¹ sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7).

[2:13]  ¹² tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:14]  ¹³ 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.

[2:14]  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 Levi (also named Matthew [see Matt 9:9]) 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.

[2:15]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:15]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “As he reclined at table.”

[2:15]  sn As Jesus was having a meal. 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[2:15]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “his.”

[2:15]  ¹⁷ sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked.

[2:16]  ¹⁸ tn Or “the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[2:16]  ¹⁹ sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.

[2:16]  ²⁰ sn The issue here is inappropriate associations. Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean.

[2:17]  ²¹ sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is healthy (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.

[5:27]  ²² tn Grk “And after.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[5:27]  ²³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:27]  ²⁴ sn See the note on tax collectors in 3:12.

[5:27]  ²⁵ sn It is possible that Levi is a second name for Matthew, because people often used alternative names in 1st century Jewish culture.

[5:27]  ²⁶ 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.

[5:27]  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 Levi (also named Matthew [see Matt 9:9]) 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.

[5:27]  ²⁷ sn Follow me. For similar calls on the part of Jesus see Luke 5:10-11; 9:23, 59; 18:22.

[5:28]  ²⁸ sn On the phrase leaving everything see Luke 5:10-11; 14:33.

[5:28]  ²⁹ tn The participial phrase “leaving everything behind” occurs at the beginning of the sentence, but has been transposed to the end in the translation for logical reasons, since it serves to summarize Levi’s actions.

[5:29]  ³⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[5:29]  ³¹ sn A great banquet refers to an elaborate meal. Many of the events in Luke take place in the context of meal fellowship: 7:36-50; 9:12-17; 10:38-42; 11:37-54; 14:1-24; 22:7-38; 24:29-32, 41-43.

[5:29]  ³² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:29]  ³³ tn Grk “reclining.” This term reflects the normal practice in 1st century Jewish culture of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position. Since it is foreign to most modern readers, the translation “sitting” has been substituted.

[5:30]  ³⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast present in this context.

[5:30]  ³⁵ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

[5:30]  ³⁶ tn Or “and their scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

[5:30]  ³⁷ tn Or “grumbled”; a term often used in the OT for inappropriate grumbling: Exod 15:24; 16:7-8; Num 14:2, 26-35; 16:11.

[5:30]  ³⁸ sn The issue here is inappropriate associations (eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners) and the accusation comes not against Jesus, but his disciples.

[5:31]  ³⁹ tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[5:31]  ⁴⁰ sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is well (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.

[5:32]  ⁴¹ sn I have not come is another commission statement by Jesus; see 4:43-44.

[5:32]  ⁴² sn Though parallels exist to this saying (Matt 9:13; Mark 2:17), only Luke has this last phrase but sinners to repentance. Repentance is a frequent topic in Luke’s Gospel: 3:3, 8; 13:1-5; 15:7, 10; 16:30; 17:3-4; 24:47.