Matius 21:33-46
Konteks21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner 1 who planted a vineyard. 2 He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then 3 he leased it to tenant farmers 4 and went on a journey. 21:34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves 5 to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. 6 21:35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, 7 killed another, and stoned another. 21:36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 21:37 Finally he sent his son to them, 8 saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 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!’ 21:39 So 9 they seized him, 10 threw him out of the vineyard, 11 and killed him. 21:40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 21:41 They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”
21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 12
This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 13
21:43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people 14 who will produce its fruit. 21:44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” 15 21:45 When 16 the chief priests and the Pharisees 17 heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 21:46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds 18 regarded him as a prophet.
Matius 21:20
Konteks21:20 When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
Matius 1:1--16:28
Konteks1:1 This is the record of the genealogy 19 of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
1:2 Abraham was the father 20 of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 1:3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah (by Tamar), Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 1:4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 1:5 Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab), Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth), Obed the father of Jesse, 1:6 and Jesse the father of David the king.
David was the father of Solomon (by the wife of Uriah 21 ), 1:7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 22 1:8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah, 1:9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 1:10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, 23 Amon the father of Josiah, 1:11 and Josiah 24 the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
1:12 After 25 the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, 26 Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 1:13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 1:14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, 1:15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 1:16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, by whom 27 Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 28
1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, 29 fourteen generations.
1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, 30 she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 1:19 Because Joseph, her husband to be, 31 was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her 32 privately. 1:20 When he had contemplated this, an 33 angel of the Lord 34 appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 1:21 She will give birth to a son and you will name him 35 Jesus, 36 because he will save his people from their sins.” 1:22 This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 1:23 “Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him 37 Emmanuel,” 38 which means 39 “God with us.” 40 1:24 When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord 41 told him. He took his wife, 1:25 but did not have marital relations 42 with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named 43 Jesus.
2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem 44 in Judea, in the time 45 of King Herod, 46 wise men 47 from the East came to Jerusalem 48 2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose 49 and have come to worship him.” 2:3 When King Herod 50 heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. 2:4 After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, 51 he asked them where the Christ 52 was to be born. 2:5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet:
2:6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 53
2:7 Then Herod 54 privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. 2:8 He 55 sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” 2:9 After listening to the king they left, and once again 56 the star they saw when it rose 57 led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 2:10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. 58 2:11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down 59 and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, 60 and myrrh. 61 2:12 After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 62 they went back by another route to their own country.
2:13 After they had gone, an 63 angel of the Lord 64 appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod 65 is going to look for the child to kill him.” 2:14 Then he got up, took the child and his mother during 66 the night, and went to Egypt. 2:15 He stayed there until Herod 67 died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” 68
2:16 When Herod 69 saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men 70 to kill all the children in Bethlehem 71 and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. 2:17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
2:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud wailing, 72
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted, because they were 73 gone.” 74
2:19 After Herod 75 had died, an 76 angel of the Lord 77 appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 2:20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 2:21 So 78 he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus 79 was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, 80 he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee. 2:23 He came to a town called Nazareth 81 and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus 82 would be called a Nazarene. 83
3:1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness 84 of Judea proclaiming, 3:2 “Repent, 85 for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3:3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: 86
“The voice 87 of one shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make 88 his paths straight.’” 89
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. 90 3:5 Then people from Jerusalem, 91 as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him, 3:6 and he was baptizing them 92 in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.
3:7 But when he saw many Pharisees 93 and Sadducees 94 coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 3:8 Therefore produce fruit 95 that proves your 96 repentance, 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! 3:10 Even now the ax is laid at 97 the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
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 98 to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 99 3:12 His winnowing fork 100 is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, 101 but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” 102
3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River. 103 3:14 But John 104 tried to prevent 105 him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 3:15 So Jesus replied 106 to him, “Let it happen now, 107 for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John 108 yielded 109 to him. 3:16 After 110 Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the 111 heavens 112 opened 113 and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove 114 and coming on him. 3:17 And 115 a voice from heaven said, 116 “This is my one dear Son; 117 in him 118 I take great delight.” 119
4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness 120 to be tempted by the devil. 4:2 After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished. 121 4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” 122 4:4 But he answered, 123 “It is written, ‘Man 124 does not live 125 by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 126 4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, 127 had him stand 128 on the highest point 129 of the temple, 4:6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ 130 and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 131 4:7 Jesus said to him, “Once again it is written: ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’” 132 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur. 133 4:9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship 134 me.” 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, 135 Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” 136 4:11 Then the devil left him, and angels 137 came and began ministering to his needs.
4:12 Now when Jesus 138 heard that John had been imprisoned, 139 he went into Galilee. 4:13 While in Galilee, he moved from Nazareth 140 to make his home in Capernaum 141 by the sea, 142 in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 4:14 so that what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: 143
4:15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way by the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles –
4:16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
and on those who sit in the region and shadow of death a light has dawned.” 144
4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach this message: 145 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
4:18 As 146 he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). 147 4:19 He said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” 148 4:20 They 149 left their nets immediately and followed him. 150 4:21 Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat 151 with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then 152 he called them. 4:22 They 153 immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.
4:23 Jesus 154 went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, 155 preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease and sickness among the people. 4:24 So a report about him spread throughout Syria. People 156 brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those who had seizures, 157 paralytics, and those possessed by demons, 158 and he healed them. 4:25 And large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, 159 Jerusalem, 160 Judea, and beyond the Jordan River. 161
5:1 When 162 he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. 163 After he sat down his disciples came to him. 5:2 Then 164 he began to teach 165 them by saying:
5:3 “Blessed 166 are the poor in spirit, 167 for the kingdom of heaven belongs 168 to them.
5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 169
5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger 170 and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children 171 of God.
5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
5:11 “Blessed are you when people 172 insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely 173 on account of me. 5:12 Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
5:13 “You are the salt 174 of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, 175 how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 5:15 People 176 do not light a lamp and put it under a basket 177 but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.
5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. 178 5:18 I 179 tell you the truth, 180 until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter 181 will pass from the law until everything takes place. 5:19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others 182 to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law 183 and the Pharisees, 184 you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
5:21 “You have heard that it was said to an older generation, 185 ‘Do not murder,’ 186 and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ 5:22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother 187 will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults 188 a brother will be brought before 189 the council, 190 and whoever says ‘Fool’ 191 will be sent 192 to fiery hell. 193 5:23 So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. 5:25 Reach agreement 194 quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, 195 or he 196 may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. 5:26 I tell you the truth, 197 you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny! 198
5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 199 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 200 5:30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.
5:31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’ 201 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.
5:33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, 202 ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 203 5:34 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all – not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 5:35 not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, 204 because it is the city of the great King. 5:36 Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 5:37 Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one. 205
5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 206 5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. 207 But whoever strikes you on the 208 right cheek, turn the other to him as well. 5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, 209 give him your coat also. 5:41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, 210 go with him two. 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, 211 and do not reject 212 the one who wants to borrow from you.
5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ 213 and ‘hate your enemy.’ 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemy and 214 pray for those who persecute you, 5:45 so that you may be like 215 your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors 216 do the same, don’t they? 5:47 And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? 5:48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 217
6:1 “Be 218 careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. 219 Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, 220 do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues 221 and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, 222 they have their reward. 6:3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 6:4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 223
6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues 224 and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. 6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, 225 close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 226 6:7 When 227 you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. 6:8 Do 228 not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 6:9 So pray this way: 229
Our Father 230 in heaven, may your name be honored, 231
6:10 may your kingdom come, 232
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
6:11 Give us today our daily bread, 233
6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves 234 have forgiven our debtors.
6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, 235 but deliver us from the evil one. 236
6:14 “For if you forgive others 237 their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
6:16 “When 238 you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive 239 so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, 240 they have their reward. 6:17 When 241 you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 6:18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth 242 and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 6:20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 6:21 For where your 243 treasure 244 is, there your heart will be also.
6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, 245 your whole body will be full of light. 6:23 But if your eye is diseased, 246 your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate 247 the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise 248 the other. You cannot serve God and money. 249
6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry 250 about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? 6:26 Look at the birds in the sky: 251 They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds 252 them. Aren’t you more valuable 253 than they are? 6:27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life? 254 6:28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers 255 of the field grow; they do not work 256 or spin. 6:29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 6:30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, 257 which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, 258 won’t he clothe you even more, 259 you people of little faith? 6:31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 6:32 For the unconverted 260 pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 6:33 But above all pursue his kingdom 261 and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 6:34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. 262
7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 263 7:2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. 264 7:3 Why 265 do you see the speck 266 in your brother’s eye, but fail to see 267 the beam of wood 268 in your own? 7:4 Or how can you say 269 to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? 7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 7:6 Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces. 270
7:7 “Ask 271 and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door 272 will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks 273 receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 7:9 Is 274 there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 275 7:11 If you then, although you are evil, 276 know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts 277 to those who ask him! 7:12 In 278 everything, treat others as you would want them 279 to treat you, 280 for this fulfills 281 the law and the prophets.
7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 7:14 But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 282 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered 283 from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 284 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad 285 tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.
7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ 286 will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do 287 many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ 288
7:24 “Everyone 289 who hears these words of mine and does them is like 290 a wise man 291 who built his house on rock. 7:25 The rain fell, the flood 292 came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 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. 7:27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!” 293
7:28 When 294 Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, 7:29 because he taught them like one who had authority, 295 not like their experts in the law. 296
8:1 After he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 8:2 And a leper 297 approached, and bowed low before him, saying, 298 “Lord, if 299 you are willing, you can make me clean.” 8:3 He stretched out his hand and touched 300 him saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 8:4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you do not speak to anyone, 301 but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering 302 that Moses commanded, 303 as a testimony to them.” 304
8:5 When he entered Capernaum, 305 a centurion 306 came to him asking for help: 307 8:6 “Lord, 308 my servant 309 is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible anguish.” 8:7 Jesus 310 said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8:8 But the centurion replied, 311 “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Instead, just say the word and my servant will be healed. 8:9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. 312 I say to this one, ‘Go’ and he goes, 313 and to another ‘Come’ and he comes, and to my slave 314 ‘Do this’ and he does it.” 315 8:10 When 316 Jesus heard this he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “I tell you the truth, 317 I have not found such faith in anyone in Israel! 8:11 I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet 318 with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 319 in the kingdom of heaven, 8:12 but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 320 8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; just as you believed, it will be done for you.” And the servant 321 was healed at that hour.
8:14 Now 322 when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down, 323 sick with a fever. 8:15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then 324 she got up and began to serve them. 8:16 When it was evening, many demon-possessed people were brought to him. He drove out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. 325 8:17 In this way what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled: 326
“He took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.” 327
8:18 Now when Jesus saw a large crowd 328 around him, he gave orders to go to the other side of the lake. 329 8:19 Then 330 an expert in the law 331 came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 332 8:20 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and the birds in the sky 333 have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 334 8:21 Another 335 of the 336 disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 8:22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” 337
8:23 As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 338 8:24 And a great storm developed on the sea so that the waves began to swamp the boat. But he was asleep. 8:25 So they came 339 and woke him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are about to die!” 8:26 But 340 he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked 341 the winds and the sea, 342 and it was dead calm. 8:27 And the men 343 were amazed and said, 344 “What sort of person is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!” 345
8:28 When he came to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, 346 two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were extremely violent, so that no one was able to pass by that way. 8:29 They 347 cried out, “Son of God, leave us alone! 348 Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 349 8:30 A 350 large herd of pigs was feeding some distance from them. 8:31 Then the demons begged him, 351 “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 8:32 And he said, 352 “Go!” So 353 they came out and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned in the water. 8:33 The 354 herdsmen ran off, went into the town, 355 and told everything that had happened to the demon-possessed men. 8:34 Then 356 the entire town 357 came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
9:1 After getting into a boat he crossed to the other side and came to his own town. 358 9:2 Just then 359 some people 360 brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. 361 When Jesus saw their 362 faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.” 363 9:3 Then 364 some of the experts in the law 365 said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!” 366 9:4 When Jesus saw their reaction he said, “Why do you respond with evil in your hearts? 9:5 Which is easier, 367 to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 9:6 But so that you may know 368 that the Son of Man 369 has authority on earth to forgive sins” – then he said to the paralytic 370 – “Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 371 9:7 And he stood up and went home. 372 9:8 When 373 the crowd saw this, they were afraid 374 and honored God who had given such authority to men. 375
9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. 376 “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him. 9:10 As 377 Jesus 378 was having a meal 379 in Matthew’s 380 house, many tax collectors 381 and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples. 9:11 When the Pharisees 382 saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 383 9:12 When 384 Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. 385 9:13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ 386 For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
9:14 Then John’s 387 disciples came to Jesus 388 and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees 389 fast often, 390 but your disciples don’t fast?” 9:15 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests 391 cannot mourn while the bridegroom 392 is with them, can they? But the days 393 are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, 394 and then they will fast. 9:16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse. 9:17 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; 395 otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Instead they put new wine into new wineskins 396 and both are preserved.”
9:18 As he was saying these things, a ruler came, bowed low before him, and said, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.” 9:19 Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him. 9:20 But 397 a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage 398 for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge 399 of his cloak. 400 9:21 For she kept saying to herself, 401 “If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed.” 402 9:22 But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, “Have courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well.” 403 And the woman was healed 404 from that hour. 9:23 When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd, 9:24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep.” And they began making fun of him. 405 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and gently took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 9:26 And the news of this spread throughout that region. 406
9:27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, 407 “Have mercy 408 on us, Son of David!” 409 9:28 When 410 he went into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus 411 said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 9:29 Then he touched their eyes saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 9:30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about this.” 9:31 But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that entire region. 412
9:32 As 413 they were going away, 414 a man who could not talk and was demon-possessed was brought to him. 9:33 After the demon was cast out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!” 9:34 But the Pharisees 415 said, “By the ruler 416 of demons he casts out demons.” 417
9:35 Then Jesus went throughout all the towns 418 and villages, teaching in their synagogues, 419 preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. 420 9:36 When 421 he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, 422 like sheep without a shepherd. 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 9:38 Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest 423 to send out 424 workers into his harvest.”
10:1 Jesus 425 called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits 426 so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness. 427 10:2 Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: 428 first, Simon 429 (called Peter), and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother; 10:3 Philip and Bartholomew; 430 Thomas 431 and Matthew the tax collector; 432 James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 433 10:4 Simon the Zealot 434 and Judas Iscariot, 435 who betrayed him. 436
10:5 Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows: 437 “Do not go to Gentile regions 438 and do not enter any Samaritan town. 439 10:6 Go 440 instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 10:7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’ 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, 441 cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 10:9 Do not take gold, silver, or copper in your belts, 10:10 no bag 442 for the journey, or an extra tunic, 443 or sandals or staff, 444 for the worker deserves his provisions. 10:11 Whenever 445 you enter a town or village, 446 find out who is worthy there 447 and stay with them 448 until you leave. 10:12 As you enter the house, give it greetings. 449 10:13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 450 10:14 And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust off 451 your feet as you leave that house or that town. 10:15 I tell you the truth, 452 it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah 453 on the day of judgment than for that town!
10:16 “I 454 am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, 455 so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 10:17 Beware 456 of people, because they will hand you over to councils 457 and flog 458 you in their synagogues. 459 10:18 And you will be brought before governors and kings 460 because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles. 10:19 Whenever 461 they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, 462 for what you should say will be given to you at that time. 463 10:20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
10:21 “Brother 464 will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against 465 parents and have them put to death. 10:22 And you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 10:23 Whenever 466 they persecute you in one place, 467 flee to another. I tell you the truth, 468 you will not finish going through all the towns 469 of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
10:24 “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slave 470 greater than his master. 10:25 It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more will they defame the members of his household!
10:26 “Do 471 not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden 472 that will not be revealed, 473 and nothing is secret that will not be made known. 10:27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, 474 proclaim from the housetops. 475 10:28 Do 476 not be afraid of those who kill the body 477 but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 478 10:29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? 479 Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 480 10:30 Even all the hairs on your head are numbered. 10:31 So do not be afraid; 481 you are more valuable than many sparrows.
10:32 “Whoever, then, acknowledges 482 me before people, I will acknowledge 483 before my Father in heaven. 10:33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.
10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring 484 peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. 10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 10:36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 485
10:37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 10:38 And whoever does not take up his cross 486 and follow me is not worthy of me. 10:39 Whoever finds his life 487 will lose it, 488 and whoever loses his life because of me 489 will find it.
10:40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 490 10:41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever 491 receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 10:42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, 492 he will never lose his reward.”
11:1 When 493 Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their towns.
11:2 Now when John 494 heard in prison about the deeds Christ 495 had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question: 496 11:3 “Are you the one who is to come, 497 or should we look for another?” 11:4 Jesus answered them, 498 “Go tell John what you hear and see: 499 11:5 The blind see, the 500 lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 11:6 Blessed is anyone 501 who takes no offense at me.”
11:7 While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness 502 to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 503 11:8 What 504 did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? 505 Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings! 506 11:9 What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more 507 than a prophet. 11:10 This is the one about whom it is written:
‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, 508
who will prepare your way before you.’ 509
11:11 “I tell you the truth, 510 among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least 511 in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. 11:12 From 512 the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. 513 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared. 514 11:14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come. 11:15 The one who has ears had better listen! 515
11:16 “To 516 what should I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, 517
11:17 ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; 518
we wailed in mourning, 519 yet you did not weep.’
11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 520 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him, 521 a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors 522 and sinners!’ 523 But wisdom is vindicated 524 by her deeds.” 525
11:20 Then Jesus began to criticize openly the cities 526 in which he had done many of his miracles, because they did not repent. 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! 527 Woe to you, Bethsaida! If 528 the miracles 529 done in you had been done in Tyre 530 and Sidon, 531 they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you! 11:23 And you, Capernaum, 532 will you be exalted to heaven? 533 No, you will be thrown down to Hades! 534 For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day. 11:24 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom 535 on the day of judgment than for you!”
11:25 At that time Jesus said, 536 “I praise 537 you, Father, Lord 538 of heaven and earth, because 539 you have hidden these things from the wise 540 and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. 11:26 Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. 541 11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. 542 No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides 543 to reveal him. 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 11:29 Take my yoke 544 on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”
12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His 545 disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat 546 and eat them. 12:2 But when the Pharisees 547 saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.” 12:3 He 548 said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry – 12:4 how he entered the house of God and they ate 549 the sacred bread, 550 which was against the law 551 for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? 552 12:5 Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? 12:6 I 553 tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 12:7 If 554 you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ 555 you would not have condemned the innocent. 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord 556 of the Sabbath.”
12:9 Then 557 Jesus 558 left that place and entered their synagogue. 559 12:10 A 560 man was there who had a withered 561 hand. And they asked Jesus, 562 “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 563 so that they could accuse him. 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? 12:12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 12:13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and it was restored, 564 as healthy as the other. 12:14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate 565 him.
12:15 Now when Jesus learned of this, he went away from there. Great 566 crowds 567 followed him, and he healed them all. 12:16 But he sternly warned them not to make him known. 12:17 This fulfilled what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet: 568
12:18 “Here is 569 my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I take great delight. 570
I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
12:19 He will not quarrel or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
12:20 He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick,
until he brings justice to victory.
12:21 And in his name the Gentiles 571 will hope.” 572
12:22 Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus 573 healed him so that he could speak and see. 574 12:23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this one be the Son of David?” 12:24 But when the Pharisees 575 heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, 576 the ruler 577 of demons!” 12:25 Now when Jesus 578 realized what they were thinking, he said to them, 579 “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, 580 and no town or house divided against itself will stand. 12:26 So if 581 Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 12:27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons 582 cast them 583 out? For this reason they will be your judges. 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God 584 has already overtaken 585 you. 12:29 How 586 else can someone enter a strong man’s 587 house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house. 588 12:30 Whoever is not with me is against me, 589 and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 590 12:31 For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, 591 but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. 592 But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, 593 either in this age or in the age to come.
12:33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad 594 and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. 12:34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart. 12:35 The good person 595 brings good things out of his 596 good treasury, 597 and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury. 12:36 I 598 tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak. 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
12:38 Then some of the experts in the law 599 along with some Pharisees 600 answered him, 601 “Teacher, we want to see a sign 602 from you.” 12:39 But he answered them, 603 “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 604 for three days and three nights, 605 so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 12:41 The people 606 of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them 607 – and now, 608 something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The queen of the South 609 will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, 610 something greater than Solomon is here!
12:43 “When 611 an unclean spirit 612 goes out of a person, 613 it passes through waterless places 614 looking for rest but 615 does not find it. 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 616 When it returns, 617 it finds the house 618 empty, swept clean, and put in order. 619 12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so 620 the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”
12:46 While Jesus 621 was still speaking to the crowds, 622 his mother and brothers 623 came and 624 stood outside, asking 625 to speak to him. 12:47 626 Someone 627 told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting 628 to speak to you.” 12:48 To the one who had said this, Jesus 629 replied, 630 “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 12:49 And pointing 631 toward his disciples he said, “Here 632 are my mother and my brothers! 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is 633 my brother and sister and mother.”
13:1 On that day after Jesus went out of the house, he sat by the lake. 13:2 And such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat to sit while 634 the whole crowd stood on the shore. 13:3 He 635 told them many things in parables, 636 saying: “Listen! 637 A sower went out to sow. 638 13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds 639 fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 13:5 Other 640 seeds fell on rocky ground 641 where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. 642 13:6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. 13:7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, 643 and they grew up and choked them. 644 13:8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 13:9 The one who has ears had better listen!” 645
13:10 Then 646 the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 13:11 He replied, 647 “You have been given 648 the opportunity to know 649 the secrets 650 of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. 13:12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 651 13:13 For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. 13:14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
‘You will listen carefully 652 yet will never understand,
you will look closely 653 yet will never comprehend.
13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull;
they are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’ 654
13:16 “But your eyes are blessed 655 because they see, and your ears because they hear. 13:17 For I tell you the truth, 656 many prophets and righteous people longed to see 657 what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
13:18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 13:19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one 658 comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; 659 this is the seed sown along the path. 13:20 The 660 seed sown on rocky ground 661 is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 13:21 But he has no root in himself and does not endure; 662 when 663 trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 13:22 The 664 seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth 665 choke the word, 666 so it produces nothing. 13:23 But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” 667
13:24 He presented them with another parable: 668 “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. 13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds 669 among the wheat and went away. 13:26 When 670 the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. 13:27 So the slaves 671 of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ 13:28 He said, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So 672 the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’ 13:29 But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them. 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At 673 harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then 674 gather 675 the wheat into my barn.”’”
13:31 He gave 676 them another parable: 677 “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed 678 that a man took and sowed in his field. 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, 679 so that the wild birds 680 come and nest in its branches.” 681
13:33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with 682 three measures 683 of flour until all the dough had risen.” 684
13:34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable. 13:35 This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet: 685
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” 686
13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 13:37 He 687 answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 13:38 The field is the world and the good seed are the people 688 of the kingdom. The weeds are the people 689 of the evil one, 13:39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 13:40 As 690 the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. 691 13:42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, 692 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 693 The one who has ears had better listen! 694
13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 13:46 When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. 13:48 When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away. 13:49 It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous 13:50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, 695 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13:51 “Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.” 13:52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law 696 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.”
13:53 Now when 697 Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there. 13:54 Then 698 he came to his hometown 699 and began to teach the people 700 in their synagogue. 701 They 702 were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers? 13:55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? 703 And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 13:56 And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where did he get all this?” 704 13:57 And so they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.” 13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch 705 heard reports about Jesus, 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.” 14:3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, 706 and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 14:4 because John had repeatedly told 707 him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 708 14:5 Although 709 Herod 710 wanted to kill John, 711 he feared the crowd because they accepted John as a prophet. 14:6 But on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 14:7 so much that he promised with an oath 712 to give her whatever she asked. 14:8 Instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 14:9 Although it grieved the king, 713 because of his oath and the dinner guests he commanded it to be given. 14:10 So 714 he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 14:11 His 715 head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 14:12 Then John’s 716 disciples came and took the body and buried it and went and told Jesus.
14:13 Now when Jesus heard this he went away from there privately in a boat to an isolated place. But when the crowd heard about it, 717 they followed him on foot from the towns. 718 14:14 As he got out he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 14:15 When evening arrived, his disciples came to him saying, “This is an isolated place 719 and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 14:16 But he 720 replied, “They don’t need to go. You 721 give them something to eat.” 14:17 They 722 said to him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 14:18 “Bring them here to me,” he replied. 14:19 Then 723 he instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to the disciples, 724 who in turn gave them to the crowds. 725 14:20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, twelve baskets full. 14:21 Not counting women and children, there were about five thousand men who ate.
14:22 Immediately Jesus 726 made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the crowds. 14:23 And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 14:24 Meanwhile the boat, already far from land, 727 was taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it. 14:25 As the night was ending, 728 Jesus came to them walking on the sea. 729 14:26 When 730 the disciples saw him walking on the water 731 they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. 14:27 But immediately Jesus 732 spoke to them: 733 “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 14:28 Peter 734 said to him, 735 “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 14:29 So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 14:30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, 736 “Lord, save me!” 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 14:32 When they went up into the boat, the wind ceased. 14:33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
14:34 After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 737 14:35 When the people 738 there recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding area, and they brought all their sick to him. 14:36 They begged him if 739 they could only touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
15:1 Then Pharisees 740 and experts in the law 741 came from Jerusalem 742 to Jesus and said, 743 15:2 “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their 744 hands when they eat.” 745 15:3 He answered them, 746 “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 15:4 For God said, 747 ‘Honor your father and mother’ 748 and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 749 15:5 But you say, ‘If someone tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” 750 15:6 he does not need to honor his father.’ 751 You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. 15:7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said,
15:8 ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart 752 is far from me,
15:9 and they worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” 753
15:10 Then he called the crowd to him and said, 754 “Listen and understand. 15:11 What defiles a person is not what goes into the mouth; it is what 755 comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.” 15:12 Then the disciples came to him and said, “Do you know that when the Pharisees 756 heard this saying they were offended?” 15:13 And he replied, 757 “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 15:14 Leave them! They are blind guides. 758 If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, 759 both will fall into a pit.” 15:15 But Peter 760 said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 15:16 Jesus 761 said, “Even after all this, are you still so foolish? 15:17 Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and then passes out into the sewer? 762 15:18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person. 15:19 For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 15:20 These are the things that defile a person; it is not eating with unwashed hands that defiles a person.” 763
15:21 After going out from there, Jesus went to the region of Tyre 764 and Sidon. 765 15:22 A 766 Canaanite woman from that area came 767 and cried out, 768 “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is horribly demon-possessed!” 15:23 But he did not answer her a word. Then 769 his disciples came and begged him, 770 “Send her away, because she keeps on crying out after us.” 15:24 So 771 he answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 15:25 But she came and bowed down 772 before him and said, 773 “Lord, help me!” 15:26 “It is not right 774 to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” 775 he said. 776 15:27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, 777 “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 15:28 Then 778 Jesus answered her, “Woman, 779 your faith is great! Let what you want be done for you.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.
15:29 When he left there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up a mountain, where he sat down. 15:30 Then 780 large crowds came to him bringing with them the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others. They 781 laid them at his feet, and he healed them. 15:31 As a result, the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.
15:32 Then Jesus called the 782 disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry since they may faint on the way.” 15:33 The disciples said to him, “Where can we get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy so great a crowd?” 15:34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven – and a few small fish.” 15:35 After instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 15:36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples, who then gave them to the crowds. 783 15:37 They 784 all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 15:38 Not counting children and women, 785 there were four thousand men who ate. 786 15:39 After sending away the crowd, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. 787
16:1 Now when the Pharisees 788 and Sadducees 789 came to test Jesus, 790 they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 791 16:2 He 792 said, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the sky is red,’ 16:3 and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.’ 793 You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky, 794 but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times. 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then 795 he left them and went away.
16:5 When the disciples went to the other side, they forgot to take bread. 16:6 “Watch out,” Jesus said to them, “beware of the yeast of the Pharisees 796 and Sadducees.” 797 16:7 So 798 they began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “It is because we brought no bread.” 16:8 When Jesus learned of this, 799 he said, “You who have such little faith! 800 Why are you arguing 801 among yourselves about having no bread? 16:9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 16:10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you took up? 16:11 How could you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” 16:12 Then they understood that he had not told them to be on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
16:13 When 802 Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, 803 he asked his disciples, 804 “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 16:14 They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, 805 and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16:16 Simon Peter answered, 806 “You are the Christ, 807 the Son of the living God.” 16:17 And Jesus answered him, 808 “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood 809 did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven! 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades 810 will not overpower it. 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” 16:20 Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. 811
16:21 From that time on 812 Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem 813 and suffer 814 many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, 815 and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 16:22 So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: 816 “God forbid, 817 Lord! This must not happen to you!” 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.” 818 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, 819 he must deny 820 himself, take up his cross, 821 and follow me. 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life 822 will lose it, 823 but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 16:26 For what does it benefit a person 824 if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life? 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. 825 16:28 I tell you the truth, 826 there are some standing here who will not 827 experience 828 death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” 829
[21:33] 1 tn The term here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
[21:33] 2 sn The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and its leaders are the tenants, so the vineyard here may well refer to the promise that resides within the nation. The imagery is like that in Rom 11:11-24.
[21:33] 3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[21:33] 4 sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.
[21:34] 5 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[21:34] sn These slaves represent the prophets God sent to the nation, who were mistreated and rejected.
[21:34] 6 tn Grk “to collect his fruits.”
[21:35] 7 sn The image of the tenants mistreating the owner’s slaves pictures the nation’s rejection of the prophets and their message.
[21:37] 8 sn The owner’s decision to send his son represents God sending Jesus.
[21:39] 9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ decision to kill the son in v. 38.
[21:39] 10 tn Grk “seizing him.” The participle λαβόντες (labontes) has been translated as attendant circumstance.
[21:39] 11 sn Throwing the heir out of the vineyard pictures Jesus’ death outside of Jerusalem.
[21:42] 12 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] 13 sn A quotation from Ps 118:22-23.
[21:43] 14 tn Or “to a nation” (so KJV, NASB, NLT).
[21:44] 15 tc A few witnesses, especially of the Western text (D 33 it sys Or Eussyr), do not contain 21:44. However, the verse is found in א B C L W Z (Θ) 0102 Ë1,13 Ï lat syc,p,h co and should be included as authentic.
[21:44] tn Grk “on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”
[21:44] sn This proverb basically means that the stone crushes, without regard to whether it falls on someone or someone falls on it. On the stone as a messianic image, see Isa 28:16 and Dan 2:44-45.
[21:45] 16 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[21:45] 17 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[21:46] 18 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowds) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Both previous occurrences of “they” in this verse refer to the chief priests and the Pharisees.
[1:1] 19 tn Grk “the book of the genealogy.” The noun βίβλος (biblo"), though it is without the article, is to be translated as definite due to Apollonius’ corollary and the normal use of anarthrous nouns in titles.
[1:6] 21 sn By the wife of Uriah, i.e., Bathsheba (cf. 2 Sam 11:3).
[1:7] 22 tc The reading ᾿Ασάφ (Asaf), a variant spelling on ᾿Ασά (Asa), is found in the earliest and most widespread witnesses (Ì1vid א B C [Dluc] Ë1,13 700 pc it co). Although Asaph was a psalmist and Asa was a king, it is doubtful that the author mistook one for the other since other ancient documents have variant spellings on the king’s name (such as “Asab,” “Asanos,” and “Asaph”). Thus the spelling ᾿Ασάφ that is almost surely found in the original of Matt 1:7-8 has been translated as “Asa” in keeping with the more common spelling of the king’s name.
[1:10] 23 tc ᾿Αμώς (Amws) is the reading found in the earliest and best witnesses (א B C [Dluc] γ δ θ Ë1 33 pc it sa bo), and as such is most likely original, but this is a variant spelling of the name ᾿Αμών (Amwn). The translation uses the more well-known spelling “Amon” found in the Hebrew MT and the majority of LXX
[1:11] 24 sn Before the mention of Jeconiah, several medieval
[1:12] 25 tn Because of the difference between Greek style, which usually begins a sentence with a conjunction, and English style, which generally does not, the conjunction δέ (de) has not been translated here.
[1:12] 26 sn The Greek text and the KJV read Salathiel. Most modern English translations use the OT form of the name (cf. Ezra 3:2).
[1:16] 27 tc There are three significant variant readings at this point in the text. Some
[1:16] sn The pronoun whom is feminine gender in the Greek text, referring to Mary.
[1:16] 28 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[1:16] sn The term χριστός (cristos) was originally an adjective (“anointed”), developing in LXX into a substantive (“an anointed one”), then developing still further into a technical generic term (“the anointed one”). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul to mean virtually Jesus’ last name.
[1:17] 29 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[1:17] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[1:18] 30 tn The connotation of the Greek is “before they came together in marital and domestic union” (so BDAG 970 s.v. συνέρχομαι 3).
[1:19] 31 tn Grk “husband.” See following note for discussion.
[1:19] 32 tn Or “send her away.”
[1:19] sn In the Jewish context, “full betrothal was so binding that its breaking required a certificate of divorce, and the death of one party made the other a widow or widower (m. Ketub. 1:2; m. Sota 1:5; m. Git. passim…)” (R. H. Gundry, Matthew: A Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art, 21).
[1:20] 33 tn Grk “behold, an angel.” 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).
[1:20] 34 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
[1:21] 35 tn Grk “you will call his name.”
[1:21] 36 sn The Greek form of the name Ihsous, which was translated into Latin as Jesus, is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves” (Yahweh is typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). It was a fairly common name among Jews in 1st century Palestine, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.
[1:23] 37 tn Grk “they will call his name.”
[1:23] 38 sn A quotation from Isa 7:14.
[1:23] 39 tn Grk “is translated.”
[1:23] 40 sn An allusion to Isa 8:8, 10 (LXX).
[1:24] 41 tn See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20. Here the translation “the angel of the Lord” is used because the Greek article (ὁ, Jo) which precedes ἄγγελος (angelos) is taken as an anaphoric article (ExSyn 217-19) referring back to the angel mentioned in v. 20.
[1:25] 42 tn Or “did not have sexual relations”; Grk “was not knowing her.” The verb “know” (in both Hebrew and Greek) is a frequent biblical euphemism for sexual relations. However, a translation like “did not have sexual relations with her” is too graphic in light of the popularity and wide use of Matthew’s infancy narrative. Thus the somewhat more subdued but still clear “did not have marital relations” was selected.
[1:25] 43 tn Grk “and he called his name Jesus.” The coordinate clause has been translated as a relative clause in English for stylistic reasons.
[2:1] 44 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[2:1] 45 tn Grk “in the days.”
[2:1] 46 sn King Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37
[2:1] 47 sn The Greek term magi here describes a class of wise men and priests who were astrologers (L&N 32.40).
[2:1] 48 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:2] 49 tn Or “in its rising,” referring to the astrological significance of a star in a particular portion of the sky. The term used for the “East” in v. 1 is ἀνατολαί (anatolai, a plural form that is used typically of the rising of the sun), while in vv. 2 and 9 the singular ἀνατολή (anatolh) is used. The singular is typically used of the rising of a star and as such should not normally be translated “in the east” (cf. BDAG 74 s.v. 1: “because of the sg. and the article in contrast to ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, vs. 1, [it is] prob. not a geograph. expr. like the latter, but rather astronomical…likew. vs. 9”).
[2:3] 50 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
[2:4] 51 tn Or “and scribes of the people.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
[2:4] 52 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[2:4] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[2:6] 53 sn A quotation from Mic 5:2.
[2:7] 54 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
[2:8] 55 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[2:9] 56 tn Grk “and behold the star.”
[2:9] 57 tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.
[2:10] 58 tn Grk “they rejoiced with very great joy.”
[2:11] 59 tn Grk “they fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
[2:11] 60 sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).
[2:11] 61 sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was used in preparing a corpse for burial.
[2:12] 62 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
[2:13] 63 tn Grk “behold, an angel.” 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).
[2:13] 64 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.
[2:13] 65 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Herod the Great was particularly ruthless regarding the succession to his throne.
[2:14] 66 tn The feminine singular genitive noun νυκτός (nuktos, “night”) indicates the time during which the action of the main verb takes place (ExSyn 124).
[2:15] 67 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
[2:15] 68 sn A quotation from Hos 11:1.
[2:16] 69 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.
[2:16] 71 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[2:18] 72 tc The LXX of Jer 38:15 (31:15 ET) has “lamentation, weeping, and loud wailing”; most later
[2:18] 73 tn Grk “are”; the Greek text uses a present tense verb.
[2:18] 74 sn A quotation from Jer 31:15.
[2:19] 75 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. When Herod the Great died in 4
[2:19] 76 tn Grk “behold, an angel.” 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).
[2:19] 77 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.
[2:21] 78 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s instructions.
[2:22] 79 sn Archelaus took after his father Herod the Great in terms of cruelty and ruthlessness, so Joseph was afraid to go there. After further direction in a dream, he went instead to Galilee.
[2:22] 80 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
[2:23] 81 sn Nazareth was a very small village in the region of Galilee (Galilee lay north of Samaria and Judea). The town was located about 15 mi (25 km) west of the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee. According to Luke 1:26, Mary was living in Nazareth when the birth of Jesus was announced to her.
[2:23] map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.
[2:23] 82 tn There is no expressed subject of the third person singular verb here; the pronoun “he” is implied. Instead of this pronoun the referent “Jesus” has been supplied in the text to clarify to whom this statement refers.
[2:23] 83 tn The Greek could be indirect discourse (as in the text), or direct discourse (“he will be called a Nazarene”). Judging by the difficulty of finding OT quotations (as implied in the plural “prophets”) to match the wording here, it appears that the author was using a current expression of scorn that conceptually (but not verbally) found its roots in the OT.
[3:2] 85 tn Grk “and saying, ‘Repent.’” The participle λέγων (legwn) at the beginning of v. 2 is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[3:3] 86 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] 88 sn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.
[3:3] 89 sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.
[3:4] 90 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.
[3:5] 91 tn Grk “Then Jerusalem.”
[3:5] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:6] 92 tn Grk “they were being baptized by him.” The passive construction has been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.
[3:7] 93 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.
[3:7] 94 sn The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). See also Matt 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 5:17; 23:6-8.
[3:8] 95 sn Fruit worthy of repentance refers to the deeds that indicate a change of attitude (heart) on the part of John’s hearers.
[3:8] 96 tn Grk “fruit worthy of.”
[3:10] 97 sn Laid at the root. That is, placed and aimed, ready to begin cutting.
[3:11] 98 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] 99 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.
[3:12] 100 sn A winnowing fork was a pitchfork-like tool used to toss threshed grain in the air so that the wind blew away the chaff, leaving the grain to fall to the ground. The note of purging is highlighted by the use of imagery involving sifting though threshed grain for the useful kernels.
[3:12] 101 tn Or “granary,” “barn” (referring to a building used to store a farm’s produce rather than a building to house livestock).
[3:12] 102 sn The image of fire that cannot be extinguished is from the OT: Job 20:26; Isa 34:8-10; 66:24.
[3:13] 103 tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
[3:14] 104 tc ‡ The earliest
[3:14] 105 tn The imperfect verb has been translated conatively.
[3:15] 106 tn Grk “but Jesus, answering, said.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation to “replied to him.”
[3:15] 107 tn Grk “Permit now.”
[3:15] 108 tn Grk “he”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:15] 109 tn Or “permitted him.”
[3:16] 110 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[3:16] 111 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] 112 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] 113 tc ‡ αὐτῷ (autw, “to/before him”) is found in the majority of witnesses (א1 C Ds L W 0233 Ë1,13 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] 114 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.
[3:17] 115 tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here.
[3:17] 116 tn Grk “behold, a voice from the cloud, saying.” This is an incomplete sentence in Greek which portrays intensity and emotion. The participle λέγουσα (legousa) was translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style.
[3:17] 117 tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agaphtos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).
[3:17] sn The parallel accounts in Mark 1:11 and Luke 3:22 read “You are” rather than “This is,” portraying the remark as addressed personally to Jesus.
[3:17] 119 tn Or “with whom I am well pleased.”
[3:17] sn The allusions in the remarks of the text recall Ps 2:7a; Isa 42:1 and either Isa 41:8 or, less likely, Gen 22:12,16. God is marking out Jesus as his chosen one (the meaning of “[in him I take] great delight”), but it may well be that this was a private experience that only Jesus and John saw and heard (cf. John 1:32-33).
[4:2] 121 tn Grk “and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry.”
[4:3] 122 tn Grk “say that these stones should become bread.”
[4:4] 123 tn Grk “answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been changed for clarity.
[4:4] 124 tn Or “a person.” Greek ὁ ἄνθρωπος (Jo anqrwpo") is used generically for humanity. The translation “man” is used because the emphasis in Jesus’ response seems to be on his dependence on God as a man.
[4:4] 125 tn Grk “will not live.” The verb in Greek is a future tense, but it is unclear whether it is meant to be taken as a command (also known as an imperatival future) or as a statement of reality (predictive future).
[4:4] 126 sn A quotation from Deut 8:3.
[4:5] 127 sn The order of the second and third temptations differs in Luke’s account (4:5-12) from the order given in Matthew.
[4:5] 128 tn Grk “and he stood him.”
[4:5] 129 sn The highest point of the temple probably refers to the point on the temple’s southeast corner where it looms directly over a cliff some 450 ft (135 m) high. However, some have suggested the reference could be to the temple’s high gate.
[4:6] 130 sn A quotation from Ps 91:11. This was not so much an incorrect citation as a use in a wrong context (a misapplication of the passage).
[4:6] 131 sn A quotation from Ps 91:12.
[4:7] 132 sn A quotation from Deut 6:16.
[4:9] 134 tn Grk “if, falling down, you will worship.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
[4:10] 135 tc The majority of later witnesses (C2 D L Z 33 Ï) have “behind me” (ὀπίσω μου; opisw mou) after “Go away.” But since this is the wording in Matt 16:23, where the text is certain, scribes most likely added the words here to conform to the later passage. Further, the shorter reading has superior support (א B C*vid K P W Δ 0233 Ë1,13 565 579* 700 al). Thus, both externally and internally, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.
[4:10] 136 sn A quotation from Deut 6:13. The word “only” is an interpretive expansion not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT.
[4:11] 137 tn Grk “and behold, angels.” 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).
[4:12] 139 tn Or “arrested,” “taken into custody” (see L&N 37.12).
[4:13] 140 map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.
[4:13] 141 tn Grk “and leaving Nazareth, he came and took up residence in Capernaum.”
[4:13] sn Capernaum was a town located on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region, and it became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry.
[4:13] map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[4:13] 142 tn Or “by the lake.”
[4:13] sn By the sea refers to the Sea of Galilee.
[4:14] 143 tn The redundant participle λέγοντος (legontos) has not been translated here.
[4:16] 144 sn A quotation from Isa 9:1.
[4:17] 145 tn Grk “and to say.”
[4:18] 146 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[4:18] 147 tn The two phrases in this verse placed in parentheses are explanatory comments by the author, parenthetical in nature.
[4:19] 148 tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”
[4:19] sn The kind of fishing envisioned was net – not line – fishing (cf. v. 18; cf. also BDAG 55 s.v. ἀμφιβάλλω, ἀμφίβληστρον) which involved a circular net that had heavy weights around its perimeter. The occupation of fisherman was labor-intensive. The imagery of using a lure and a line (and waiting for the fish to strike) is thus foreign to this text. Rather, the imagery of a fisherman involved much strain, long hours, and often little results. Jesus’ point may have been one or more of the following: the strenuousness of evangelism, the work ethic that it required, persistence and dedication to the task (often in spite of minimal results), the infinite value of the new “catch” (viz., people), and perhaps an eschatological theme of snatching people from judgment (cf. W. L. Lane, Mark [NICNT], 67). If this last motif is in view, then catching people is the opposite of catching fish: The fish would be caught, killed, cooked, and eaten; people would be caught so as to remove them from eternal destruction and to give them new life.
[4:20] 149 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[4:20] 150 sn The expression followed him pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.
[4:21] 151 tn Or “their boat.” The phrase ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ (en tw ploiw) can either refer to a generic boat, some boat (as it seems to do here); or it can refer to “their” boat, implying possession. Mark assumes a certain preunderstanding on the part of his readers about the first four disciples and hence the translation “their boat” is justified (cf. also v. 20 in which the “hired men” indicates that Zebedee’s family owned the boats), while Matthew does not.
[4:21] 152 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[4:22] 153 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[4:23] 155 sn Synagogues were places for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).
[4:24] 156 tn Grk “And they”; “they” is probably an indefinite plural, referring to people in general rather than to the Syrians (cf. v. 25).
[4:24] 157 tn Grk “those who were moonstruck,” possibly meaning “lunatic” (so NAB), although now the term is generally regarded as referring to some sort of seizure disorder such as epilepsy (L&N 23.169; BDAG 919 s.v. σεληνιάζομαι).
[4:24] 158 tn The translation has adopted a different phrase order here than that in the Greek text. The Greek text reads, “People brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those possessed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics.” Even though it is obvious that four separate groups of people are in view here, following the Greek word order could lead to the misconception that certain people were possessed by epileptics and paralytics. The word order adopted in the translation avoids this problem.
[4:25] 159 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated before each of the places in the list, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[4:25] sn The Decapolis refers to a league of towns (originally consisting of ten; the Greek name literally means “ten towns”) whose region (except for Scythopolis) lay across the Jordan River.
[4:25] 160 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[4:25] 161 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”).
[5:1] 162 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[5:1] 163 tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὄρος, eis to oro").
[5:1] sn The expression up the mountain here may be idiomatic or generic, much like the English “he went to the hospital” (cf. 15:29), or even intentionally reminiscent of Exod 24:12 (LXX), since the genre of the Sermon on the Mount seems to be that of a new Moses giving a new law.
[5:2] 164 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[5:2] 165 tn Grk “And opening his mouth he taught them, saying.” The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken) has been translated ingressively.
[5:3] 166 sn The term Blessed introduces the first of several beatitudes promising blessing to those whom God cares for. They serve as an invitation to come into the grace God offers.
[5:3] 167 sn The poor in spirit is a reference to the “pious poor” for whom God especially cares. See Ps 14:6; 22:24; 25:16; 34:6; 40:17; 69:29.
[5:3] 168 sn The present tense (belongs) here is significant. Jesus makes the kingdom and its blessings currently available. This phrase is unlike the others in the list with the possessive pronoun being emphasized.
[5:4] 169 sn The promise they will be comforted is the first of several “reversals” noted in these promises. The beatitudes and the reversals that accompany them serve in the sermon as an invitation to enter into God’s care, because one can know God cares for those who turn to him.
[5:6] 170 sn Those who hunger are people like the poor Jesus has already mentioned. The term has OT roots both in conjunction with the poor (Isa 32:6-7; 58:6-7, 9-10; Ezek 18:7, 16) or by itself (Ps 37:16-19; 107:9).
[5:9] 171 tn Grk “sons,” though traditionally English versions have taken this as a generic reference to both males and females, hence “children” (cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV, NLT).
[5:11] 172 tn Grk “when they insult you.” The third person pronoun (here implied in the verb ὀνειδίσωσιν [ojneidiswsin]) has no specific referent, but refers to people in general.
[5:11] 173 tc Although ψευδόμενοι (yeudomenoi, “bearing witness falsely”) could be a motivated reading, clarifying that the disciples are unjustly persecuted, its lack in only D it sys Tert does not help its case. Since the Western text is known for numerous free alterations, without corroborative evidence the shorter reading must be judged as secondary.
[5:13] 174 sn Salt was used as seasoning or fertilizer (BDAG 41 s.v. ἅλας a), or as a preservative. If salt ceased to be useful, it was thrown away. With this illustration Jesus warned about a disciple who ceased to follow him.
[5:13] 175 sn The difficulty of this saying is understanding how salt could lose its flavor since its chemical properties cannot change. It is thus often assumed that Jesus was referring to chemically impure salt, perhaps a natural salt which, when exposed to the elements, had all the genuine salt leached out, leaving only the sediment or impurities behind. Others have suggested that the background of the saying is the use of salt blocks by Arab bakers to line the floor of their ovens; under the intense heat these blocks would eventually crystallize and undergo a change in chemical composition, finally being thrown out as unserviceable. A saying in the Talmud (b. Bekhorot 8b) attributed to R. Joshua ben Chananja (ca.
[5:15] 176 tn Grk “Nor do they light.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.
[5:15] 177 tn Or “a bowl”; this refers to any container for dry material of about eight liters (two gallons) capacity. It could be translated “basket, box, bowl” (L&N 6.151).
[5:17] 178 tn Grk “not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Direct objects (“these things,” “them”) were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but have been supplied here to conform to contemporary English style.
[5:18] 179 tn Grk “For I tell.” Here an explanatory γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
[5:18] 180 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[5:18] 181 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).
[5:19] 182 tn Grk “teaches men” ( in a generic sense, people).
[5:20] 183 tn Or “that of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[5:20] 184 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[5:21] 185 tn Grk “to the ancient ones.”
[5:21] 186 sn A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.
[5:22] 187 tc The majority of
[5:22] 188 tn Grk “whoever says to his brother ‘Raca,’” an Aramaic word of contempt or abuse meaning “fool” or “empty head.”
[5:22] 189 tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”
[5:22] 190 tn Grk “the Sanhedrin.”
[5:22] 191 tn The meaning of the term μωρός (mwros) is somewhat disputed. Most take it to mean, following the Syriac versions, “you fool,” although some have argued that it represents a transliteration into Greek of the Hebrew term מוֹרֵה (moreh) “rebel” (Deut 21:18, 20; cf. BDAG 663 s.v. μωρός c).
[5:22] 192 tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”
[5:22] 193 tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire.”
[5:22] sn The word translated hell is “Gehenna” (γέεννα, geenna), a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words ge hinnom (“Valley of Hinnom”). This was the valley along the south side of Jerusalem. In OT times it was used for human sacrifices to the pagan god Molech (cf. Jer 7:31; 19:5-6; 32:35), and it came to be used as a place where human excrement and rubbish were disposed of and burned. In the intertestamental period, it came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment (cf. 1 En. 27:2, 90:26; 4 Ezra 7:36).
[5:25] 194 tn Grk “Make friends.”
[5:25] 195 tn The words “to court” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[5:25] 196 tn Grk “the accuser.”
[5:26] 197 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[5:26] 198 tn Here the English word “penny” is used as opposed to the parallel in Luke 12:59 where “cent” appears since the Greek word there is different and refers to a different but similar coin.
[5:26] sn The penny here was a quadrans, a Roman copper coin worth 1/64 of a denarius (L&N 6.78). The parallel passage in Luke 12:59 mentions the lepton, equal to one-half of a quadrans and thus the smallest coin available.
[5:27] 199 sn A quotation from Exod 20:14; Deut 5:17.
[5:29] 200 sn On this word here and in the following verse, see the note on the word hell in 5:22.
[5:31] 201 sn A quotation from Deut 24:1.
[5:33] 202 tn Grk “the ancient ones.”
[5:33] 203 sn A quotation from Lev 19:12.
[5:35] 204 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:37] 205 tn The term πονηροῦ (ponhrou) may be understood as specific and personified, referring to the devil, or possibly as a general reference to evil. It is most likely personified, however, since it is articular (τοῦ πονηροῦ, tou ponhrou). Cf. also “the evildoer” in v. 39, which is the same construction.
[5:38] 206 sn A quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20.
[5:39] 207 tn The articular πονηρός (ponhro", “the evildoer”) cannot be translated simply as “evil” for then the command would be “do not resist evil.” Every instance of this construction in Matthew is most likely personified, referring either to an evildoer (13:49) or, more often, “the evil one” (as in 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38).
[5:39] 208 tc ‡ Many
[5:40] 209 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a “tunic” was any more than they would be familiar with a “chiton.” On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
[5:41] 210 sn If anyone forces you to go one mile. In NT times Roman soldiers had the authority to press civilians into service to carry loads for them.
[5:42] 211 sn Jesus advocates a generosity and a desire to meet those in dire need with the command give to the one who asks you. This may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world (Matt 6:1-4; Deut 15:7-11).
[5:42] 212 tn Grk “do not turn away from.”
[5:43] 213 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
[5:44] 214 tc Most
[5:45] 215 tn Grk “be sons of your Father in heaven.” Here, however, the focus is not on attaining a relationship (becoming a child of God) but rather on being the kind of person who shares the characteristics of God himself (a frequent meaning of the Semitic idiom “son of”). See L&N 58.26.
[5:46] 216 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.
[5:48] 217 sn This remark echoes the more common OT statements like Lev 19:2 or Deut 18:13: “you must be holy as I am holy.”
[6:1] 218 tc ‡ Several
[6:1] 219 tn Grk “before people in order to be seen by them.”
[6:2] 220 tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today. The giving of alms was highly regarded in the ancient world (Deut 15:7-11).
[6:2] 221 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[6:2] 222 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[6:4] 223 tc L W Θ 0250 Ï it read ἐν τῷ φανερῷ (en tw fanerw, “openly”) at the end of this verse, giving a counterweight to what is done in secret. But this reading is suspect because of the obvious literary balance, because of detouring the point of the passage (the focus of vv. 1-4 is not on two kinds of public rewards but on human vs. divine approbation), and because of superior external testimony that lacks this reading (א B D Z Ë1,13 33 al).
[6:5] 224 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[6:6] 225 sn The term translated room refers to the inner room of a house, normally without any windows opening outside, the most private location possible (BDAG 988 s.v. ταμεῖον 2).
[6:6] 226 tc See the tc note on “will reward you” in 6:4: The problem is the same and the ms support differs only slightly.
[6:7] 227 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:8] 228 tn Grk “So do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[6:9] 229 sn Pray this way. What follows, although traditionally known as the Lord’s prayer, is really the disciples’ prayer. It represents how they are to approach God, by acknowledging his uniqueness and their need for his provision and protection.
[6:9] 230 sn God is addressed in terms of intimacy (Father). The original Semitic term here was probably Abba. The term is a little unusual in a personal prayer, especially as it lacks qualification. It is not the exact equivalent of “daddy” (as is sometimes popularly suggested), but it does suggest a close, familial relationship.
[6:9] 231 tn Grk “hallowed be your name.”
[6:10] 232 sn Your kingdom come represents the hope for the full manifestation of God’s promised rule.
[6:11] 233 tn Or “Give us bread today for the coming day,” or “Give us today the bread we need for today.” The term ἐπιούσιος (epiousio") does not occur outside of early Christian literature (other occurrences are in Luke 11:3 and Didache 8:2), so its meaning is difficult to determine. Various suggestions include “daily,” “the coming day,” and “for existence.” See BDAG 376-77 s.v.; L&N 67:183, 206.
[6:12] 234 tn Or “as even we.” The phrase ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς (Jw" kai Jhmei") makes ἡμεῖς emphatic. The translation above adds an appropriate emphasis to the passage.
[6:13] 235 tn Or “into a time of testing.”
[6:13] sn The request do not lead us into temptation is not to suggest God causes temptation, but is a rhetorical way to ask for his protection from sin.
[6:13] 236 tc Most
[6:13] tn The term πονηροῦ (ponhrou) may be understood as specific and personified, referring to the devil, or possibly as a general reference to evil. It is most likely personified since it is articular (τοῦ πονηροῦ, tou ponhrou). Cf. also “the evildoer” in 5:39, which is the same construction.
[6:14] 237 tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense: “people, others.”
[6:16] 238 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:16] 239 tn Here the term “disfigure” used in a number of translations was not used because it could convey to the modern reader the notion of mutilation. L&N 79.17 states, “‘to make unsightly, to disfigure, to make ugly.’ ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ‘for they make their faces unsightly’ Mt 6:16.”
[6:16] 240 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[6:17] 241 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:19] 242 tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.
[6:21] 243 tn The pronouns in this verse are singular while the pronouns in vv. 19-20 are plural. The change to singular emphasizes personal responsibility as opposed to corporate responsibility; even if others do not listen, the one who hears Jesus’ commands should obey.
[6:21] 244 sn Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so.
[6:22] 245 tn Or “sound” (so L&N 23.132 and most scholars). A few scholars take this word to mean something like “generous” here (L&N 57.107). partly due to the immediate context concerning money, in which case the “eye” is a metonymy for the entire person (“if you are generous”).
[6:23] 246 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.
[6:24] 247 sn The contrast between hate and love here is rhetorical. The point is that one will choose the favorite if a choice has to be made.
[6:24] 248 tn Or “and treat [the other] with contempt.”
[6:24] 249 tn Grk “God and mammon.”
[6:24] sn The term money is used to translate mammon, the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19. God must be first, not money or possessions.
[6:25] 250 tn Or “do not be anxious,” and so throughout the rest of this paragraph.
[6:26] 251 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).
[6:26] 252 tn Or “God gives them food to eat.” L&N 23.6 has both “to provide food for” and “to give food to someone to eat.”
[6:26] 253 tn Grk “of more value.”
[6:27] 254 tn Or “a cubit to his height.” A cubit (πῆχυς, phcu") can measure length (normally about 45 cm or 18 inches) or time (a small unit, “hour” is usually used [BDAG 812 s.v.] although “day” has been suggested [L&N 67.151]). The term ἡλικία (Jhlikia) is ambiguous in the same way as πῆχυς (phcus). Most scholars take the term to describe age or length of life here, although a few refer it to bodily stature (see BDAG 436 s.v. 3 for discussion). Worry about length of life seems a more natural figure than worry about height. However, the point either way is clear: Worrying adds nothing to life span or height.
[6:28] 255 tn Traditionally, “lilies.” According to L&N 3.32, “Though traditionally κρίνον has been regarded as a type of lily, scholars have suggested several other possible types of flowers, including an anemone, a poppy, a gladiolus, and a rather inconspicuous type of daisy.” In view of the uncertainty, the more generic “flowers” has been used in the translation.
[6:28] 256 tn Or, traditionally, “toil.” Although it might be argued that “work hard” would be a more precise translation of κοπιάω (kopiaw) here, the line in English reads better in terms of cadence with a single syllable.
[6:30] 257 tn Grk “grass of the field.”
[6:30] 258 tn Grk “into the oven.” The expanded translation “into the fire to heat the oven” has been used to avoid misunderstanding; most items put into modern ovens are put there to be baked, not burned.
[6:30] sn The oven was most likely a rounded clay oven used for baking bread, which was heated by burning wood and dried grass.
[6:30] 259 sn The phrase even more is a typical form of rabbinic argumentation, from the lesser to the greater. If God cares for the little things, surely he will care for the more important things.
[6:32] 260 tn Or “unbelievers”; Grk “Gentiles.”
[6:33] 261 tc ‡ Most
[6:33] sn God’s kingdom is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong.
[6:34] 262 tn Grk “Sufficient for the day is its evil.”
[7:1] 263 sn The point of the statement do not judge so that you will not be judged is that the standards we apply to others God applies to us. The passive verbs in this verse look to God’s action.
[7:2] 264 tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”
[7:3] 265 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[7:3] 266 sn The term translated speck refers to a small piece of wood, chaff, or straw; see L&N 3.66.
[7:3] 267 tn Or “do not notice.”
[7:3] 268 sn The term beam of wood refers to a very big piece of wood, the main beam of a building, in contrast to the speck in the other’s eye (L&N 7.78).
[7:4] 269 tn Grk “how will you say?”
[7:6] 270 tn Or “otherwise the latter will trample them under their feet and the former will turn around and tear you to pieces.” This verse is sometimes understood as a chiasm of the pattern a-b-b-a, in which the first and last clauses belong together (“dogs…turn around and tear you to pieces”) and the second and third clauses belong together (“pigs…trample them under their feet”).
[7:7] 271 sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.
[7:7] 272 tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation here and in v. 8 for clarity.
[7:8] 273 sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.
[7:9] 274 tn Grk “Or is there.”
[7:10] 275 sn The two questions of vv. 9-10 expect the answer, “No parent would do this!”
[7:11] 276 tn The participle ὄντες (ontes) has been translated concessively.
[7:11] 277 sn The provision of the good gifts is probably a reference to the wisdom and guidance supplied in response to repeated requests. The teaching as a whole stresses not that we get everything we want, but that God gives the good that we need.
[7:12] 278 tn Grk “Therefore in.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[7:12] 279 tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.
[7:12] 280 sn Jesus’ teaching as reflected in the phrase treat others as you would want them to treat you, known generally as the Golden Rule, is not completely unique in the ancient world, but here it is stated in its most emphatic, selfless form.
[7:15] 282 sn Sheep’s clothing…voracious wolves. Jesus uses a metaphor here to point out that these false prophets appear to be one thing, but in reality they are something quite different and dangerous.
[7:16] 283 tn Grk “They do not gather.” This has been simplified to the passive voice in the translation since the subject “they” is not specified further in the context.
[7:16] 284 sn The statement illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit does not produce fruit.
[7:17] 285 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying “tree” in both v. 17 and 18, can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
[7:21] 286 sn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.
[7:22] 287 tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:23] 288 tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”
[7:24] 289 tn Grk “Therefore everyone.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[7:24] 290 tn Grk “will be like.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.
[7:24] 291 tn Here and in v. 26 the Greek text reads ἀνήρ (anhr), while the parallel account in Luke 6:47-49 uses ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") in vv. 48 and 49.
[7:25] 292 tn Grk “the rivers.”
[7:27] 293 tn Grk “and great was its fall.”
[7:28] 294 tn Grk “And it happened when.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[7:29] 295 sn Jesus’ teaching impressed the hearers with the directness of its claim; he taught with authority. A study of Jewish rabbinic interpretation shows that it was typical to cite a list of authorities to make one’s point. Apparently Jesus addressed the issues in terms of his own understanding.
[7:29] 296 tn Or “their scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[8:2] 297 tn Grk “And behold, a leper came.” 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).
[8:2] sn The ancient term for leprosy covers a wider array of conditions than what we call leprosy today. A leper was totally ostracized from society until he was declared cured (Lev 13:45-46).
[8:2] 298 tn Grk “a leper approaching, bowed low before him, saying.”
[8:2] 299 tn This is a third class condition. The report portrays the leper making no presumptions about whether Jesus will heal him or not.
[8:3] 300 sn Touched. This touch would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean (Lev 14:46; also Mishnah, m. Nega’im 3.1; 11.1; 12.1; 13.6-12).
[8:4] 301 sn The command for silence was probably meant to last only until the cleansing took place with the priests and sought to prevent Jesus’ healings from becoming the central focus of the people’s reaction to him. See also 9:30, 12:16, 16:20, and 17:9 for other cases where Jesus asks for silence concerning him and his ministry.
[8:4] 303 sn On the phrase bring the offering that Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.
[8:4] 304 tn Or “as an indictment against them.” The pronoun αὐτοῖς (autoi") may be a dative of disadvantage.
[8:5] 305 sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
[8:5] map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[8:5] 306 sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like the apostle Paul did.
[8:5] 307 sn While in Matthew’s account the centurion came to him asking for help, Luke’s account (7:1-10) mentions that the centurion sent some Jewish elders as emissaries on his behalf.
[8:6] 308 tn Grk “and saying, ‘Lord.’” The participle λέγων (legwn) at the beginning of v. 6 is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[8:6] 309 tn The Greek term here is παῖς (pais), often used of a slave who was regarded with some degree of affection, possibly a personal servant (Luke 7:7 uses the more common term δοῦλος, doulos). See L&N 87.77.
[8:7] 310 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:8] 311 tn Grk “But answering, the centurion replied.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[8:9] 312 tn Grk “having soldiers under me.”
[8:9] 313 sn I say to this one ‘Go’ and he goes. The illustrations highlight the view of authority the soldier sees in the word of one who has authority. Since the centurion was a commander of a hundred soldiers, he understood what it was both to command others and to be obeyed.
[8:9] 314 tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times… in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v. 1). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
[8:9] 315 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[8:10] 316 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:10] 317 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[8:11] 318 tn Grk “and recline at table,” as 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. The word “banquet” has been supplied to clarify for the modern reader the festive nature of the imagery. The banquet imagery is a way to describe the fellowship and celebration of being among the people of God at the end.
[8:11] sn 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.
[8:11] 319 tn Grk “and Isaac and Jacob,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[8:12] 320 sn Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a figure for remorse and trauma, which occurs here because of exclusion from God’s promise.
[8:13] 321 tc ‡ Most
[8:14] 322 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[8:14] 323 tn Grk “having been thrown down.” The verb βεβλημένην (beblhmenhn) is a perfect passive participle of the verb βάλλω (ballw, “to throw”). This indicates the severity of her sickness.
[8:15] 324 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then.”
[8:16] 325 sn Note how the author distinguishes healing from exorcism here, implying that the two are not identical.
[8:17] 326 tn Grk “was fulfilled, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
[8:17] 327 sn A quotation from Isa 53:4.
[8:18] 328 tc ‡ Codex B and some Sahidic
[8:18] 329 tn The phrase “of the lake” is not in the Greek text but is clearly implied; it has been supplied here for clarity.
[8:19] 330 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then.”
[8:19] 331 tn Or “a scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[8:19] 332 sn The statement I will follow you wherever you go is an offer to follow Jesus as a disciple, no matter what the cost.
[8:20] 333 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).
[8:20] 334 sn Jesus’ reply is simply this: Does the man understand the rejection he will be facing? Jesus has no home in the world (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head).
[8:21] 335 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:21] 336 tc ‡ Most
[8:22] 337 sn There are several options for the meaning of Jesus’ reply Leave the dead to bury their own dead: (1) Recent research suggests that burial customs in the vicinity of Jerusalem from about 20
[8:23] 338 sn A boat that held all the disciples would be of significant size.
[8:25] 339 tn The participle προσελθόντες (proselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[8:26] 340 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[8:26] 341 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
[8:26] 342 sn Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Ps 104:3; 135:7; 107:23-30. When Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea he was making a statement about who he was.
[8:27] 343 tn It is difficult to know whether ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) should be translated as “men” or “people” (in a generic sense) here. At issue is whether (1) only the Twelve were with Jesus in the boat, as opposed to other disciples (cf. v. 23), and (2) whether any of those other disciples would have been women. The issue is complicated further by the parallel in Mark (4:35-41), where the author writes (4:36) that other boats accompanied them on this journey.
[8:27] 344 tn Grk “the men were amazed, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
[8:27] 345 sn Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about his identity (What sort of person is this?). This verse shows that the disciples followed Jesus even though they did not know all about him yet.
[8:28] 346 tc The textual tradition here is quite complicated. A number of
[8:28] sn The region of the Gadarenes would be in Gentile territory on the southeastern side of the Sea of Galilee across from Galilee. Luke 8:26 and Mark 5:1 record this miracle as occurring “in the region of the Gerasenes.” “Irrespective of how one settles this issue, for the [second and] Third Evangelist the chief concern is that Jesus has crossed over into Gentile territory, ‘opposite Galilee’” (J. B. Green, Luke [NICNT], 337). The region of Gadara extended to the Sea of Galilee and included the town of Sennabris on the southern shore – the town that the herdsmen most likely entered after the drowning of the pigs.
[8:29] 347 tn Grk “And behold, they cried out, saying.” 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). The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
[8:29] 348 tn Grk “what to us and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί (ti Jhmin kai soi) is Semitic in origin, though it made its way into colloquial Greek (BDAG 275 s.v. ἐγώ). The equivalent Hebrew expression in the OT had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his own, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). These nuances were apparently expanded in Greek, but the basic notions of defensive hostility (option 1) and indifference or disengagement (option 2) are still present. BDAG suggests the following as glosses for this expression: What have I to do with you? What have we in common? Leave me alone! Never mind! Hostility between Jesus and the demons is certainly to be understood in this context, hence the translation: “Leave us alone….”
[8:29] 349 sn There was an appointed time in which demons would face their judgment, and they seem to have viewed Jesus’ arrival on the scene as an illegitimate change in God’s plan regarding the time when their sentence would be executed.
[8:30] 350 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:31] 351 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[8:32] 352 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
[8:32] 353 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.
[8:33] 354 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:33] 355 tn Or “city.” But see the sn on “Gadarenes” in 8:28.
[8:34] 356 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. 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).
[9:1] 358 sn His own town refers to Capernaum. It was a town of approximately 1000-1500, though of some significance.
[9:2] 359 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] 360 tn Grk “they”; the referent (some unnamed people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:2] 361 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] 362 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] 363 sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
[9:3] 364 tn Grk “And behold.” 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). Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the narrative.
[9:3] 365 tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[9:3] 366 sn Blaspheming meant to say something that dishonored God. To claim divine prerogatives or claim to speak for God when one really does not would be such an act of offense. The remark raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry.
[9:5] 367 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.
[9:6] 368 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] 369 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] 370 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] 371 tn Grk “to your house.”
[9:7] 372 tn Grk “to his house.”
[9:8] 373 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:8] 374 tc Most witnesses (C L Θ 0233 Ë13 Ï) have ἐθαύμασαν (eqaumasan; “marveled, were amazed”) instead of ἐφοβήθησαν (efobhqhsan) here, effectively turning the fearful reaction into one of veneration. But the harder reading is well supported by א B D W 0281 Ë1 33 892 1424 al lat co and thus is surely authentic.
[9:8] 375 tn Grk “people.” The plural of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") usually indicates people in general, but the singular is used in the expression “Son of Man.” There is thus an ironic allusion to Jesus’ statement in v. 6: His self-designation as “Son of Man” is meant to be unique, but the crowd regards it simply as meaning “human, person.” To maintain this connection for the English reader the plural ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated here as “men” rather than as the more generic “people.”
[9:9] 376 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] 377 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] 378 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:10] 379 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] 380 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] 381 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[9:11] 382 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[9:11] 383 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] 384 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:12] 385 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] 386 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7).
[9:14] 387 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[9:14] 388 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:14] 389 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[9:14] 390 sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
[9:15] 391 tn Grk “sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to wedding guests, or more specifically friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (L&N 11.7).
[9:15] 392 sn The expression while the bridegroom is with them is an allusion to messianic times (John 3:29; Isa 54:5-6; 62:4-5; 4 Ezra 2:15, 38).
[9:15] 394 sn The statement the bridegroom will be taken from them is a veiled allusion by Jesus to his death, which he did not make explicit until the incident at Caesarea Philippi in 16:13ff.
[9:17] 395 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] 396 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.
[9:20] 397 tn Grk “And behold a woman.” 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).
[9:20] 398 sn Suffering from a hemorrhage. The woman was most likely suffering from a vaginal hemorrhage which would make her ritually unclean.
[9:20] 399 sn The edge of his cloak refers to the kraspedon, the blue tassel on the garment that symbolized a Jewish man’s obedience to the law (cf. Num 15:37-41). The woman thus touched the very part of Jesus’ clothing that indicated his ritual purity.
[9:20] 400 tn Grk “garment,” but here ἱμάτιον (Jimation) denotes the outer garment in particular.
[9:21] 401 tn The imperfect verb is here taken iteratively, for the context suggests that the woman was trying to find the courage to touch Jesus’ cloak.
[9:21] sn In this pericope the author uses a term for being healed (Grk “saved”) that would have spiritual significance to his readers. It may be a double entendre (cf. parallel in Mark 5:28 which uses the same term), since elsewhere he uses verbs that simply mean “heal”: If only the reader would “touch” Jesus, he too would be “saved.”
[9:22] 403 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.
[9:24] 405 tn Grk “They were laughing at him.” The imperfect verb has been taken ingressively.
[9:26] 406 tn For the translation of τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην (thn ghn ekeinhn) as “that region,” see L&N 1.79.
[9:27] 407 tn Grk “shouting, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[9:27] 408 sn Have mercy on us is a request for healing. It is not owed to the men. They simply ask for God’s kind grace.
[9:27] 409 sn There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).
[9:28] 410 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:28] 411 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.
[9:31] 412 tn For the translation of τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην (thn ghn ekeinhn) as “that region,” see L&N 1.79.
[9:32] 413 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:32] 414 tn Grk “away, behold, they brought a man to him.” 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).
[9:34] 415 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[9:34] 417 tc Although codex Cantabrigiensis (D), along with a few other Western versional and patristic witnesses, lacks this verse, virtually all other witnesses have it. The Western text’s reputation for free alterations as well as the heightened climax if v. 33 concludes this pericope explains why these witnesses omitted the verse.
[9:35] 419 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[9:35] 420 tn Grk “and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:36] 421 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:36] 422 tn Or “because they had been bewildered and helpless.” The translational issue is whether the perfect participles are predicate (as in the text) or are pluperfect periphrastic (the alternate translation). If the latter, the implication would seem to be that the crowds had been in such a state until the Great Shepherd arrived.
[9:38] 423 sn The phrase Lord of the harvest recognizes God’s sovereignty over the harvest process.
[9:38] 424 tn Grk “to thrust out.”
[10:1] 426 sn Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.
[10:1] 427 tn Grk “and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[10:2] 428 sn The term apostles is rare in the gospels, found only here, Mark 3:14, and six more times in Luke (6:13; 9:10; 11:49; 17:5; 22:14; 24:10).
[10:2] 429 sn In the various lists of the twelve, Simon (that is, Peter) is always mentioned first (see also Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13) and the first four are always the same, though not in the same order after Peter.
[10:3] 430 sn Bartholomew (meaning “son of Tolmai” in Aramaic) could be another name for Nathanael mentioned in John 1:45.
[10:3] 431 sn This is the “doubting Thomas” of John 20:24-29.
[10:3] 432 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[10:3] 433 tc Witnesses differ on the identification of the last disciple mentioned in v. 3: He is called Λεββαῖος (Lebbaio", “Lebbaeus”) in D, Judas Zelotes in it, and not present in sys. The Byzantine text, along with a few others (C[*],2 L W Θ Ë1 33 Ï), conflates earlier readings by calling him “Lebbaeus, who was called Thaddaeus,” while codex 13 pc conflate by way of transposition (“Thaddaeus, who was called Lebbaeus”). But excellent witnesses of the earliest texttypes (א B Ë13 892 pc lat co) call him merely Θαδδαῖος (Qaddaio", “Thaddaeus”), a reading which, because of this support, is most likely correct.
[10:4] 434 tn Grk “the Cananean,” but according to both BDAG 507 s.v. Καναναῖος and L&N 11.88, this term has no relation at all to the geographical terms for Cana or Canaan, but is derived from the Aramaic term for “enthusiast, zealot” (see Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), possibly because of an earlier affiliation with the party of the Zealots. He may not have been technically a member of the particular Jewish nationalistic party known as “Zealots” (since according to some scholars this party had not been organized at that time), but simply someone who was zealous for Jewish independence from Rome, in which case the term would refer to his temperament.
[10:4] 435 sn There is some debate about what the name Iscariot means. It probably alludes to a region in Judea and thus might make Judas the only non-Galilean in the group. Several explanations for the name Iscariot have been proposed, but it is probably transliterated Hebrew with the meaning “man of Kerioth” (there are at least two villages that had that name). For further discussion see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 1:546; also D. A. Carson, John, 304.
[10:4] 436 tn Grk “who even betrayed him.”
[10:5] 437 tn Grk “instructing them, saying.”
[10:5] 438 tn Grk “on the road of the Gentiles.” That is, a path that leads to Gentile regions.
[10:5] 439 tn Grk “town [or city] of the Samaritans.”
[10:6] 440 tn Grk “But go.” The Greek μᾶλλον (mallon, “rather, instead”) conveys the adversative nuance here so that δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:8] 441 tc The majority of Byzantine minuscules, along with a few other witnesses (C3 K L Γ Θ 700* al), lack νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε (nekrou" ejgeirete, “raise the dead”), most likely because of oversight due to a string of similar endings (-ετε in the second person imperatives, occurring five times in v. 8). The longer version of this verse is found in several diverse and ancient witnesses such as א B C* (D) N 0281vid Ë1,13 33 565 al lat; P W Δ 348 have a word-order variation, but nevertheless include νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε. Although some Byzantine-text proponents charge the Alexandrian witnesses with theologically-motivated alterations toward heterodoxy, it is interesting to find a variant such as this in which the charge could be reversed (do the Byzantine scribes have something against the miracle of resurrection?). In reality, such charges of wholesale theologically-motivated changes toward heterodoxy are immediately suspect due to lack of evidence of intentional changes (here the change is evidently due to accidental omission).
[10:10] 442 tn Or “no traveler’s bag”; or possibly “no beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145; BDAG 811 s.v. πήρα).
[10:10] 443 tn Grk “two tunics.” See the note on the word “tunic” in Matt 5:40.
[10:10] 444 sn Mark 6:8 allows one staff. It might be that Matthew’s summary (cf. Luke 9:3) means not taking an extra staff or that the expression is merely rhetorical for “traveling light” which has been rendered in two slightly different ways.
[10:11] 445 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:11] 446 tn Grk “Into whatever town or village you enter.” This acts as a distributive, meaning every town or village they enter; this is expressed more naturally in English as “whenever you enter a town or village.”
[10:11] 447 tn Grk “in it” (referring to the city or village).
[10:11] 448 tn Grk “there.” This was translated as “with them” to avoid redundancy in English and to clarify where the disciples were to stay.
[10:11] sn Jesus telling his disciples to stay with them in one house contrasts with the practice of religious philosophers in the ancient world who went from house to house begging.
[10:12] 449 tn This is a metonymy; the “house” is put for those who live in it.
[10:13] 450 sn The response to these messengers determines how God’s blessing is bestowed – if the messengers are not welcomed, their blessing will return to them. Jesus shows just how important their mission is by this remark.
[10:14] 451 sn To shake the dust off represented shaking off the uncleanness from one’s feet; see Luke 10:11; Acts 13:51; 18:6. It was a sign of rejection.
[10:15] 452 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[10:15] 453 sn The allusion to Sodom and Gomorrah, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious than the worst sins of the old era and will result in more severe punishment.
[10:16] 454 tn Grk “Behold I.” 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).
[10:16] 455 sn This imagery of wolves is found in intertestamental Judaism; see Pss. Sol. 8:23, 30.
[10:17] 456 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:17] 457 sn Councils in this context refers to local judicial bodies attached to the Jewish synagogue. This group would be responsible for meting out justice and discipline within the Jewish community.
[10:17] 458 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
[10:17] 459 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[10:18] 460 sn These statements look at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of courts and synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to governors and kings suggests. Some fulfillment of Jewish persecution can be seen in Acts.
[10:19] 461 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:19] 462 tn Grk “how or what you might speak.”
[10:19] 463 tn Grk “in that hour.”
[10:21] 464 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:21] 465 tn Or “will rebel against.”
[10:23] 466 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:23] 467 tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.”
[10:23] 468 tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.
[10:23] 469 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.”
[10:24] 470 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[10:26] 471 tn Grk “Therefore do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[10:26] 472 tn Or “concealed.”
[10:26] 473 sn I.e., be revealed by God. The passive voice here and in the next verb see the revelation as coming from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known.
[10:27] 474 tn Grk “what you hear in the ear,” an idiom.
[10:27] 475 tn The expression “proclaim from the housetops” is an idiom for proclaiming something publicly (L&N 7.51). Roofs of many first century Jewish houses in Judea and Galilee were flat and had access either from outside or from within the house. Something shouted from atop a house would be heard by everyone in the street below.
[10:28] 476 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[10:28] 477 sn Judaism had a similar exhortation in 4 Macc 13:14-15.
[10:28] 478 sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
[10:29] 479 sn The penny refers to an assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one-sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest items sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.
[10:29] 480 tn Or “to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.”
[10:31] 481 sn Do not be afraid. One should respect and show reverence to God, but need not fear his tender care.
[10:32] 482 tn Or “confesses.”
[10:32] 483 tn Grk “I will acknowledge him also.”
[10:32] sn This acknowledgment will take place at the judgment. On Jesus and judgment, see Luke 22:69; Acts 10:42-43; 17:31.
[10:34] 484 tn Grk “cast.” For βάλλω (ballw) in the sense of causing a state or condition, see L&N 13.14.
[10:36] 485 tn Matt 10:35-36 are an allusion to Mic 7:6.
[10:38] 486 sn It was customary practice in a Roman crucifixion for the prisoner to be made to carry his own cross. Jesus is speaking figuratively here in the context of rejection. If the priority is not one’s allegiance to Jesus, then one will not follow him in the face of possible rejection.
[10:39] 487 tn Grk “his soul,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.
[10:39] 488 sn If there is no willingness to suffer the world’s rejection at this point, then one will not respond to Jesus (which is trying to find life) and then will be subject to this judgment (which is losing it).
[10:39] 489 tn Or “for my sake.” The traditional rendering “for my sake” can be understood in the sense of “for my benefit,” but the Greek term ἕνεκα indicates the cause or reason for something (BDAG 334 s.v. 1).
[10:40] 490 sn The one who sent me refers to God.
[10:41] 491 tn Grk “And whoever.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[10:42] 492 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[11:1] 493 tn Grk “And it happened when.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[11:2] 494 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[11:2] 495 tc The Western codex D and a few other
[11:2] tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[11:2] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[11:2] 496 tc Instead of “by his disciples” (see the tn below for the reading of the Greek), the majority of later
[11:2] tn Grk “sending by his disciples he said to him.” The words “a question” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[11:3] 497 sn Aspects of Jesus’ ministry may have led John to question whether Jesus was the promised stronger and greater one who is to come that he had preached about in Matt 3:1-12.
[11:4] 498 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[11:4] 499 sn What you hear and see. The following activities all paraphrase various OT descriptions of the time of promised salvation: Isa 35:5-6; 26:19; 29:18-19; 61:1. Jesus is answering not by acknowledging a title, but by pointing to the nature of his works, thus indicating the nature of the time.
[11:5] 500 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more. Two other conjunctions are omitted in this series.
[11:7] 503 tn There is a debate as to whether one should read this figuratively (“to see someone who is easily blown over?”) or literally (Grk “to see the wilderness vegetation?… No, to see a prophet”). Either view makes good sense, but the following examples suggest the question should be read literally and understood to point to the fact that a prophet drew them to the desert.
[11:8] 504 tn Grk “But what.” Here ἀλλά (alla, a strong contrastive in Greek) produces a somewhat awkward sense in English, and has not been translated. The same situation occurs at the beginning of v. 9.
[11:8] 505 sn The reference to fancy clothes makes the point that John was not rich or powerful, in that he did not come from the wealthy classes.
[11:9] 507 tn John the Baptist is “more” because he introduces the one (Jesus) who brings the new era. The term is neuter, but may be understood as masculine in this context (BDAG 806 s.v. περισσότερος b).
[11:10] 508 tn Grk “before your face” (an idiom).
[11:10] 509 sn The quotation is primarily from Mal 3:1 with pronouns from Exod 23:20. Here is the forerunner who points the way to the arrival of God’s salvation. His job is to prepare and guide the people, as the cloud did for Israel in the desert.
[11:11] 510 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[11:11] 511 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.
[11:12] 512 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[11:12] 513 tn Or “the kingdom of heaven is forcibly entered and violent people take hold of it.” For a somewhat different interpretation of this passage, see the note on the phrase “urged to enter in” in Luke 16:16.
[11:13] 514 tn The word “appeared” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[11:15] 515 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).
[11:16] 516 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[11:16] 517 tn Grk “who call out to one another, saying.” The participle λέγουσιν (legousin) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[11:17] 518 sn ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance…’ The children of this generation were making the complaint (see vv. 18-19) that others were not playing the game according to the way they played the music. John and Jesus did not follow “their tune.” Jesus’ complaint was that this generation wanted things their way, not God’s.
[11:17] 519 tn The verb ἐθρηνήσαμεν (eqrhnhsamen) refers to the loud wailing and lamenting used to mourn the dead in public in 1st century Jewish culture.
[11:18] 520 sn John the Baptist was too separatist and ascetic for some, and so he was accused of not being directed by God, but by a demon.
[11:19] 521 tn Grk “Behold a man.”
[11:19] 522 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[11:19] 523 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] 524 tn Or “shown to be right.”
[11:19] 525 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 (Ë13) as well as early versional and patristic support.
[11:20] 526 tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis) which can be translated “city” or “town.” “Cities” was chosen here to emphasize the size of the places Jesus’ mentions in the following verses.
[11:21] 527 sn Chorazin was a town of Galilee that was probably fairly small in contrast to Bethsaida and is otherwise unattested. Bethsaida was declared a polis by the tetrarch Herod Philip, sometime after
[11:21] 528 tn This introduces a second class (contrary to fact) condition in the Greek text.
[11:21] 529 tn Or “powerful deeds.”
[11:21] 530 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[11:21] 531 sn Tyre and Sidon are two other notorious OT cities (Isa 23; Jer 25:22; 47:4). The remark is a severe rebuke, in effect: “Even the sinners of the old era would have responded to the proclamation of the kingdom, unlike you!”
[11:21] map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[11:23] 532 sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
[11:23] map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[11:23] 533 tn The interrogative particle introducing this question expects a negative reply.
[11:23] 534 sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Luke 10:15; 16:23; Rev 20:13-14).
[11:24] 535 sn The allusion to Sodom, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious, and will result in more severe punishment, than the worst sins of the old era. The phrase region of Sodom is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
[11:25] 536 tn Grk “At that time, answering, Jesus said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[11:25] 538 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] 540 sn See 1 Cor 1:26-31.
[11:26] 541 tn Grk “for (to do) thus was well-pleasing before you,” BDAG 325 s.v. ἔμπροσθεν 1.b.δ; speaking of something taking place “before” God is a reverential way of avoiding direct connection of the action to him.
[11:27] 542 sn This verse has been noted for its conceptual similarity to teaching in John’s Gospel (10:15; 17:2). The authority of the Son and the Father are totally intertwined.
[11:27] 543 tn Or “wishes”; or “intends”; or “plans” (cf. BDAG 182 s.v. βούλομαι 2.b). Here it is the Son who has sovereignty.
[11:29] 544 sn A yoke is a wooden bar or frame that joins two animals like oxen or horses so that they can pull a wagon, plow, etc. together. Here it is used figuratively of the restrictions that a teacher or rabbi would place on his followers.
[12:1] 545 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:1] 546 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).
[12:2] 547 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:3] 548 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:4] 549 tc The Greek verb ἔφαγεν (efagen, “he ate”) is found in a majority of witnesses (Ì70 C D L W Θ Ë1,13 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] 550 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] 551 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] 552 sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
[12:6] 553 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:7] 554 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:7] 555 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 9:13).
[12:8] 556 tn The term “lord” is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
[12:8] sn A second point in Jesus’ defense of his disciples’ actions was that his authority as Son of Man also allowed it, since as Son of Man he was lord of the Sabbath.
[12:9] 557 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[12:9] 558 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:9] 559 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[12:10] 560 tn Grk “And behold.” 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).
[12:10] 561 sn Withered means the man’s hand was shrunken and paralyzed.
[12:10] 562 tn Grk “and they asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated. The referent of the pronoun (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:10] 563 sn The background for this is the view that only if life was endangered should one attempt to heal on the Sabbath (see the Mishnah, m. Shabbat 6.3; 12.1; 18.3; 19.2; m. Yoma 8.6).
[12:13] 564 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
[12:15] 566 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[12:15] 567 tc א B pc lat read only πολλοί (polloi, “many”) here, the first hand of N reads ὄχλοι (ocloi, “crowds”), while virtually all the rest of the witnesses have ὄχλοι πολλοί (ocloi polloi, “great crowds”). In spite of the good quality of both א and B (especially in combination), and the testimony of the Latin witnesses, the longer reading is most likely correct; the shorter readings were probably due to homoioteleuton.
[12:17] 568 tn Grk “so that what was said by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled, saying.” This final clause, however, is part of one sentence in Greek (vv. 15b-17) and is thus not related only to v. 16. The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
[12:18] 569 tn Grk “Behold my servant.”
[12:18] 570 tn Grk “in whom my soul is well pleased.”
[12:21] 571 tn Or “the nations” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
[12:21] 572 sn Verses 18-21 are a quotation from Isa 42:1-4.
[12:22] 573 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:22] 574 tn Grk “demoniac, and he healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.”
[12:24] 575 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:24] 576 tn Grk “except by Beelzebul.”
[12:24] sn Beelzebul is another name for Satan. So some people recognized Jesus’ work as supernatural, but called it diabolical.
[12:25] 578 tc The majority of
[12:25] 579 sn Jesus here demonstrated the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. He first teaches (vv. 25-28) that if he casts out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. He then teaches (v. 29) about tying up the strong man to prove that he does not need to align himself with the devil because he is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (4:1-11) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 12:31-32).
[12:25] 580 tn Or “is left in ruins.”
[12:26] 581 tn This first class condition, the first of three “if” clauses in the following verses, presents the example vividly as if it were so. In fact, all three conditions in these verses are first class. The examples are made totally parallel. The expected answer is that Satan’s kingdom will not stand, so the suggestion makes no sense. Satan would not seek to heal.
[12:27] 582 sn Most read your sons as a reference to Jewish exorcists (cf. “your followers,” L&N 9.4), but more likely this is a reference to the disciples of Jesus themselves, who are also Jewish and have been healing as well (R. J. Shirock, “Whose Exorcists are they? The Referents of οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν at Matthew 12:27/Luke 11:19,” JSNT 46 [1992]: 41-51). If this is a reference to the disciples, then Jesus’ point is that it is not only him, but those associated with him whose power the hearers must assess. The following reference to judging also favors this reading.
[12:27] 583 tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[12:28] 584 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong.
[12:28] 585 tn The phrase ἔφθασεν ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (efqasen ef’ Juma") is quite important. Does it mean merely “approach” (which would be reflected in a translation like “has come near to you”) or actually “come upon” (as in the translation given above, “has already overtaken you,” which has the added connotation of suddenness)? Is the arrival of the kingdom merely anticipated or already in process? Two factors favor arrival over anticipation here. First, the prepositional phrase ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (ef’ Jumas, “upon you”) in the Greek text suggests arrival (Dan 4:24, 28 Theodotion). Second, the following illustration in v. 29 looks at the healing as portraying Satan being overrun. So the presence of God’s authority has arrived. See also L&N 13.123 for the translation of φθάνω (fqanw) as “to happen to already, to come upon, to come upon already.”
[12:29] 586 tn Grk “Or how can.”
[12:29] 587 sn The strong man here pictures Satan.
[12:29] 588 sn Some see the imagery here as similar to Eph 4:7-10, although no opponents are explicitly named in that passage. Jesus has the victory over Satan. Jesus’ acts of healing mean that the war is being won and the kingdom is coming.
[12:30] 589 sn Whoever is not with me is against me. The call here is to join the victor. Failure to do so means that one is being destructive. Responding to Jesus is the issue.
[12:30] 590 sn For the image of scattering, see Pss. Sol. 17:18.
[12:31] 591 tn Grk “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.”
[12:32] 592 tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”
[12:32] 593 tn Grk “it will not be forgiven him.”
[12:32] sn Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. This passage has troubled many people, who have wondered whether or not they have committed this sin. Three things must be kept in mind: (1) the nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan’s power) to Satan himself; (2) it is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude, but is indeed a settled condition which opposes the Spirit’s work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed Jesus; and (3) a person who is concerned about it has probably never committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about Jesus’ warning.
[12:33] 594 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “tree” and “fruit,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
[12:35] 595 tn The Greek text reads here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos). The term is generic referring to any person.
[12:35] 596 tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here and in the following clause (“his evil treasury”) as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
[12:35] 597 sn The treasury here is a metaphorical reference to a person’s heart (cf. BDAG 456 s.v. θησαυρός 1.b and the parallel passage in Luke 6:45).
[12:36] 598 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:38] 599 tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[12:38] 600 tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been supplied for clarification.
[12:38] sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:38] 601 tn Grk “answered him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.
[12:38] 602 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
[12:39] 603 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[12:40] 604 tn Grk “large sea creature.”
[12:40] 605 sn A quotation from Jonah 1:17.
[12:41] 606 tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).
[12:41] 607 tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”
[12:42] 609 sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.
[12:43] 611 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:43] 612 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
[12:43] 613 tn Grk “man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females. This same use occurs in v. 45.
[12:43] 614 sn The background for the reference to waterless places is not entirely clear, though some Jewish texts suggest spirits must have a place to dwell, but not with water (Luke 8:29-31; Tob 8:3). Some suggest that the image of the desert or deserted cities as the places demons dwell is where this idea started (Isa 13:21; 34:14).
[12:43] 615 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[12:44] 616 tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”
[12:44] 618 tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.
[12:44] 619 sn The image of the house empty, swept clean, and put in order refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return. Some see the reference to exorcism as more symbolic; thus the story’s only point is about responding to Jesus. This is possible and certainly is an application of the passage.
[12:45] 620 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.
[12:46] 621 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:46] 622 tn Grk “crowds, behold, his mother.” 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).
[12:46] 623 sn The issue of whether Jesus had brothers (siblings) has had a long history in the church. Epiphanius, in the 4th century, argued that Mary was a perpetual virgin and had no offspring other than Jesus. Others argued that these brothers were really cousins. Nothing in the text suggests any of this. See also John 7:3.
[12:46] 624 tn “His mother and brothers came and” is a translation of “behold, his mother and brothers came.”
[12:47] 626 tc A few ancient
[12:47] 627 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:48] 629 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:48] 630 tn Grk “And answering, he said to the one who had said this.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) at the beginning of the clause has not been translated.
[12:49] 631 tn Grk “extending his hand.”
[12:49] 632 tn Grk “Behold my mother and my brothers.”
[12:50] 633 tn The pleonastic pronoun αὐτός (autos, “he”) which precedes this verb has not been translated.
[13:2] 634 tn Grk “and all the crowd.” The clause in this phrase, although coordinate in terms of grammar, is logically subordinate to the previous clause.
[13:3] 635 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[13:3] 636 sn Though parables can contain a variety of figures of speech (cf. the remainder of chapter 13), many times they are simply stories that attempt to teach spiritual truth (which is unknown to the hearers) by using a comparison with something known to the hearers. In general, parables usually advance a single idea, though there may be many parts and characters in a single parable and subordinate ideas may expand the main idea further. The beauty of using the parable as a teaching device is that it draws the listener into the story, elicits an evaluation, and demands a response.
[13:3] 638 sn A sower went out to sow. The background for this well-known parable, drawn from a typical scene in the Palestinian countryside, is a field through which a well-worn path runs. Sowing would occur in late fall or early winter (October to December) in the rainy season, looking for sprouting in April or May and a June harvest. The use of seed as a figure for God’s giving life has OT roots (Isa 55:10-11). The point of the parable of the sower is to illustrate the various responses to the message of the kingdom of God.
[13:4] 639 tn In Matthew’s version of this parable, plural pronouns are used to refer to the seed in v. 4 (ἅ…αὐτά [Ja…auta]), although the collective singular is used in v. 5 and following (indicated by the singular verbs like ἔπεσεν [epesen]). For the sake of consistency in English, plural pronouns referring to the seed are used in the translation throughout the Matthean account. In both Mark and Luke the collective singular is used consistently throughout (cf. Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-8).
[13:5] 640 tn Here and in vv. 7 and 8 δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:5] 641 sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.
[13:5] 642 tn Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”
[13:7] 643 sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.
[13:7] 644 sn That is, crowded out the good plants.
[13:9] 645 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15, 13:43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).
[13:10] 646 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[13:11] 647 tn Grk “And answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:11] 648 tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).
[13:11] 649 tn Grk “to you it has been given to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.
[13:11] 650 tn Grk “the mysteries.”
[13:11] sn The key term secrets (μυστήριον, musthrion) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17-23, 27-30. Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises (Rom 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-2). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because it suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).
[13:12] 651 sn What he has will be taken from him. The meaning is that the one who accepts Jesus’ teaching concerning his person and the kingdom will receive a share in the kingdom now and even more in the future, but for the one who rejects Jesus’ words, the opportunity that that person presently possesses with respect to the kingdom will someday be taken away forever.
[13:14] 652 tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168-69).
[13:14] 653 tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.
[13:15] 654 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.
[13:16] 655 sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.
[13:17] 656 tn Grk “truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.”
[13:17] 657 sn This is what past prophets and righteous people had wanted very much to see, yet the fulfillment had come to the disciples. This remark is like 1 Pet 1:10-12 or Heb 1:1-2.
[13:19] 658 sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for Satan here: Mark 4:15 has “Satan,” while Luke 8:12 has “the devil.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.
[13:19] 659 sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.
[13:20] 660 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:20] 661 tn Grk “The one sown on rocky ground, this is the one.” The next two statements like this one have this same syntactical structure.
[13:21] 662 tn Grk “is temporary.”
[13:21] 663 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:22] 664 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:22] 665 tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”
[13:22] 666 sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
[13:23] 667 tn The Greek is difficult to translate because it switches from a generic “he” to three people within this generic class (thus, something like: “Who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one instance a hundred times, in another, sixty times, in another, thirty times”).
[13:24] 668 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[13:25] 669 tn Grk “sowed darnel.” The Greek term ζιζάνιον (zizanion) refers to an especially undesirable weed that looks like wheat but has poisonous seeds (L&N 3.30).
[13:26] 670 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:27] 671 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[13:28] 672 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the owner’s statement.
[13:30] 673 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[13:30] 675 tn Grk “burned, but gather.”
[13:31] 676 tn Grk “put before.”
[13:31] 677 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[13:31] 678 sn The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.
[13:32] 679 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] 680 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] 681 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.
[13:33] 683 sn This measure was a saton, the Greek name for the Hebrew term “seah.” Three of these was a very large quantity of flour, since a saton is a little over 16 pounds (7 kg) of dry measure (or 13.13 liters). So this was over 47 lbs (21 kg) of flour total, enough to feed over a hundred people.
[13:33] 684 tn Grk “it was all leavened.”
[13:33] sn The parable of the yeast and the dough teaches that the kingdom of God will start small but eventually grow to permeate everything. Jesus’ point was not to be deceived by its seemingly small start, the same point made in the parable of the mustard seed, which preceded this one.
[13:35] 685 tc A few important
[13:35] tn Grk “was spoken by the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[13:35] 686 sn A quotation from Ps 78:2.
[13:37] 687 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:38] 688 tn Grk “the sons of the kingdom.” This idiom refers to people who should properly be, or were traditionally regarded as, a part of God’s kingdom. L&N 11.13 translates the phrase: “people of God’s kingdom, God’s people.”
[13:38] 689 tn Grk “the sons of the evil one.” See the preceding note on the phrase “people of the kingdom” earlier in this verse, which is the opposite of this phrase. See also L&N 9.4; 11.13; 11.14.
[13:40] 690 tn Grk “Therefore as.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[13:41] 691 tn Grk “the ones who practice lawlessness.”
[13:42] 692 sn A quotation from Dan 3:6.
[13:43] 693 sn An allusion to Dan 12:3.
[13:43] 694 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15, 13:9; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).
[13:50] 695 sn An allusion to Dan 3:6.
[13:52] 696 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].
[13:53] 697 tn Grk “Now it happened that when.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[13:54] 698 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[13:54] 699 sn Jesus’ hometown (where he spent his childhood years) was Nazareth, about 20 miles (30 km) southwest of Capernaum.
[13:54] 700 tn Grk “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:54] 701 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23. Jesus undoubtedly took the opportunity on this occasion to speak about his person and mission, and the relation of both to OT fulfillment.
[13:54] 702 tn Grk “synagogue, so that they.” Here ὥστε (Jwste) has not been translated. Instead a new sentence was started in the translation.
[13:55] 703 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).
[13:56] 704 tn Grk “Where did he get these things?”
[14:1] 705 sn A tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king, ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. Several times in the NT, Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.
[14:3] 706 tc ‡ Most witnesses (א2 C D L W Z Θ 0106 Ë1,13 33 Ï lat) read αὐτόν (auton, “him”) here as a way of clarifying the direct object; various important witnesses lack the word, however (א* B 700 pc ff1 h q). The original wording most likely lacked it, but it has been included here due to English style. NA27 includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.
[14:4] 707 tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
[14:4] 708 sn This marriage of Herod to his brother Philip’s wife was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.
[14:5] 709 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[14:5] 710 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:5] 711 tn Grk “him” (also in the following phrase, Grk “accepted him”); in both cases the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:7] 712 tn The Greek text reads here ὁμολογέω (Jomologew); though normally translated “acknowledge, confess,” BDAG (708 s.v. 1) lists “assure, promise with an oath” for certain contexts such as here.
[14:9] 713 tn Grk “and being grieved, the king commanded.”
[14:9] sn Herod was technically not a king, but this reflects popular usage. See the note on tetrarch in 14:1.
[14:10] 714 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
[14:11] 715 tn Grk “And his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 716 tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[14:13] 717 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[14:15] 719 tn Or “a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).
[14:16] 720 tc ‡ The majority of witnesses read ᾿Ιησοῦς (Ihsous, “Jesus”) here, perhaps to clarify the subject. Although only a few Greek
[14:16] 721 tn Here the pronoun ὑμεῖς (Jumeis) is used, making “you” in the translation emphatic.
[14:17] 722 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[14:19] 723 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[14:19] 724 tn Grk “And after instructing the crowds to recline for a meal on the grass, after taking the five loaves and the two fish, after looking up to heaven, he gave thanks, and after breaking the loaves he gave them to the disciples.” Although most of the participles are undoubtedly attendant circumstance, there are but two indicative verbs – “he gave thanks” and “he gave.” The structure of the sentence thus seems to focus on these two actions and has been translated accordingly.
[14:19] 725 tn Grk “to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.”
[14:22] 726 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:24] 727 tn Grk “The boat was already many stades from the land.” A stade (στάδιον, stadion) was a unit of distance about 607 feet (187 meters) long.
[14:25] 728 tn Grk “In the fourth watch of the night,” that is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
[14:25] 729 tn Or “on the lake.”
[14:26] 730 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[14:26] 731 tn Grk “on the sea”; or “on the lake.” The translation “water” has been used here for stylistic reasons (cf. the same phrase in v. 25).
[14:27] 732 tc Most witnesses have ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (Jo Ihsous, “Jesus”), while a few lack the words (א* D 073 892 pc ff1 syc sa bo). Although such additions are often suspect (due to liturgical influences, piety, or for the sake of clarity), in this case it is likely that ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς dropped out accidentally. Apart from a few albeit important witnesses, as noted above, the rest of the tradition has either ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς αὐτοῖς (Jo Ihsous autois) or αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (autois Jo Ihsous). In uncial letters, with Jesus’ name as a nomen sacrum, this would have been written as autoisois_ or ois_autois. Thus homoioteleuton could explain the reason for the omission of Jesus’ name.
[14:27] 733 tn Grk “he said to them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[14:28] 734 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[14:28] 735 tn Grk “answering him, Peter said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[14:30] 736 tn Grk “he cried out, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[14:34] 737 sn Gennesaret was a fertile plain south of Capernaum (see also Mark 6:53). The Sea of Galilee was also sometimes known as the Sea of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1).
[14:35] 738 tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).
[14:36] 739 tn Grk “asked that they might touch.”
[15:1] 740 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[15:1] 741 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[15:1] 742 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[15:1] 743 tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb so that its telic (i.e., final or conclusive) force can be more easily detected: The Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus in order to speak with him.
[15:2] 744 tc ‡ Although most witnesses read the genitive plural pronoun αὐτῶν (autwn, “their”), it may have been motivated by clarification (as it is in the translation above). Several other authorities do not have the pronoun, however (א B Δ 073 Ë1 579 700 892 1424 pc f g1); the lack of an unintentional oversight as the reason for omission strengthens their combined testimony in this shorter reading. NA27 has the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
[15:2] 745 tn Grk “when they eat bread.”
[15:3] 746 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.”
[15:4] 747 tc Most
[15:4] 748 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
[15:4] 749 sn A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.
[15:5] 750 tn Grk “is a gift,” that is, something dedicated to God.
[15:6] 751 tc The logic of v. 5 would seem to demand that both father and mother are in view in v. 6. Indeed, the majority of
[15:6] tn Grk “he will never honor his father.” Here Jesus is quoting the Pharisees, whose intent is to release the person who is giving his possessions to God from the family obligation of caring for his parents. The verb in this phrase is future tense, and it is negated with οὐ μή (ou mh), the strongest negation possible in Greek. A literal translation of the phrase does not capture the intended sense of the statement; it would actually make the Pharisees sound as if they agreed with Jesus. Instead, a more interpretive translation has been used to focus upon the release from family obligations that the Pharisees allowed in these circumstances.
[15:6] sn Here Jesus refers to something that has been set aside as a gift to be given to God at some later date, but which is still in the possession of the owner. According to contemporary Jewish tradition, the person who made this claim was absolved from responsibility to support or assist his parents, a clear violation of the Mosaic law to honor one’s parents (v. 4).
[15:8] 752 tn The term “heart” is a collective singular in the Greek text.
[15:9] 753 sn A quotation from Isa 29:13.
[15:10] 754 tn Grk “And calling the crowd, he said to them.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesamenos) has been translated as attendant circumstance. The emphasis here is upon Jesus’ speaking to the crowd.
[15:11] 755 tn Grk “but what.”
[15:12] 756 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[15:13] 757 tn Grk “And answering, he said.”
[15:14] 758 tc ‡ Most
[15:14] 759 tn Grk “If blind leads blind.”
[15:15] 760 tn Grk “And answering, Peter said to him.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[15:16] 761 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[15:17] 762 tn Or “into the latrine.”
[15:20] 763 tn Grk “but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”
[15:21] 764 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[15:21] 765 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[15:22] 766 tn Grk “And behold a Canaanite.” 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).
[15:22] 767 tn Grk The participle ἐξελθοῦσα (exelqousa) is here translated as a finite verb. The emphasis is upon her crying out to Jesus.
[15:22] 768 tn Grk “cried out, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[15:23] 769 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[15:23] 770 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[15:24] 771 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The construction in Greek is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the disciples’ request.
[15:25] 772 tn In this context the verb προσκυνέω (proskunew), which often describes worship, probably means simply bowing down to the ground in an act of reverence or supplication (see L&N 17.21).
[15:25] 773 tn Grk “she bowed down to him, saying.”
[15:26] 774 tn Grk “And answering, he said, ‘It is not right.’” The introductory phrase “answering, he said” has been simplified and placed at the end of the English sentence for stylistic reasons. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[15:26] 775 tn Or “lap dogs, house dogs,” as opposed to dogs on the street. The diminutive form originally referred to puppies or little dogs, then to house pets. In some Hellenistic uses κυνάριον (kunarion) simply means “dog.”
[15:26] sn The term dogs does not refer to wild dogs (scavenging animals roaming around the countryside) in this context, but to small dogs taken in as house pets. It is thus not a derogatory term per se, but is instead intended by Jesus to indicate the privileged position of the Jews (especially his disciples) as the initial recipients of Jesus’ ministry. The woman’s response of faith and her willingness to accept whatever Jesus would offer pleased him to such an extent that he granted her request.
[15:26] 776 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[15:27] 777 tn Grk “she said.”
[15:28] 778 tn Grk “Then answering, Jesus said to her.” This expression has been simplified in the translation.
[15:28] 779 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.
[15:30] 780 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[15:30] 781 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[15:32] 782 tc ‡ Although the external evidence is not great (א W Θ 700 pc), the internal evidence for the omission of αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after “disciples” is fairly strong. The pronoun may have been added by way of clarification. NA27, however, includes the pronoun, on the basis of the much stronger external evidence.
[15:36] 783 tn Grk “was giving them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowd.”
[15:37] 784 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[15:38] 785 tc ‡ Although most witnesses (B C L W Ë13 33 Ï f sys,p,h mae) read “women and children” instead of “children and women,” it is likely that the majority’s reading is a harmonization to Matt 14:21. “Children and women” is found in early and geographically widespread witnesses (e.g., א D [Θ Ë1] 579 lat syc sa bo), and has more compelling internal arguments on its side, suggesting that this is the original reading. NA27, however, agrees with the majority of witnesses.
[15:38] 786 tn Grk “And those eating were four thousand men, apart from children and women.”
[15:39] 787 sn Magadan was a place along the Sea of Galilee, the exact location of which is uncertain.
[16:1] 788 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[16:1] 789 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[16:1] 790 tn The object of the participle πειράζοντες (peirazontes) is not given in the Greek text but has been supplied here for clarity.
[16:1] 791 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
[16:2] 792 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” The construction has been simplified in the translation and δέ (de) has not been translated.
[16:3] 793 tn Or “red and gloomy” (L&N 14.56).
[16:3] 794 tn Grk “The face of the sky you know how to discern.”
[16:4] 795 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[16:6] 796 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[16:6] 797 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[16:7] 798 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ saying about the Pharisees and Sadducees.
[16:8] 799 tn Or “becoming aware of it.”
[16:8] 800 tn Grk “Those of little faith.”
[16:8] 801 tn Or “discussing.”
[16:13] 802 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[16:13] 803 map For location see Map1 C1; Map2 F4.
[16:13] 804 tn Grk “he asked his disciples, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has been left untranslated.
[16:14] 805 sn The appearance of Elijah would mean that the end time had come. According to 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah.
[16:16] 806 tn Grk “And answering, Simon Peter said.”
[16:16] 807 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[16:16] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[16:17] 808 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of this phrase has been modified for clarity.
[16:17] 809 tn The expression “flesh and blood” could refer to “any human being” (so TEV, NLT; cf. NIV “man”), but it could also refer to Peter himself (i.e., his own intuition; cf. CEV “You didn’t discover this on your own”). Because of the ambiguity of the referent, the phrase “flesh and blood” has been retained in the translation.
[16:18] 810 tn Or “and the power of death” (taking the reference to the gates of Hades as a metonymy).
[16:18] sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Matt 11:23; Luke 16:23; Rev 20:13-14). Some translations render this by its modern equivalent, “hell”; others see it as a reference to the power of death.
[16:20] 811 tc Most
[16:20] tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[16:20] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[16:21] 812 tn Grk “From then.”
[16:21] 813 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[16:21] 814 sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.
[16:21] 815 tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[16:22] 816 tn Grk “began to rebuke him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[16:22] 817 tn Grk “Merciful to you.” A highly elliptical expression: “May God be merciful to you in sparing you from having to undergo [some experience]” (L&N 88.78). A contemporary English equivalent is “God forbid!”
[16:24] 819 tn Grk “to come after me.”
[16:24] 820 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] 821 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.
[16:25] 822 tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 25-26).
[16:25] 823 sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.
[16:26] 824 tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.
[16:27] 825 sn An allusion to Pss 28:4; 62:12; cf. Prov 24:12.
[16:28] 826 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[16:28] 827 tn The Greek negative here (οὐ μή, ou mh) is the strongest possible.
[16:28] 828 tn Grk “will not taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).
[16:28] 829 sn Several suggestions have been made as to the referent for the phrase the Son of Man coming in his kingdom: (1) the transfiguration itself, which immediately follows in the narrative; (2) Jesus’ resurrection and ascension; (3) the coming of the Spirit; (4) Christ’s role in the Church; (5) the destruction of Jerusalem; (6) Jesus’ second coming and the establishment of the kingdom. The reference to six days later in 17:1 seems to indicate that Matthew had the transfiguration in mind insofar as it was a substantial prefiguring of the consummation of the kingdom (although this interpretation is not without its problems). As such, the transfiguration would be a tremendous confirmation to the disciples that even though Jesus had just finished speaking of his death (in vv. 21-23), he was nonetheless the promised Messiah and things were proceeding according to God’s plan.
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